Category: Industry Trends

What Alternative Energy Applications Need From Fasteners

When we talk about alternative energy equipment, we are likely to be talking about large machinery. The types of equipment include wind turbines, solar panels arrays, hydroelectric turbines and even the transport vehicles used to get equipment to the job site – all of which need fasteners. The alternative energy sector requires specialist styles and sizes of fasteners, which is why research into your distributor is integral.

The specifics 

As we already mentioned, alternative energy applications require large diameter fasteners – but what do these consist of?

• Large Diameter High Strength Hex Head Cap Screws
• Carriage Bolts
• Flange Screws
• All Metal Lock Nuts
• Nylon Insert Lock Nuts

In terms of coatings and protection for these fasteners, an appropriate option for renewable energy applications could be Zinc Flake Coating. This coating, offered by Earnest, includes protection against saltwater and harsh environments.

Finding a stockist that is knowledgeable about specialist industries is key to a successful project. The Earnest Machine UK team are here to guide you through your procurement process. The team can provide information on all of our specialist and bespoke items that will meet the demanding applications of alternative energy.

For more information and to see how Earnest can help you, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of the team today. Visit our website or contact us via email at ukenquiry@earnestmachine.com 

Our Research into Industry Barriers – Featuring Brexit and COVID

Here at Earnest, we aim to understand both our customers and the overall concerns within the industry. By doing so, we can share information whilst tackling any concerns and issues in solidarity with our customers and partners. Recently, we undertook research, which initially was purely information mining for us, but once we saw the results, we realised it could be helpful to share with our audience! 

Our research revealed ongoing covid implications and Brexit issues are still the number one issues within the fastener industry. A quarter of those sourcing industry supplies are facing concerns about the impacts of Brexit and COVID-19 have had on the supply chain. In fact, our research has revealed that 25% of those who are sourcing and selling industrial fasteners named Brexit or Covid effects on their supply chain as the number one issue they are currently facing.

Thanks to our research, we realised a lot of what we do as a business can help either overcome or dilute some of the issues that many are facing. For example, we recently launched a webinar series tackling supply chain issues. The first webinar concentrated on combating supply chain volatility in general, with focus on recent problems, as well as best practice for avoiding issues. Follow up webinars, which are listed on our YouTube page as ‘supply chain updates’, cover the latest freight updates and barriers and how to overcome them. You can view the full webinar series here, or read a summary of the first webinar here.

To access this information as it’s released, or to learn more about Earnest Machine, read more of our blogs or sign up to the newsletter!

What Agricultural Applications Need From Fasteners

Agricultural applications are reliant on a wide range of variants. The industry uses large machinery, such as tractors, harvesters, balers and combines, to name a few, which all come with their attachments like ploughs, tillers and planters. Each machine needs reliable fasteners to keep up with the high usage of a standard day in agriculture. 

Earnest Machine has been working alongside and supplying the special fasteners used in the manufacturing and maintenance of farm equipment and attachments for over 70 years. 

Understanding agricultural equipment

When we think about the equipment used in this industry, we have to consider the bigger picture, rather than the end result. For example, Earnest works with distributors from every stage, from construction, maintenance and transportation of the equipment. 

A common factor found in agriculture equipment is that the fastener designs must meet the original equipment manufacturer’s needs. This can sometimes cause issues when sourcing as these are speciality parts. Earnest’s knowledge of the original equipment specifications ensures that the right fastener is always provided to our customers. It can often be difficult to source hard to find parts, especially those for older pieces of equipment as the supply chain dwindles over time. At Earnest, we provide the unique service of sourcing hard to find parts, or if we can’t find them, making custom parts.

Considerations for agriculture equipment

Due to the nature of agriculture, there are a few things that should be considered when sourcing fasteners for the industry. It’s important that fasteners are resistant to fertilisers and chemicals to avoid any unnecessary erosion and replacement costs. This can be done by opting for a coating; however, the coating must also be resistant to these in order to avoid the same problems. You can learn more about coating options here.

Equipment in agriculture needs to be able to be relied upon. Downtime can cost money and hold up important operations. Seasonality, such as harvests, can be time-sensitive and so breakdown due to parts failing shouldn’t happen. Working with a trusted supplier that stocks correct, high-quality parts can be cost and time effective in the long run. These parts often include:

It’s important to have a stockist that is knowledgeable about specialist industries, such as the agricultural industry. The Earnest Machine UK team are here to help and offer guidance on a wide variety of speciality coatings that meet the demanding applications encountered in agriculture. 

To get more information or learn how Earnest can help you, please get in touch with a member of the team today and we’ll be happy to help. Call us on +44 1902 711041 or email us ukenquiry@earnestmachine.com

Have you read our eBook yet?

