Sample Runs at Fastco

At Fastco, we deliver fasteners fast. Our sample lead times are industry-leading, due to our in-house tooling capabilities, engineering and cold heading expertise, and responsive customer service. In 2022, Fastco was awarded 65 new sample jobs. A few of these are pictured below.

APQP before Sample Runs

Every new part at Fastco goes through the APQP (Advance Product Quality Planning) process to ensure that we have a plan in place for design, development, and production of the part. An APQP is a requirement of the automotive industry. We use our background in quality management provided by our heavy involvement in the automotive industry to ensure that we provide top-quality to all customers, regardless of their industry.

The Sample Run Process Flow

Once a job is kicked off, our engineers will design the tooling and our sample tool room will create. This process typically takes about 3-4 weeks for a more standard part for which we can make all tooling in house. Ordering outside tooling can add up to another 8 weeks to the process. This is why one of our strategic priorities is to increase the capabilities of our tool room so that we can make as much tooling as possible in-house, delivering on our brand promise of rapid lead times.

After the tooling is made, parts will go into sample production. This is where a lot of the “bugs” get worked out. Cold heading is not a simple process. There is a lot of expertise involved in setting up the machines and getting them to produce parts to print. Each part presents its own unique challenges.

After parts run through cold heading, they may go on to wash or thread rolling, followed by outside processing. This includes processes such as heat treatment, plating, or patching. After that, we bring the parts back in-house for sorting in our state-of-the-art inspection department. There, parts are inspected for defects and/or mixed parts from outside processing. Finally, parts get boxed up and sent to our distribution center for shipping.

Quality Assurance

Throughout the process, we inspect and monitor parts for quality assurance. Team members perform extra part checks throughout the sample process to ensure that the parts we make meet all customer requirements.