FEATURE
FASTENINGS & ADHESIVES
of fasteners and beyond
50 years
Not only does Design Solutions celebrate its 50th birthday this year, but 2021 is the year that TFC reaches 60. To get a picture of how component supply and demand has changed over the years we caught up with chief executive Morgan Burgoyne (MB), group
commercial director Keith Kentish (KK) and product manager Simon Ward (SW)
How has the demand and supply of C-class components shifted during your careers? MB: I first entered the industry 33 years ago and, back then, almost every manufacturer was talking about Kanban, a scheduling system that uses just-in-time replenishment to help companies lower their inventories. Whereas traditional Kanban relied on visual aids to signal how many parts needed to be pulled through on the production line, there is now a strong emphasis on digitisation. Enhanced technology eliminates the need for Kanban cards or other signal and storing containers at the side of the factory. Instead, robust direct-to-line feeds are now the norm with real time reporting expectations.
KK: Supply chain management has evolved from a tactical operation to a strategic one. This shift has delivered new opportunities for manufacturers to reform their supply network with vendor reduction and consolidation, tier skipping, low-cost sourcing and the introduction of vendor managed inventory – all areas that TFC’s qualified procurement team can support our current and prospective customers with.
SW: There has always been demand for technical products and specialist parts in certain areas of manufacturing, like aerospace, but demand is now higher than ever. This growth in demand has meant TFC’s historic investments in our engineering and design capabilities is proving to be a real advantage. We can support the supply chains with complex, custom parts, as well as off-the- shelf components.
How have engineered components and their applications changed? MB: Over the last 50 years, nuts, bolts, washers and other C-class parts have changed very little. However, products are continuing to downsize, and this has naturally affected the size of mechanical components. When I got my first mobile phone in the 1980s it was the size of a brick, now they can fit into our pockets. Funnily enough, this trend is reversing in favour of larger smartphones with more processing power – but fasteners are still required to take up minimal space so the drive for small and lightweight will continue.
SW: The downsizing trend has been ongoing for years and shows no sign of slowing in industrial products. For instance, we can now design wave springs to be as small as 3-4mm, whereas five years ago this was more like 12-15mm. As the number of applications for wave springs has grown, it has been interesting to see the development in exotic materials and alloys. While traditionally reserved for the defence industry because of their high temperature and pressure resistance, there is now a greater demand for exotic materials like Inconel and Elgiloy across industries like oil and gas and aerospace.
KK: The shift from conventional combustion to hybrid power and electric vehicles has also been interesting. Consumers often look at these cars and focus on the speed, environmental and efficiency benefits of using electric motors but may not realise the challenges involved. For example, traditional retaining rings and fasteners may be unsuitable and incorporating
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alternatives will increase the complexity and potentially impact production line automation. However, by having our engineers working collaboratively with the customer’s team, we always find a suitable solution.
As the needs of the market change, what does this mean for suppliers like TFC? MB: Manufacturing demand is ever changing – the onus is on suppliers to keep up with the latest innovations and ensure the right parts are delivered to the right part of the production line on time. Although we were founded 60 years ago, we’re adapting all the time. For instance, we introduced electronic invoicing during lockdown and we offer electronic data interchange (EDI) to our customers where appropriate. We also now have a dedicated strategic sourcing team to support the TFC group and customers alike which we didn’t have, say, ten years ago.
KK: So that manufacturing can continue uninterrupted, supply chain management is critical – suppliers must be ready to move with their manufacturing customers, adapting both their product and service offerings to suit. For example, we now offer vending and radio- frequency identification (RFID) options to ensure component availability. These technologies can be built into tailored vendor managed inventory systems that reduce the amount of noise and risk in the supply chain and allow manufacturers to focus on what they do best.
What are your predictions for the industry over the next few years? MB: Globalisation will continue to drive the manufacturing industry and influence supply chain evolution. Following the disruption caused by the pandemic, we have seen more onshoring, as manufacturing businesses source their parts from UK suppliers like TFC. However, we live in a global community, and I expect more companies will source parts from the Far East and other regions. The trend towards low-cost country sourcing (LCC) has been apparent for many years already.
SW: I think we will see applications become more complex and demanding, with continued emphasis on quality assured products. Whether we are talking about the automotive industry or oil and gas, the signs are already there as materials and specifications continue to evolve.
KK: The growing complexity of applications and the move towards LCC are certainties, but there are other advances to note as well. Specifically, we can expect the continued integration and sophistication of IT systems in manufacturing supply chains. Electronic data interchange (EDI) systems and application programming interfaces (API) are already streamlining purchase orders, invoices and other information between manufacturers and their suppliers. Over time, we can also expect software and mobile connectivity to grow and play a more prominent role in supply chain communication.
TFC
T: 01435 866011
www.tfc.eu.com
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