Global Fastener News

FEATURE

2016 Taiwan Show Expects 1,000 Booths The biennial Taiwan International Fastener Show will be in the new Kaohsiung Exhibition Center on April 11-13, 2016. The new center has double the exhibit space from the 2014 location and show management anticipates 400+ exhibiting companies filling the 1,000 booths. That would make the booth total higher than the National Fastener & Mill Supply Expo in Las Vegas – which had 634 exhibiting companies in 829 booths. The 2016 Fastener Fair Stuttgart had 833 exhibiting companies in the equivalent space of 1,991 booths. The 2014 Taiwan show totaled 850 booths with 350 exhibiting companies. In 2014 there were 375 attendees from Japan; 215 from Mainland China; 183 from U.S.; and 118 from India. Remaining top ten countries in order are: Germany, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia. A total of 28.3% came from other countries. In addition to fasteners, exhibitors will display fastener manufacturing equipment, tools, meters and instruments and raw material suppliers. Pre-registration is free for attendees. The trade show is organized by Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade and co-organized by the City of Kaohsiung. It is implemented by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Taiwan Industrial Fasteners Institute. For Taiwan Fastener Show information: Email: fastener@taitra.org.tw Web: FastenerTaiwan.com.tw

The 2016 Taiwan International Fastener Show is designed to be more than distributors walking trade show aisles and talking with sales staff.  The show is located within Taiwan’s fastener manufacturing cluster and international customers are encouraged to also visit some of the 700 factories within a 30-minute drive.

Taiwan is the world’s second-largest exporter of fasteners.  As Betty Chang, vice GM of Anchor Fasteners Industrial Co. Ltd. pointed out, Taiwan manufactures one of every six fasteners in the world.

Dr. Jimmy Ko, vice president of Tong Hwei Enterprise Co. Ltd, explained that the clustering of Taiwan’s fastener industry is part of its strength.  The clustering helps the alliance with steel mills, global marketing and service and trained employees.

Ko adds that Taiwan’s factories, many which developed in the 1970s and 1980s to produce standard fasteners, have been modernized and upgraded during the past 10 years.

Beyond modernizing, plants are being equipped to produce higher grades of fasteners as production of standard fasteners continues to move elsewhere.  There also is more and more automation of plants “to be competitive,” Ko said.

Boltun Corporation sales manager Jason Chen foresees the Taiwan fastener industry moving beyond standard fasteners.  He pointed to domestic steel supplier China Steel visiting Boeing as evidence of the entire industry wanting to move into aerospace fasteners.  China Steel “supports the local industry,” Chen said.

Taiwan’s fastener exports grew 10% in 2014 to US$4.3 billion in value and 1.55 million tons to account for 14% of world fastener output value and 17% of production volume, according to Metal Industries Research & Development Centre.

Taiwan exports to the U.S. grew 8.9% to 290 thousand tons in the first half of 2015.

To demonstrate what fastener trade show attendees can include in one trip, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) hosted six fastener publication editors this autumn on a tour of six fastener companies.

Taiwan started manufacturing standard fasteners, but companies such as Boltun Corporation have changed.  Boltun – with 13 plants – emphasizes engineering teams, co-design, lean manufacturing and continuous technical improvement.

Boltun goes a step further than other fastener manufacturers by designing its own machines that emphasize efficiency.

Boltun’s manufacturing process includes optical sorting, check points throughout process and 98% of inspection in-house.

Founded in 1988, Boltun Corporation produces automotive fasteners and metal parts.  Fasteners include internal and external threaded by hot forge and cold form plus custom special parts.  Other industries include wind turbine bolts, truck wheel screws, rail screws, construction bolts.

Boltun has 3,400 employees at 21 facilities in five countries.  There are seven plants in Taiwan, six in China, two in Germany and one in Thailand. There are logistics sites in Taiwan, China, Thailand, U.S.A. and Germany, and technical centers in Taiwan and Germany.

Boltun is owned by Mark Wu and related families.

Boltun companies include Xiamen Bolwir & BolMac; Xiamen Boltun Metal; Boltun Casting; QST International; and Yeswin.

Wu cites Boltun’s  global presence, lean manufacturing, continuous technology improvements and integrated production optimization as the company’s core strength.  Boltun’s production capabilities, process automation and co-design engineering demonstrate technology leadership.

Boltun has new land for another plant with proximity to highway and high speed rail.  It is part of “Continuing to elevate ourselves,” Wu said.

The Wu family was once the “pineapple king of Taiwan.”  Email: sales@boltun.com  Web: boltun.com

Founded in 1992, Your Choice Fasteners & Tools Co. Ltd. had its best year in 2014 with sales of US$23.3 million.

Your Choice sells 55% of its fasteners to Europe, 25% in the U.S. and 15% to Asia.  General manager Johnson Chang added that its current Russian markets are strong.

Your Choice added a second factory in 2002 and third in 2003 and there are now 110 people working in the plants.

Chang points to the cleanliness of the Your Choice factories while producing up to 1,200 tons monthly.

All of Your Choice fasteners are exported.

Your Choice’s products include self-drilling screws 40%, roofing screws 29%, long screw 12%; window screws 10%; and self-tapping 9%.

