Category: Manufacturing

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About Fastco Manufacturing

Simple, Data-Driven Solutions

Sometimes, there can be a relatively cheap and simple solution to what seems like an expensive and difficult problem.

One of Fastco’s cold heading machines was having ongoing issue with the transfer block. A maintenance request was put in and it wasn’t immediately clear that there were large problems with the block itself. Replacing it would have cost about $20,000. Process Engineer Nick Steimel came up with a test to validate the problem with data. He used a torque wrench on one of the bolts that swings the transfer fingers open. There was a significant drop in the pressure of one machine vs. others. Lack of holding pressure when transferring can lead to dropped progressions, forming and quality issues, and downtime for tool repair.

Nick worked with Brandon Schell (Machine Repair) and determined the root cause. Air assist pistons on the transfer block increase the finger pressure. However, there are sleeves inside the pistons that had fallen out due to wear. The air assist pistons had stopped working and all the pressure was coming from the springs only.

 

Close-up of the tapped-in screw holding down the sleeve for the air assist pistons on the transfer block.

They came up with the idea of drilling & tapping a set screw below the sleeve on the transfer block to retain it. This improved the pressure by more than three times at minimal cost.

As you can see, when teams come together to collaborate, it often yields better results. In this case, engineering and maintenance team members working together solved an ongoing problem quickly, cheaply, and effectively.

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Department Spotlight

Administration Spotlight

Six people against a white background, all members of the admin team.

Administration Spotlight

2023 was a challenging year for the Administration department, however the team stepped up and worked together to keep things running smoothly. Fastco’s controller position was in a state of flux for most of the year, but since the end of 2023, the entire team has been going strong and working together to keep things running as well as implement changes in the Finance and HR departments to help Fastco improve and remain compliant.

With the addition to our department of a full-time administrative assistant, we plan to utilize our time better.  Job duties will be redistributed within the team.  There will be more time to focus on preparing for instead of reacting to situations that come our way. We are working towards improving our process so that we are consistent and have a more proactive approach to problems.

Six people against a white background, all members of the administration team.
The admin team: finance, HR, and IT

Open-Book Management & Administration

One of our department’s tasks is to promote open-book management by bringing financial literacy and updates to the company. Open-book management can show employees how their efforts impact the bigger picture. With open-book management employees can see how their efforts impact Fastco’s finances, which usually inspires greater investment in their work. This helps employees realize the power they have to make a better financial outcome for themselves and their coworkers by working together.

In 2024, we are working with our business coach to implement company-wide huddles. This will improve engagement in open-book management as well as the financial results of the company. I am excited to see what type of impact these huddles will have on our company and employees. For our department, we are looking forward to implementing ideas and projects that will help us move towards more accurate reporting for finances and more consistency in the HR area.

by Jodie Shaver, Corporate Controller & Employee Relations Manager

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Manufacturing That's Fasten-ating!

Fastener Roundup – Take 3

A dark silver carriage bolt on a white background.
A carriage bolt's smooth, round head adds a finished look to surfaces.

Fastco Fastener Roundup – Take 3

It’s time for yet another Fastco fastener roundup. Make sure to check out our first two roundups: here and here.

Clinch Studs

Also called self-clinching fasteners, or press-fit studs, these fasteners utilize a unique clinch feature below the head. These permanently mounted fixtures reduce costs and assembly time. They eliminate the necessity for loose hardware.

A fastener with a clinch feature.
A clinch stud with Fastco’s logo on the bottom.

Set Screws

Unlike traditional screws, set screws create compression forces to hold two loose objects firmly together without the use of a nut. They are also called blind screws because they typically sit entirely inside the hole into which they are inserted.

A set screw on a white background.
Typically, a set screw is headless and threaded along its entire length, although it may have some kind of narrow head or drive

Ball Studs

Ball studs consist of a spherically shaped head and a shank. At Fastco, our machines can produce a limited array of ball studs due to the nature of the cold heading machines. We can go from a small diameter to a large diameter and back down to a small diameter.

A ball stud
The ball stud pictured is an example of a Fastco manufactured part.

Dowel Pin

It’s one of the simplest types of fasteners that exist. Dowel pins are solid, headless cylindrical-shaped unthreaded pins can be made from are variety of materials, from wood to steel and aluminum.

A black dowel pin on a white background.
At Fastco, we work with steel and stainless steel to cold head dowel pins.

Carriage Bolts

Recognizable for its round, domed head and square shoulder or neck, the carriage bolt derives its name from its original purpose: the construction of carriages and carriage wheels in the early 1800s.

A dark silver carriage bolt on a white background.
A carriage bolt’s smooth, round head adds a finished look to surfaces.
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Department Spotlight

Engineering Update

cold-forming-engineering-design-and-simulation-services-2

Engineering Update & Achievements

The greatest achievement to come out of engineering last year was the team brainstorm of getting a new, complicated part with an internal hex drive on the end to strip off of the extrude pin. We have lots of talented individuals that were able to combine their knowledge to get the part to work, starting from the design phase, simulations, tooling trials, the mechanical arm mechanism, along with the wiring of the actual stripper mechanism.

