Despite the UK manufacturing industry recording growth for the first time since July 2022, there are still many issues causing OEMs reporting 30-week lead times. From disruption in the Red Sea to strong competition by the EU market on overseas demand, there are many current issues creating risk to supply chains. As a result, local sourcing and simplifying production processes remain key priorities for UK manufacturers.
Fasteners may be some of the smallest parts in a production build, but they’re often the most critical. Depending on their application, some fasteners have to be intricately engineered and rigorously tested before they’re put to use, taking up a considerable amount of time and resources. This is especially the case for manufacturers that are sourcing, finishing and testing fasteners in multiple locations.
Barton Cold-Form, Optimas’ UK manufacturing division, provides their UK and European partners with localised, in-house fastener design, engineering and production facilities. By keeping these processes all under one roof, their partners significantly reduce their lead times and avoid costly shipping and logistics charges, so they can focus on manufacturing cutting-edge products.
Specialising in cold forming, a highly reproducible manufacturing process, Barton’s manufacturing team are experts in all stages of the production process, from product design to point of manufacture. Here are six ways Barton Cold Form reduces manufacturers’ time to market:
Design
With some members holding over 30 years’ experience in fastener engineering, the team at Barton are well-versed in dealing with all types of fastening requirements. Collaborating with customers on their drawings and CAD files, their engineers work to understand and perfect fastener designs to make sure the end product is fit for use.
Prototyping
Using state-of-the-art 3D printers and CNC machinery, Barton’s team are equipped with a wealth of prototyping equipment to test the material, strength and performance of a fastener outside of its application. Alongside producing precise and geometrically complex parts, their 3D printers allow us to achieve rapid, same-day prototyping for our partners, boosting their time to market.
Tooling
Barton recently completed a significant investment with the addition of a MV-S NewGen EDM Machine which provides their manufacturing team with further capabilities to produce a variety of complex tooling in-house at great speeds (17% faster than conventional machines) and precision accuracy to 2 microns. With this new technology alongside the in-house tool room at Barton, time and costs are saved producing new, complex tooling enabling partner needs to be addressed quicker which contributes to significantly reduced lead times.
Engineering
In the earliest stages of a production build, Barton’s in-house engineers can assess and refine your Bill of Materials. From reviewing the suitability of fastener finishes and materials to reducing part proliferation, the team at Barton find ways to improve product performance, drive cost savings and mitigate risk.
Quality Testing
Working to a range of customer, industry and regulatory-specific requirements, like PPAP Level 3 and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, Barton’s quality team conduct a range of rigorous quality tests to make sure our fasteners are exactly fit for use. Some of their testing capabilities include salt spray testing, torque tension testing and metallography testing in state-of-the-art quality labs.
Production
Cold heading is a process that produces especially durable parts, as it maximizes the material’s metallurgical properties and structural integrity. Barton has 27 cold heading machines, running 24 hours a day, and 15 thread rollers. These machines can produce hundreds of thousands of pieces per day, made from a wide range of standard and exotic materials and in a wide range of diameters and lengths.
With over 90 years’ experience in fastener manufacturing, Barton is well-equipped to manage each critical stage of fastener production, all under one roof. By keeping each of these processes in-house, their partners can significantly reduce their lead times and improve their time to market.
As companies put effort into taking more control of their operational and capital expenditure, Total Cost of Ownership has taken on a new meaning. Through consolidating all of these stages of production, Optimas and Barton are helping to address manufacturers’ Total Cost of Ownership and maximise efficiencies across their production processes.
For further information, please visit www.optimas.com or contact [email protected].