Your Choice’s business policy includes punctual delivery, service, quality and being the customer’s “best choice.” Email: sales@ycs.com.tw  Web: ycsfastener.com

Since 1978, Tong Hwei Enterprise Co., Ltd. – more often known as THE – has specialized in manufacturing stainless steel fasteners.

Today’s current stainless steel issue is the cost of nickel.

“We look at the nickel price everyday,” Ko noted.  “It is low now and nobody knows the price bottom. Nickel miners are not happy with the prices.”

In addition to its original Kaohsiung operation, THE has Min Hwei Enterprise Co. Ltd. of Pingtung, Taiwan.

Ko observed that the North American market for stainless is changing.  Asia is THE’s second largest market. South America is third – led by Brazil’s stainless steel use in the petrochemical market.

“The competitiveness of your business is being decided right here.”  For THE, that means more automation to be competitive.  For example, THE once had 10 people working in the warehouse.  Since automation the warehouse is now staffed by three.

Automation also allows THE to easily fill a variety of orders – as low as two-piece packages.  “We do it all the time,” Ko said. Email: the@the.com.tw Web: the.com.tw

Founded in 1969 as a manufacturer of high-tensile fasteners – hex head and socket head screws, Ying Ming Industry Co. Ltd. began producing automotive fasteners for Nissan in 1973. By 1978, Ford and Mitsubishi had become customers.

Ying Ming moved into computerization of production management in 1986.  Project manager Keiun Liu expects even more ahead.

“Within the next decade there will be another plant in China and increased automation in new plants,” Liu said.

Over the years, Ying Ming has expanded in automotive fasteners.  In 1995, Ying Ming was named a Q1 Ford preferred supplier, in 2004 Ying Ming received Ford’s World Excellence award, and in 2005 Tier 1 supplier for Ford in North America.

In 2011, Ying Ming expanded in Argentina, Australia and South Africa.

In 2013, Ying Ming gained Volkswagen, Nissan Japan, and Ford in Thailand and India as customers.

Ying Ming produces fasteners for safety-critical parts in seat belts, air bags and braking systems, as well as cylinder head bolts, connecting rod bolts, exhaust bolts and fly wheel bolts.

Other Ying Ming’s developing markets include solar energy, aerospace and industrial.  Liu predicts “more high-tech fasteners. Email: yingming@ymhiten.com.tw Web: ymhiten.com.tw

Fasteners manufactured in Taiwan are sold throughout the world.  Fastener machinery is too.

Chun Zu Machinery Industry Co. Ltd. general manager Cheng-Yao Sun pointed to the company having agents on five continents as demonstrating its worldwide presence.

Chun Zu, founded in 1973 and headquartered in Kaohsiung, engineers, designs and produces 300 to 400 machines per year.

Chun Zu machinery ranges from a single-die, two-blow header to multi-die/blow headers, bolt and nut formers, to thread roller with washer assembly units.

In addition to new machines, Chun Zu provides preventative maintenance, machine refurbishment and upgrade.

Noting competitiveness is vital for fastener machinery customers, Chun Zu offers consultation which can cut work load in half while doubling results.

The future is more complicated and multi-functional machinery, Sun predicted.

The latest safety standards from Europe set up R&D to improve technology for the machines throughout the world.

Customers require customized production, creating a market for accessories.

Among the most frequent requests are ways to avoid parts damage and automatic sorting out of defective products, Sun said.

Also growing in importance is “QTC” – quick tool change – or using a crane to remove the whole set of die block and replace with a prepared die/punch with minimum operation time and labor.

Chun Zu’s 2014 sales totaled NT$895,000,000 (US$27.5m) plus NT$131,000,000 (US$19.4m) by Shanghai Chun Zu Machinery Industry Ltd.  Email: chunzu@ms9.hinet.net  Web: chunzu.com.tw

Anchor Fasteners Industrial Co. Ltd. demonstrates Taiwan’s global reach, as 40% of Anchor’s production is exported to Europe, 30% to Asia and 25% to the U.S.  Just 5% stay in Taiwan.

Founded in 1986 in Taiwan, Anchor now has plants in Vietnam and China.

Anchor Fasteners has “transformed to high-tech,” vice general manager Betty Chang said. She cited computer cable connectors as a sample product which changes the market.

Upgrading to the latest breakthroughs is vital to competing.

President Thompson T.H. Chang emphasizes one thing that hasn’t changed as Anchor has grown: the family atmosphere at its plant.  “The factory is family” is a traditional slogan and management shows interest through profit sharing.  Chang sees a quality of life within the Anchor facilities as part of satisfying customers with reliable fasteners.

Anchor manufactures concrete anchors, rivet nuts, clinching fasteners, lock bolts, interlock rivets and customer fasteners in.  About 30% goes to automotive use.  Email: rosaline@anchorfast.com.tw  Web: anchorfast.com.tw

Editor’s Note:  TAITRA hosted editors Jörn Brüningholt of Germany’s Kommunikationslösungen; Kobayashi Daisuke, editor of Japan’s Fastening Journal; Phil Matten of the European Fastener+Fixing magazine; editor Sergio Militias, of the Brazil fastener magazine – Revisit do Parafuso; editor Alexander Ostashov, of Russia’s Fasteners, Adhesives, Tools and …; and editor John Wolz of GlobalFastenerNews.com.

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