The Engineering team at Fastco.

In addition, training on the floor has been a huge success thanks to Sean Higley. The new setup people have been given a better opportunity for growth. They are better equipped to help their co-workers in the bay. It saves bay bosses from the added burden and frustration of training new people. It also ensures setup personnel receive consistent, proper training.

2024 Goals

It is difficult to pick a #1 goal for Engineering. We tend to take the mindset that each thing we work on is the #1 goal to achieve at that time.

It would be cliché to say that our #1 goal is to make sure Fastco succeeds and is as profitable as possible. That should be the overall goal for everyone.  Our #1 goal for the year could be to make sure that everyone in the department completes any ongoing training.  We also need to make sure all new equipment is properly tooled and all jobs designed. The #1 goal could also be to rapidly design for samples so they move through the facility on or before their due date. Or our #1 could be doing our part to keep production is as efficient as possible. Our #1 goal could be making sure all control plans and prints are accurate.  I’m not devaluing having a #1 goal, but our #1 goal can and does change daily.

If I had to pick one #1 goal for the year, it would be having a 0 turnover rate in 2024. I also hope that the Engineering Team continues to enjoy what they do.

by Josh Symon, Engineering Manager

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Department Spotlight

Sales Update

Sales Update: a sampling of 2023 new business.

2023 Sales Update

In 2023, the Sales team won substantial new business awards, representing about 10% of our net sales. While this fell short of our robust new business award goal, it still puts us on solid footing for achieving our long-term strategic goal of growing Fastco’s business by 10% year over year. This is the most important goal that the Sales team has and we continue to prioritize winning new work.

Sales Update: a sampling of 2023 new business.

 

Sales Update for 2024

This year, we will be working hard to achieve our secondary goal of diversification. We will be prioritizing getting our outside sales managers, Milo Boyce and Andy Ike, out on the road to meet face-to-face with current customers, particularly in the non-automotive sector. In March, Milo and Nick DePompolo, our sales engineer, will be going to the NASCC Steel Conference in San Antonio. We look forward to meeting new potential customers and connecting with current customers and suppliers there.

Our sales engineer, Nick DePompolo, and quoting coordinator, Jake Kieffer, at a recent talk with PMA West Michigan.

 

More Innovations

Some really cool innovations have come from the Sales team this year, including a New Business Referral Program, which turns every team member into a sales team member. Open-book management with its open dialogue about revenue and profitability has helped bring about ideas like this. It has also helped to get our team thinking of ways to maximize profit while also staying competitive in a tough market. We’ve come up with new strategies for pricing high volume jobs that will run on under-utilized equipment. We are hoping that 2024 brings in even more new business than 2023.

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Manufacturing

Fastener Coatings

fasteners-cold-heading-services

Fastener Coatings

A fastener’s job is to connect and secure objects to one another. It is essential that applications use the appropriate fastener for structural integrity. This includes taking into consideration a fastener’s coating. Coatings provide protection to the metal underneath. Since exposure to harsh environments or chemicals can drastically shorten a fastener’s life span, it is important to coat exposed fasteners properly.

Salt Spray Testing

Manufacturers like Fastco rely on salt spray testing to determine the corrosion resistance of coatings. The more hours of salt spray that the coating can withstand before oxidation or rust occurs, the better (and often more expensive) the coating.

 

Zinc Coating and Others

One of the most popular fastener coatings available is zinc. In fact, zinc coatings are so popular that they represent nearly 60% of total annual zinc consumption. It is a relatively inexpensive coating and protects well against rust, making zinc-coated fasteners perfect for humid environments.

 

Zinc plated clinch stud

 

Beyond standard zinc coatings, a zinc-nickel coating adds longevity if a part exists in a corrosive environment. Zinc-phosphate coating is a lower performance coating used as a primer or when little corrosion protection is needed.

 

Electroplating and Galvanizing

Zinc is often applied via electroplating, a process that uses an electric current to dissolve metal and adhere it to a surface. Besides zinc & nickel, tin, gold, silver, and copper can all be used in electroplating.

favorite fasteners: concrete anchor bolt
Galvanized concrete anchor bolt

 

Electroplated coatings are thin, much thinner than galvanized coatings, which are more durable and provide longer protection against rust and corrosion than electroplating. While more durable, galvanized plating may not be as aesthetically pleasing as electroplating.

This article is only brushing the surface of available coatings and coating methods for fasteners. If you’re looking for a specific coating, Fastco works with a number of trusted outside processors to meet your fastener coating needs.

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Department Spotlight

Quality Department Spotlight

Quality Department Spotlight shows team member inspecting product

Quality Department Spotlight

For this Department Spotlight, we are highlighting the Quality Department’s progress in 2023.

In 2023, the Quality Department’s greatest achievement was helping to lower the Cost of Poor Quality/Scrap by performing extra audits when needed in various areas to aid in this. While the end of the year’s COPQ was not ideal, we are still lower than 2022’s totals!

Fastco team member in quality
A team member inspects parts for quality assurance.