As a company that is centred around helping its customers, Earnest Machine aims to provide rich information, resources and training materials wherever we can. Our eBook will provide a background on plating and coating processes, the options available to you and how to specify the properties needed for each application. 

We understand the problems that corrosion, chemical exposure and harsh environments can bring to fasteners used in industrial applications. The eBook will guide you through plating and coating differences and how each can add value to its application. 

Our Protecting Industrial Fasteners from Corrosion & Other Harsh Environments: The Plating and Coating eBook is available to download for free. You can get your copy here.

Why we use plating and coating

Corrosion and wear are great enemies to fasteners. Once corrosion starts, it causes fasteners to break down rapidly, which reduces their effectiveness along with their lifespan. This makes corrosion protection, with coating systems and plating techniques, a really important process. 

Fasteners made from carbon or steel alloys, that are subject to harsh environments or hazardous chemicals, need plating or coating for protection. Fasteners that are applied without a kind of corrosion resistance can compromise their assembly, which is dangerous and costly to replace.

Topics 

Knowing different plating and coating processes, such as the difference between zinc plating and zinc flake coating, will help you understand what properties you may need on any given application. Our eBook covers important topics to extend your knowledge, in easy to digest sections. The topics include:

Download your free copy of our plating and coating eBook here. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of the Earnest Machine team with any questions.

What Mining Industry Equipment Needs From Fasteners

Whether it’s the extraction of metals, minerals, liquids or gasses, all mining applications need large diameter, high strength fasteners to run efficiently. Any overruns or delays cost the mining company money in downtime. Extracting as many usable minerals as efficiently as possible is the ultimate goal. High-quality fasteners are needed to keep mining equipment operating.

Here at Earnest, we’ve been supplying fasteners used for mining and industrial applications for more than 75 years. We’ve gained a wealth sector knowledge and intricacies, which we use to benefit our customers. 

The basis of the mining industry 

In the mining services industry, operators have to manage the maintenance of large scale, high value equipment, alongside fleets and specialist vehicles. By nature, it’s a complex industry that also deals with a great deal of environmental exposure. This means that repair teams deal with continuous maintenance issues and hurdles, alongside health and safety compliance. The equipment used in mining is subject to some of the harshest environments imaginable. Proper maintenance and protection of equipment is critical.

When we’re discussing mining equipment, we mainly mean one of these three categories:

• Deep Hole Mining
  The conveyor systems used to remove the minerals or maintenance of the trucks used to haul away the minerals and ores from the mine site. 

• Strip Mining
  From dragline buckets, stripping shovels, heavy-duty dump trucks and graders. 

• Open Pit Mining
  Open pit mines use every type of construction equipment, from excavators to bulldozers along with conveyor systems and trucks. Applications like a rock quarry, utilise special equipment, such as rock crushers and shaker screens. 

Mining industry needs and considerations 

From mine shafts to truck maintenance, modern mining tools and equipment need specialist attention and care. For example, strip mining equipment is some of the largest construction equipment that has ever been built. In turn, the fasteners used have to be some of the strongest fastener types made. This highlights the need for large-scale strength and durability in the global mining equipment market. 

The trick to successful sourcing maintenance parts for mining equipment is really in the supplier you use. You need one that can provide on hand, large diameter high strength fasteners and can handle mining equipment demand. Readily available, high strength and large diameter fasteners aren’t always easily sourced. Most stocking distributors of nuts and bolts don’t stock large diameter sizes (diameters over 1 ¼ inches). 

Working with a trusted, reputable supplier is essential. Earnest Machine stocks high strength and large diameter parts, as we understand that in the world of mining, uptime is critical. Working with a supplier that stocks the large diameter parts you need saves maintenance teams time sourcing parts. These parts include:

The scale and technical nature of mining equipment often require custom and specialty parts not found by a stocking distributor. You need a supplier that has the resources to find the parts you are having trouble finding. The Earnest Machine UK team understands the requirements of the mining market and has the experience and resources to help our customers source hard to find parts that meet the requirements of the mining industry.

Get in touch to enquire about how we can help you with specialist fasteners for your mining equipment applications.

What Construction and Heavy Equipment Need From Fasteners

When it comes to manufacturing bulldozers, excavators and any other site preparation equipment, safety, reliability and strength are key points for consideration when sourcing fasteners.

Having been in this industry for 70 years, we know a thing or two about sourcing and supplying fasteners. Specifically, sourcing fasteners to distributors serving the manufacturers and repair network of construction and heavy equipment. In this deadline driven world, downtime costs money. Distributors supplying this industry need to rely on wholesale partners for a readily available supply of high quality, specialized fasteners. This is alongside a service mindset to meet the special needs of this demanding industry.

