Using Third-Party Fastener Testing Labs to Control Risk, Can Be — Risky!
by Carmen Vertullo, Carver Engineering and Manufacturing
When it comes to the fastener supply chain, there are plenty of risks that can prevent your fastener product from getting from where it is made to where it is used. Good suppliers are aware of these risks, and they know how to control or eliminate them. For fastener folks, we usually think of things like material availability, logistics, regulatory requirements, secondary processes, production capacity, finance and credit, and even cybersecurity as controllable risks.
Another risk that can be controlled—and for the most part is very well controlled in the fastener industry—is product quality. Industrial fastener quality is well regulated by a myriad of consensus standards organizations such as ISO, ASTM, SAE, ASME, the IFI and the RCSC.