The Relationship Between Steel Fabricators and Fasteners

Steel fabrication is a highly specialized skill that is growing in demand over time. With the construction industry continuing to rely on steel for commercial, residential and industrial buildings, fabricators offer a valuable service that it also constantly evolving. And steel fabricators depend on fasteners to get their job done right.

What Are Some of the Building Fasteners Used By Fabricators?

Anchor bolts and anchor rods are used in many structures, most often those where concrete is a main element. For attaching the steel framing to a concrete foundation and aligning these two materials together to form a whole, anchor bolts are commonly used by steel fabrication specialists. Anchor rods are available in a number of configurations. Ask your distributor about the possibilities that pertain to your specific project.

Tie rods are commonly used by fabricators when steel is combined with wood – whether in the framing, foundation or in countless other ways. Turnbuckles and clevises are also used with tie rods to form an adjustable fit or to tighten a steel cabling system.

Steel templates are commonly used in fabrication project and steel plates are also often seen. An experienced fabricator will need to know his or her fasteners well in order to design and build a durable, lasting structure or product.

Fastener Support for Fabrication Firms

Fabrication companies need to establish and build on a relationship with a fastener distributor that can supply their needs promptly and dependably. You don’t want a job to be shut down due to a fastener shortage. And a reliable, preferably local, fastener distributor will make sure that doesn’t happen.

Fasteners are a major component in the material lists used by steel fabrication firms. Although they may be small in size, fasteners help to form and stabilize structures multiple times larger and heavier than they are. Good quality fasteners in the right dimensions, design and materials need to be on hand or accessible in order for a fabricator to do their job well. It is a relationship of dependence and if the fastener distributor will offer the support and services a steel fabricator needs, this relationship will be profitable and longstanding.

Take Advantage of These Services Offered by Your Fastener Distributor

It is vital that your business have a network of suppliers allowing you to operate efficiently and affordably. A fastener distributor plays a particularly important role for contractors and manufacturers, taking care of a wide variety of components essential to projects. Finding a distributor that offers unique and helpful services will serve to launch your business forward.

Consider what these services have to offer:

Custom Packaging

From some-assembly-required furniture manufacturers to hardware and building supply retailers, custom packaging is an ingenious service that opens up the door to many possibilities.

If your company would like to offer a store brand, custom packaging can help make that happen. If you need to ship the fasteners along with your product for at-home assembly, it’s best to call on the custom packaging services at your fastener distributor and get the job done right. Even contractors will find this option helpful, cutting back on employee guesswork or making warranty work more straightforward.

Custom packaging of the fasteners you commonly use is a worthwhile service offered by established fastener distributors. Think about the countless ways that your business will benefit by utilizing this option.

Stock and Release Programs

This service provides your business with the assurance that the fasteners you need will be available for fast shipping the moment you need them. In some cases same day delivery is possible.

If your fastener distributor offers a stock and release option you can expect your products to be available and ready to ship, even those with inconsistent demand. Warehousing is taken care of for you, thereby reducing your overhead costs while allowing your business to maintain the reliability and pace your clients are accustomed to.

At times the stock and release program only applies to certain fastener lines, so be sure to ask whether you have this option on the products your business requires.

Specialty services like custom packaging and stock and release options help your business to go above and beyond. In order to offer more than your competition and stay ahead in the marketplace you will need an edge. With a fastener distributor you can count on to stand by with these services and more, that edge will be much easier to maintain.

Ordering the Building Fasteners You Need Fast

Contractors know that project specifications can change quickly, causing the material list to change with them. When you find yourself short of the required building fasteners and there is no time to waste, what is the best way to order those fasteners fast?

Get Online

If your local fastener distributor has the items you need at an affordable price, by all means pick up what your supplies and get back on the job. But when their prices won’t allow you to meet budget or their stock is low, the Internet is likely the best place to start looking.

Online fastener distributors have the ability to ship the products you need quickly – often through overnight couriers that will have the product on site the very next day. Shopping online allows you to search for the required building fasteners across the country, tapping into suppliers that have what you need and are ready to get it to you for a reasonable price.

