Examining the Elements of Quality Control In Building Fasteners

Quality control is an essential part of every manufacturing and assembly process. Building fasteners need to be put to the test, ensuring their strength and reliability meets and exceeds industry standards. These small but vital elements of machines and structures should be dependable even in extreme conditions. And quality control helps to ensure that each unit is manufactured to the same level of dependability.

Quality Control Defined

In simple terms, quality control is the processes and systems that are maintained in order to effectively meet the needs of those using and depending on the product. Quality control applies to building fasteners during the manufacturing stage. But these products are also a part of quality control during the assembly stage of other products (such as machinery and buildings).

What is the Difference Between Quality Assurance and Quality Control?

The processes and steps involved in quality control programs bring about quality assurance. This term refers to the goal and fasteners reach this stage by going through the systems of quality control.

Fasteners, and the products that contain them, can only be certified and found to be compliant once they have attained quality assurance. Fastener distributors and the independent agencies that award certification often use quality assurance as a benchmark.

What Are Random Samples?

A process that is commonly seen in quality control programs, random sampling is used to capture a fair representation of the quality in a batch or run. Random samples are the building fasteners chosen and tested within the quality control program.

The number of random samples and tests performed is often predetermined by the program and may differ from industry to industry. Those fasteners used in alternative energy may be subject to more rigorous testing than those used in other industries.

Sampling plans will reveal a number of statistics, including the LTPD (also known as the Lot Tolerance Percent Defective). This figure is calculated in order to determine how many units in a batch would be found defective by the sampling plan. Those units falling within the LTPD would fail or be rejected 90 percent of the time. The figure is also helpful in determining those units that would garner acceptance through the sampling plan most of the time.

Quality control is an important process when dealing with building fasteners. Each brand or manufacturer should be able to present the steps of quality control is order to attain quality assurance, allowing the market to rely on their products.

Do You Need An Industry Specific Fastener Distributor?

Every industry is different. Even when there are similarities between various industries, different conditions, expectations and standards set them apart. Businesses can often benefit from building relationships with suppliers that understand the unique needs of their industry, but is that always necessary? How does a firm decide whether or not they are better to order from a specialty fastener distributor?

Pros and Cons of Specialty Fastener Distributors

There are advantages and disadvantages to limiting your purchasing in this way. A fastener distributor with extensive knowledge of your industry can and will offer guidance and direction when issues arise. If a project has unusual conditions that require unique solutions it will certainly save time to have an experienced distributor on your team. But what about for the average project and standard orders?

Insider knowledge is not required when you are placing an order for common fasteners. In this case you’ll be more interested in acquiring the best price, the highest level of service and the most efficient method of delivery. A fastener distributor that specializes in your industry may be able to give this to you, but you’ll need to compare them to a distributor with a well-rounded product base.

Achieving a Balance

Perhaps you would be best to make connections down both pathways. Finding a fastener distributor that specializes in your industry may open up more opportunities in the field. You may gain access to innovations and solutions before the competition, boosting your credibility and keeping you on the leading edge of the industry.

On the other hand, being in contact with other distributors that carry a broad range of fasteners covering a wide variety of industries will allow you to more accurately compare the prices and services offered. They may be more local to your jobsites and are more likely to offer special deals in terms of ordering and prices.

Always be sure that any fastener distributor that you deal with is experienced and established. Ask others in your industry for recommendations and work hard to build a solid working relationship with these essential suppliers. Chances are that you will depend on them more than originally anticipated.

Buildings Fasteners Play an Important Role in Alternative Energy Projects

There are various stages to an alternative energy project and building fasteners play an important role in every stage. From assembly to transportation, construction and maintenance, structures such as wind turbines and solar panels rely on quality fasteners to operate well.

Assembly Stage

Alternative energy projects are assembled to a certain extent before being offered to the public. Heavy duty bolts, nuts and washers that adhere to ASME, ASTM and SAE standards are used to pre-assemble wind turbines, while aluminum clips and brackets are seen on solar panel sections.

Transportation Stage

After being assembled these projects need to be transported to the retailers and installation contractors. Packaging often includes soft surfaces, wraps and plastic, but building fasteners are also used to keep the components safely together. Clips keep panels held down and brackets are often screwed in place to protect fragile parts.

Construction Stage

Using building fasteners is obviously necessary at this stage. The fasteners used during the assembly stage may need to be inspected and possibly tightened, while those used during the transportation stage may be disposed of.

The fasteners used for installation and construction will depend on what type of alternative energy project is being erected. Wind turbines and wave power structures are often installed in extreme conditions and require heavy duty building fasteners that will stand up well. Stainless steel is often used, as is the lightweight and corrosion resistant aluminum.

Solar panels use many different specialty fasteners on the panel itself, but the frame and mounting components also require dependable fasteners that are more common, such as bolts and screws.

Maintenance Stage

After the structures have been assembled, transported and installed the energy will begin to flow. But maintenance is inevitable and replacement fasteners will be required. When age and movement wear out the bolts, nuts, washers and screws that are part of the structure, the maintenance crew will need to have strong and reliable products to replace them.

At every stage of the game alternative energy projects such as solar panels and wind turbines rely on building fasteners for operation. These tiny components play a major role in this ever expanding industry.

