How to find Fastener Manufacturers for OEM Special Parts?

When it comes to the production of special fasteners instead of standard fasteners, the emphasis changes from efficiency driven context into a quality and technical driven one. And we cannot simply look for the competitiveness in cost alone. Because more often than not, special parts or fasteners are meant to serve specific functional  or safety purposes. Fastener suppliers or fastener manufacturers must have the awareness for quality assurance throughout every production processes. Lamvien Fastener in Vietnam and its parent company Funda fastener in Taiwan have been producing high quality special parts and fasteners and supply them to major customers from automotive or motorcycle industries around the world.

Producing OEM fasteners may seem simple by outsiders; however, people with further insight would soon learn that fastener suppliers or fastener manufacturers for highly technical special parts cannot survive in this fastener industry without having extensive experience in dealing with fastener with special functional or safety requirements.

When communicating the design of the OEM special part to Fastener Manufacturers, it is crucial to point out key technical requirements and intended use or application of the product. Because details like the raw material selection, Heat Treatment requirement, Surface Treatment or electroplating requirements are all related to the intended functions and purposes of the fastener. Only through proper and thorough communication, OEM fastener manufacturers are able to make sure things are done correctly early in the design phrase.

When designs is submitted for quote, make sure the drawing is clear and have all the necessary dimensions and technical requirements stated clearly on the drawing. Putting everything down on paper is the simplest and effective way to communicate all the details with the OEM fastener manufacturer. In cases where drawing is not available and a sample is provided, make sure that as much additional information are provided as possible since that a product sample can only tell such amount of information and sometimes the expected final product may not be exactly the same as the sample.

Some key factors to point out maybe:

1. Raw material requirements: raw material accounts for significant portion of the overall cost, so choosing the right material is important for cost as well as the intended functional requirement.
2. Heat treatment requirements / hardness requirement: in order to perform different function, the requirement hardness for the product maybe different. Too soft, it's not strong enough. Too hard, it becomes too rigid. So finding the suitable level of hardness is crucial.
3. Surface treatment: e.g. electroplating (cr3, cr6...etc), dacro, color. Given different requirement for environmental, anti-rusting and appearance  issues, surface treatment provide different options to fulfill different needs.
4. Level of tolerance and the applicable area: some parts need to have very low tolerance due to certain functional requirements, but some does not. Usually the lower the allowed level of tolerance, the higher the quality requirement, and therefore, the higher the relative cost to achieve it. As some may require complete sorting to ensure desired tolerance is met.
5. Important functional requirements: e.g. some parts need to be able to withhold certain weight, to be air-tight, or to be assembled with another part with low tolerance level. These key attributes needs to be communicated ahead to ensure OEM fastener manufacturers are on the same page and also get the big picture of the part they are producing.