So, what can you do to ensure you are getting the right parts when you need them?

Construction and other heavy-duty applications require strength and durability, namely, because of the scale and weight of the equipment, which puts a certain level of pressure on fasteners. Sourcing these parts can pose challenges as most wholesale distributors will stock smaller diameter, high volume, off-the-shelf sized parts.

At Earnest Machine, we specialise in high strength, hard-to-find, imperial fasteners in Grade 5, Grade 8 and proprietary Grade 9 – 170m strengths. What’s more, Earnest carries imperial fasteners in niche size ranges for distributors supplying the manufacture and maintenance of construction and heavy equipment.

Our stocking line of high strength imperial fastener for the construction & heavy equipment industry includes:

• #3 Head Plow Bolts
• Domed Scraper Bolts
• #7 Bucket tooth bolts
• Track Shoe Bolts & Nuts
• Hex Cap Screws
• Hex Nuts
• Hex Tap Bolts
• Heavy Hex Nuts
• Carriage Bolts
• Jam Nuts
• Hex Flange Screws
• Slotted Nuts
• Flat Head Cap Screws
• Heavy Slotted Nuts
• Clips and Clamps
• All Metal Lock Nuts
• Hardened Washers
• Nylon Insert Lock Nuts

To see our full stocking line, download our line card.

Protecting fasteners from the elements

Construction Equipment and Heavy Machinery is under constant exposure to extreme weather conditions, such as rain, snow and salt. Corrosion is the greatest enemy to fasteners. With this in mind, it’s important to work with a wholesale supplier that knows which specialty plating or coating can help protect fasteners from extreme weather exposure. Earnest Machine has published a Plating and Coating eBook that helps distributors understand and identify the applications for specific plating or coatings.

Specialty parts should always be available

The complex and highly technical nature of construction and heavy equipment means that there are often specialty parts designed into equipment specifications. This means that ‘off the shelf’ or standard items don’t always fit the mould.

In this scenario, you need a supplier that has the resources to find the parts you are having trouble finding. Seek out an industry specialist that can create the product you need based on an engineer’s print specification for a single part. Wholesalers and manufacturers should also be able to source quantities for an entire production run and have resource for specialty materials.

The team at Earnest Machine UK understands the requirements of the Construction and Heavy Equipment market and has the experience and resources to help distributor customers source bespoke parts. Earnest is able to create bespoke fastener solutions and has resources to help distributor customers source bespoke parts. We work directly with design engineers – providing a consultation that delivers the perfect result every time.

Get in touch to enquire about how we can help you with specialist fasteners for your construction and heavy equipment applications.

Metric and Imperial Fasteners Availability: UK and Europe

Most of us know that metric and imperial are the two measurements used for fastener sizes around the world. While the US market favours imperial measurements, metric fasteners are more widely used in the European market. Metric was introduced to Europe back in the 1700s and has been the official usage in the UK since 1965. However, that doesn’t mean that metric fasteners are the only fasteners used in the UK.

US companies don’t exclusively use metric, as they may have manufacturing facilities across Europe, meaning they use imperial fasteners. In the same way, it’s not guaranteed that Europe-based manufacturers or distributors will only require metric product. The type of fastener used is always decided by the application and instruments used. So, a swap from metric to imperial, or vice versa, would mean a whole redesign of the application. 

Ultimately, at the original concept and production process for a part, either a metric or imperial fastener would have been designed for the application. Earnest, and typically our core customer base, are not the decision makers with regards to what style of fastener can be used or the unit of measurement specified. While we can always look for alternatives, upgrades or new products to the market for consideration, the original engineered part is the go to in the majority of cases.

The differences also go a little beyond the measurement used too, which is always a consideration. The thread flank angles differ between US and European standards. An American standard coarse thread has a 60º flange angle, whereas British standards are at 55º. 

Before we look at demand and availability, let’s recap the basics first…

What is a metric fastener?

While metric clearly refers to the basic unit of measurement, within the world of fasteners, it also represents further information. They are measured diameter, pitch and length in millimeters (mm). 

What is an imperial fastener?

Imperial fastener sizes work in a similar way, but with a different basic unit of measurement. They are measured by diameter and length in inches. Thread sizes range from approximately 6 – 40 tpi (threads per inch). There’s also the consideration of thread pitch, where they are measured by diameter, thread pitch and length. For example, a 1.5 x 8 x 7.25 is 1.5 inch diameter “by” 8 thread pitch by 7.25 inch length.