Building Fasteners FAQ | What Is the Difference Between Compliance and Certification?

In the engineering world the subtle differences between compliance and certification can cause a major variance. Building fasteners used on a project may help a structure or system to attain compliance, but certification is another thing entirely. The issue of conformance tends to muddy the waters as well. Designers, contractors and fastener distributors need to understand the difference between these terms in order to ensure quality.


What Is Certification?


Certification is a recognized level of achievement, often industry specific and awarded by an independent and authorized agency. It may relate to the staff, products or processes within a company.

Most often certification results in a written recognition, such as an actual certificate. This may be displayed at a place of business and, in the case of products or processes, is often found on the packaging. Knowledgeable consumers will see and recognize this designation for what it is, lending the product or brand a higher level of perceived quality.


In some cases certification of a product or brand is necessary. Often building fasteners need to have been tested for quality assurance and strength in order to meet building codes and achieve certification. CSA is a globally known safety certification that covers a wide range of products in various industries.


What Is Compliance?


While certification is awarded to companies and products that have been found to reach or exceed stated levels of quality and/or durability, compliance has more to do with the design of the product or service. If the stated requirements are met, that brand, company, product or service will be deemed compliant.

Compliance may be granted through an independent agency. But the manufacturer may also claim this designation, as long as the requirements have been published by an unbiased or unrelated organization. Building fasteners often play an important role in achieving compliance.


Similar to compliance, conformance is achieved by following stated standards and limitations. Conformance most often relates to the end product, as opposed to the procedures or programs within an organization that are deemed compliant.


A Certificate of Compliance


In order to recognize an achievement in quality control, a certificate of compliance and/or a certificate of conformance will be awarded. This document is dated and authorized, providing confirmation to both the company and all those it works with.


Those who deal with building fasteners in any way will need to understand the differences between these terms. Although they all work together and relate to quality, they are not interchangeable in the true sense.

Building Fasteners FAQ | Understanding Plating and Heat Treatments

Building fasteners are subject to moisture, pressure, wind and other forces that will wear away at the metal. In order to offer greater strength and durability these fasteners are often treated. Plating and heat treatments are two of the most common ways to increase the reliability of building fasteners, even in the most extreme conditions.

Plating Defined

The process of plating is used in many industries. Jewelry and collectibles are plated with gold and silver. Plating has made inroads in the field of nanotechnology using thin film deposition. And perhaps the most common reason for plating continues to be applied in the fastener industry – corrosion resistance and improved durability.

The plating process involves coating a conductive surface with a thin layer of metal, thereby improving or altering the strength and/or appearance of the object. Plating is often done using electrolysis and is more distinctly termed electroplating. Electrogalvanization is a well-known example of this process.

Cadmium plating was a popular process in the past, but has since fallen out of favor. Although the metal has been found to be toxic to the environment the benefits it delivers to the aerospace and military industries have caused cadmium plating (or simply cad plating) to retain its popularity there.

In most other industries cadmium has been replaced by zinc plating or, in some instances, alloy plating. Both of these processes provide high levels of corrosion resistance using an economical method.

Heat Treatment Defined

Heat treatment is similar to plating in that it also changes the strength of a metal through the process. The difference is that heat treatment works to actually alter the characteristics of the alloy or metal, making it stronger, harder, more durable, tougher and more ductile.

Any process that alters the physical properties of an alloy or metal through either cooling or heating is considered heat treatment. For some metals, both extreme heating and extreme cooling are used in the treatment process.

Building fasteners may go through the process of heat treatment in order to attain certification in a specific industry. Many projects that are subject to extreme conditions will need fasteners that have been through heat treatment, while others will get along well with fasteners that have been plated. Read through your specs carefully to determine which type is needed on your project.

Three Advantages to Having More Than One Fastener Distributor

In business, it is often your connections and relationships that are most valuable. Managers work hard to find and establish a working relationship with suppliers they can count on. Reliability, price and service are the three major factors that keep that relationship strong. But have you ever thought about the advantages of having more than one fastener distributor? Building multiple connections will help to grow your business, as these three advantages prove.

Better Prices

There's certainly no harm in asking your fastener distributor for a better price. But when they do not specialize in a certain brand or type of product they may not be able to do as well as other distributors could. The trick is collecting the names and contact information of companies that cover a broad range of fastener lines. Overlap is good - the distributors will often compete with each other to offer you the best price - but be sure that all of the bases are covered. 

This is especially important for general contractors that complete a wide variety of projects.

Better Availability

When one fastener distributor is out of something that you need today, it pays to have multiple connections. It may make sense to start with your preferred distributor (perhaps they are the closest geographically or offer the best prices and payment terms), but be sure you have a few more to call on when stock gets low.

Rather than changing your schedule or inconveniencing your own customers to handle back orders, having another fastener supplier will keep you stocked up at all times.

Better Choice

Choice is especially important when you are ordering a customized product. Perhaps different distributors will offer a variety of packaging options or can complete the project within several different schedules. The key element here is choice - if you only have one distributor you will be limited to their services and options. With multiple points of contact, even customized fastener orders will come with the choice you need.

Building relationships with more than one fastener distributor is a wise idea for a variety of reasons. You can count on better prices, better availability and better choice - three advantages that mean better business for you.