Be sure to check the cost of shipping and find out whether you can use your own courier. There are certain cases where this may be cheaper, although you may not be able to wait the required time. While you’re having an order shipped, consider any other items you may need to stock up on and spread the shipping costs over a larger order.

Have Accounts Set Up

It’s best if you do the administrative tasks ahead of time and have accounts already set up at a reputable online fastener distributor. This will allow you to simply place the order, without needing to arrange for payment. COD orders will work as well and many online companies accept credit card payments over secure servers and through popular payment gateways.

Be sure your office or administrative staff is familiar with the fastener distributors that stock building fasteners relevant to your industry. If they have the contact information handy for these companies your order will be filled and ready that much faster.

When unexpected changes and on site surprises cause you to run short on building fasteners, ordering from online distributors will get you what you need fast.

Dealing With Returns At Your Fastener Distributor

There will be times when the purchase order is incorrect, or the wrong product was shipped, or your needs have changed since the order was put through. Whatever the reason, you will likely need to return product to your fastener distributor at one time or another. Follow these easy steps to make the return process smooth and simple for everyone involved.

Check Your Paperwork

It's important to go through all of the paperwork thoroughly before contacting your fastener distributor. Make a note of any discrepancies and have the original purchase order and invoice number handy when calling in or faxing in the return information.

Check the Policy

Your distributor may have a specific policy regarding returns. Often this policy outlines the time span allowed for accepted returns, any necessary steps and applicable restocking fees, as well as any special conditions where returns are not accepted.

Please note that it is very rare for any distributor to accept returns on a custom or machined order. If your custom-made product has not been properly manufactured you can surely work that problem out, but in a case of over-ordering any excess product is yours to keep. The distributor is not likely able to resell something made especially to your specifications and as such, will not accept the returns.

Contact the Distributor

It's important that you contact the office of your distributor before sending the product back. You may need to obtain a return or reference number in order for the transaction to be processed properly. This can often be done by phone, fax or email, depending on the mode of communication you most often use with this supplier. 

Be sure to quote the original purchase order and invoice number on your request for return, as well as detailing the reasons behind the transaction. If you were not happy with the product in any way, now is the time to speak up. If there was a mistake in the delivery, such as incorrect quantity or product delivered - now is also the time to bring that up. Document the request carefully and wait for the distributor to respond.

Once you have confirmation that your return will be accepted by the fastener distributor, have it delivered back to their warehouse or shipping address and await the billing adjustment. Keep the lines of communication open at all times and this return process should be fairly straightforward and quick.

Common Uses for Square Head Bolts

Before hex head fasteners were introduced manufacturers and contractors used square head bolts for a wide variety of things. Both of these designs offer fewer chances of tool slippage with angled corners providing an anchor point. You are likely to see hex head bolts used more often today than square heads, but the four-sided design is still in demand for certain projects and structures.

Restoration and Period Construction

When faithfully restoring older homes or constructing period buildings and settings designers and contractors use different sizes of square head bolts for stability. The shape of these heads is authentic and provides the rustic look that is required for a restoration. They are also easy to install with both traditional and modern tools.

On the walls, roofing and in a wide variety of mechanical applications, the only choice for authentic restoration projects and period construction is square head fasteners.

On Machinery

Both square head and hex head bolts are used on many different types of machinery, mainly for the ease of tightening and durability. Square heads are best used in tight or dark spaces where a machinist or fabricator must tighten the bolt blind. It is simple to fit a tool over the square shape even when there are no visual markers available.

Stainless steel bolts are often used in machinery that will be exposed to the elements, providing a corrosion resistant finish. Stainless is also very strong and can handle excessive weight and tension, depending on the design and size of fastener used.

Some Assembly Required Furniture

Square head bolts of various sizes are often shipped with furniture pieces that require at-home assembly. Consumers can use common household tools such as wrenches and even pliers to assemble their furniture when square heads are included. Hex head bolts often require specialty tools that will need to be shipped with the furniture or specified on the box.

Manufacturers and retailers can make their products more accessible and affordable by shipping the packages with square head bolts included. Consumers find these fasteners easy to work with and are happy to put their tools to good use. It’s truly a win-win situation.