Like metric fasteners, imperial fasteners are graded by strength. The higher the grade number indicated on the head of the fastener, the stronger the fastener is. Grades available in imperial fasteners are Grade 2, 5, 8, alongside an unofficial 170m strength level sometimes referred to as grade 9. 

Learn more about our custom fastener solutions. 

Metric fasteners UK vs imperial fasteners UK: What is the availability of both in Europe?

Generally speaking, most of the world has (or is in the process of) moving to metric standards. Markets like the US are one of the last to make this change due to the huge and diverse market. This is all down to globalisation of the product and the industrial methods used – which generally conform to metric. While the US market is likely to see heavy usage of imperial for a while to come, a wide range of other markets will see more and more usage of metric. It has also been the most widely available option in the European market for some time. This is because it’s the official unit of measurement in the UK and most of Europe. 

What does Earnest have on offer?

While there are a wide variety of metric fasteners, here at Earnest, we focus on hard to find imperial and metric fasteners. Specifically, we can help distributors build a supply chain of high strength, large diameter, imperial or metric products. These products are seen as niche in the EU and UK markets. When we do stock a metric part, it is because it is a niche item or a non-standard size.

You can expect to find a range of large diameter and high strength fasteners from us. These parts are frequently used in the agriculture, heavy equipment, heavy transportation, mining, oil & gas, robotics and automation industries.

From this specialisation in niche fasteners, we often see requests for non-core products and bespoke fasteners to print. To better serve the needs of our customers, we have formed a Custom Solutions team of fastener experts. This team helps our customers source parts that have special requirements, such as being made from specialty materials or those that don’t have a consistent supply chain established.

Earnest Machines goal is to help customers by delivering the right part, in the right quantity, on time, every time.

Get in touch with the team today to discuss fastener solutions. 

Back to Basics with Platings and Coatings

The greatest enemy to fasteners is corrosion. The good news is, there’s an effective solution to corrosion, chemicals and harsh environmental exposure – and that solution is plating and coating.

To ensure full effectiveness, you’ll need to determine the correct plating or coating needed for your fastener’s specific application. Not only can this help protect against corrosion and harsh environments but choosing the right plating or coating will also ensure you achieve the correct clamp load at the specified torque, maximising the life of any assembly.

What’s the difference between plating and coating?

Within the world of fasteners, the plating and coating processes are often lumped together and ultimately overlooked as being the same process. While each can add corrosion resistance and various other properties to your fasteners, they are two unique operations.

Plating

Plating refers to the process of ‘electroplating’, where a metallic finish is added through electro-deposition. It involves adhering a metallic finish to the surface of a fastener, which means that the deposited metal becomes fused to the existing product.

Plating is the most common method used to add a surface finish to fasteners. Within this practice, the most common process is a Zinc with Clear Chromate plating. It provides good corrosion protection, can be applied at a controlled thickness, and is cosmetically appealing with its bright silver appearance.

Plating options available through Earnest include:

• Zinc Clear Trivalent

The most common type of plating, frequently used in multiple industries, including automotive, construction, and food processing.

• Zinc Yellow Finish

Declining in use following the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS). Most frequently used by manufacturers of construction equipment and heavy vehicles

Coating

Coating refers to the use of powder or chemical additions to the surface of the fastener. This process involves dipping the item into a chemical bath, with the product then spun out at high speeds to remove any excess material.

This dip and spin process will create the specified thickness of the coating. Zinc Flake Coatings, for example, can offer a coating that is twice as thick when compared to Zinc Electroplated product, leading to superior corrosion protection. However, unlike Zinc Electroplated product, coatings, due to their dip and spin process, can sometimes result in an uneven thickness, which can cause thread interference problems.

Coating options available include:

• Zinc Flake Coating

Uses include protection against saltwater and harsh environments and is often used in automotive and industrial parts.

• Phos & Oil

A non-metallic zinc coating that provides a uniform black appearance that will absorb and hold oil. This is popular with manufacturers of heavy vehicles and construction equipment.

• Black Oxide

Black Oxide coatings are mainly used for cosmetic purposes and offer little corrosion protection. This finish is mainly used on indoor applications such as machinery, stamping presses, plastic injection, and mould-making machines.

The main differences between the two is that while coating simply adds a powder or chemical layer to the surface of a fastener, plating fuses the new material to the original material the fastener is made from. The electroplating process is also more controllable, therefore can create a more uniformed thickness.

Plating or coating solutions, no matter what the criteria, have hundreds of options available – all of which have been developed as a solution to common industrial problems. In amongst this vast variety of options, each one offers different properties, from corrosion and chemical resistance to aesthetic finishes. The right choice depends purely on the requirements of the application and the intended use of the fastener.

For more information on plating and coating solutions, visit our page on the Custom Solutions Earnest offer.