The department’s goals this year have included increasing audits and adding a layered process audit system for dimensional checks on the floor in manufacturing areas. This enables all levels of Fastco teams to review product and document it, from team members to team leaders, and managers.

A team member conducts quality checks as part of the cold heading production process.

I believe that open book management has helped most team members see where the company is financially. It has also helped team members understand our long-term stability. This has helped to raise morale, get more discussions going, and build an ownership mindset in team members.

We look forward to seeing more process improvements in 2024. We will continue to prioritize safety, quality, and production, in that order, during this year and beyond.

 

by Brian Kropp, Quality Manager

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Department Spotlight Manufacturing

Production Control Update

Production Control Fastco Semi-Truck

Production Control Update

It’s time for a Production Control Update from the department that manages logistics, material handling, and trucking.

This year, the Production Control Department’s greatest achievement has been taking a more active role in managing our raw material supply chain. We’ve worked hard to negotiate pricing with our long-time steel suppliers and keep material costs stable. Raw material is Fastco’s largest expense. Keeping steel costs controlled enables us to better support our customers and avoid price increases. It also helps us remain competitive in the market.

Goal for 2024 (and beyond!)

Another Production Control Update is that our number one goal for 2024 is to lower machine downtime both internally and due to waiting on supplier. The more the machines run, the higher our absorption can be. This leads to higher productivity and better on-time delivery to our customers.

Open Book Management

Open book management has had a significant impact in helping us achieve our goals. The biggest impact has been the success at engaging everyone in the profitability of the company. Everyone likes the little extra money a profit share can provide. Understanding that cutting costs on raw material and keeping machines running is a big bonus (pun intended) to the potential for continued and higher profit sharing among team members.

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Manufacturing

What is Lean Manufacturing?

Inside a cold header open for maintenance in Fastco's Cold Heading Department

What is Lean Manufacturing and Why Does it Matter?

The concept of lean manufacturing is, arguably, centuries old. Some say it dates back to Shigeo Shingo and Taiichi Ohno and the Toyota Production System. In the late 1980s and 1990s, TPS became lean manufacturing. The term was first coined by quality engineer John Krafcik in 1988.

In a world that is increasingly considered with excess waste and waste management, lean manufacturing remains an important concept today. So what exactly is it?

Lean manufacturing involves streamlining processes and procedures with the goal of eliminating waste. Below is a list of the 8 wastes of lean manufacturing, including their advantages and disadvantages.

Unnecessary transportation:

This includes excess transport within a facility. Benefits of eliminating unnecessary transit include: reduced pollution & faster processes.

Excess inventory:

In a global economy increasingly under supply chain stresses & disruption, this aspect of lean manufacturing may be least relevant. It is important that companies think about their specific industry, lead times, and potential disruptions when regulating inventory.

Unnecessary movement of people, equipment or machinery:

This is a subset of unnecessary transportation and provides the benefit of less wasted time, money, and energy.

Waiting on people or idle equipment:

Time is money, so it makes sense that waiting on idle equipment isn’t good. That being said, some things take time and it is important not to rush processes simply to go faster.

Over-production of a product:

As with excess inventory, this waste-reduction tactic has fallen somewhat out of favor due to supply chain concerns.

Over processing or adding unnecessary features to a product:

Here, the benefit would be cost effectiveness. However, when a company is constantly trying to only produce the bare minimum on a product, this can dampen the drive to innovate and create.

Defects that require costly correction:

There is probably no benefit to a defect in a product. Some amount of scrap and cost of poor quality in products is inevitable, but it is essential that companies mitigate this with strong quality processes and well-trained team members.

Unused talent & ingenuity:

Sometimes, we talk about this as “having the right people in the right seats.” Another way to think of it is that every team member is an expert at what they do. Companies should value their experts and rely on them for innovation.

inspection Fastco employee careers careers at fastco

 

Other methods, such Six Sigma, also focus on the elimination of waste in manufacturing processes. Waste reduction is a key pillar of continuous innovation. It is something all companies should strive toward.

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Department Spotlight Manufacturing

Tool Room Update

Tool Room Update

Recently, the Tool Room’s greatest achievement has been the ability to keep up with required production. We have been a little short-handed. All of our tool room personnel have done a great job working together to keep the tooling output at a high level in order to minimize downtime in other areas due to waiting on tooling. We also had some help from the Engineering department filling in. Thank you to those who helped us out.

 

I would say our #1 goal for 2023 would be to focus on working on the right tools and keeping up with production. By doing this, we can help to ensure parts are available to minimize downtime in other production areas of Fastco. This allows production to continue and get more parts out the door. In the long run, this means more profit for Fastco and more profit sharing for the employees.

The south side of Fastco's main tool room.
The south side of Fastco’s main tool room.

The positive impacts I have seen from open book management in the tool rooms is more buy in from the employees. People have begun to ask “what can we do to help.” I would like to see the tool rooms continue working on new and improved ways to increase our output and overall abilities. I want to see Fastco continue to move forward and try to perfect the Great Game of Business.

by Tom Fredricks, Interim Tool Room Team Leader