Global Fastener News

The Defense Logistics Agency has been preparing to phase out the industrial hardware supply chain, one of its nine supply chains. 

Items transferred included seven federal supply classes under Federal Stock Group 53: Hardware and Abrasives. This category contains screws, bolts, studs, nuts, washers, nails, machine keys, pins, rivets and fastening devices.

“Dissolving the supply chain aligns those items more closely with the appropriate supporting activities while driving efficiency and cutting costs,” writes Catherine Hopkins for DLA.

The roughly 900,000 items previously referred to as industrial hardware have been divided between two of DLA’s major subordinate commands – DLA Land and Maritime and DLA Aviation, with DLA Aviation receiving roughly half a million items.

“The transfer that began in 2020 involved multiple transfers of items during the last year, with several DLA Aviation directorates having a part of the process,” according to Hopkins.

Will Cary, chief of DLA Aviation’s Engineering Directorate’s Engineering and Technology Division, said he saw the biggest workload increase in new Standardization Programs, including standardization and specifications documentation required for the items and the Qualified Supplier List program [a listing of vendor for this FSG.]

“There are 1,744 specs and standards with active maintenance on a 5-year review cycle and 296 QSL vendors,” he said. “Each vendor requires renewal applications and surveillance audits every three years. New applicants also require Defense Contract Management Agency site visits prior to being added to the list.”

The QSL is part of a larger DLA quality management system that includes qualified product lists and is the agency’s response to implementing provisions of the 1990 Fastener Quality Act that requires inspection, testing and certification of fasteners in accordance with standardized methods. Web: DLA.mil