TR Fastenings extends its 'Value Engineering' initiative

11 June 2010

Manufacturers looking to rationalise their supplier base by outsourcing the procurement of low-value items to TR Fastenings for the supply of its own and third party production fastenings, are also reaping the benefits of the fastener firm’s technical and engineering support.

Under its Value Engineering initiative, TR’s account management teams will undertake reviews of customers’ ordering schedules for fastenings to identify opportunities for consolidation. The objective is to reduce customers’ overall inventory and the number of individual lines carried and so strip out unnecessary costs and administration. The TR team will also help to identify, investigate and solve production problems.

An example is illustrated above. By subsituting a part with a larger flange diameter, the load on a board was effectively spread, creating a better finished product.

“The larger part was already being used by this manufacturer, so this solution has standardised two parts into one,” says TR business development manager Sean Cushen. “The replacement we recommended was also marginally cheaper.

“However, of far greater value to the customer was the improvement in the overall appearance and performance of the finished product. Although the rivet head is normally covered with a plastic head when in use, small details like this do matter in a competitive environment.”