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7 Encouraging Trends in the Automotive Fastener Industry
A typical automobile contains tens of thousands of pins, bolts, clips, clamps, rivets, screws and other fasteners. The heavy demands placed on these small parts have sparked exciting trends in development that continue to propel the automotive fastener industry from the past into the future.
The automotive fastener industry has traveled the world and come back home again.
As with many industrial products, the manufacturing of automotive fasteners became more international during previous decades. Outsourcing fastener production to countries with robust industrial capacity but lower labor costs lured automotive manufacturers with the promise of savings to the bottom line.
However, thanks to public concern over reports of low-quality foreign components and higher U.S. government standards for fasteners starting in the 1990s, fastener manufacturing maintained a domestic presence and has expanded even more in recent years. The increasing popularity of electric vehicles is feeding a demand for specialized fasteners for various EV parts, providing a boost to the domestic automotive fastener industry. More importantly, independent mechanics and body shops across the country place their confidence in fasteners that carry the “Made in America” badge as a guarantee of excellence and reliability.
Automotive fasteners have taken on a bigger role as they’ve become smaller.
Like vehicles themselves, the fasteners that hold them together have become less bulky and more precisely engineered. Many elements that were once fixed in place by large nuts, bolts and rivets secured with welding are now held together by stronger and more streamlined modern fasteners.
With the move from heavy welded components to simpler yet more secure fasteners, the automotive fastener industry has gifted vehicle manufacturers with better fastener performance and more efficient manufacturing processes. Automotive fasteners have not only responded to the demands of the automotive industry, but they have also helped improve vehicle design by making more innovation possible.
Reliability is increasingly measured by precision as well as strength.
Safety and reliability remain central concerns for auto manufacturers and consumers. In the past, reliability was mostly a synonym for durability. In other words, what mattered most was that the strength and toughness of a nut or weld would stand up over time. While toughness is still a hallmark of reliability, the vehicles of the future will demand more than simply better versions of the same hard-working nuts, bolts and screws.
A subtler aspect of reliability is being highlighted by the high-tech automotive industry of today: precision. Precision-engineered fasteners have become more relevant as computer-driven design and fabrication make this kind of specialization more practical.
Fasteners that are precisely tailored for specific vehicles and specific uses offer the benefit of having a part perfectly engineered for its function. This function-driven precise design creates components that act as an integral part of the vehicle, performing exactly as needed every time.
Material science keeps making automotive fasteners better.
Modern auto design requires modern fasteners, and one way the field has continued to modernize is in terms of materials. From the iron and steel bolts and welds of yesterday to the increased use of metal alloys and plastic in today’s components, manufacturers have persistently sought better materials from which to construct the best fasteners.
The vehicles of the past and present have always required fasteners that could withstand vibration, heat, corrosion and all the mechanical stresses of an internal combustion engine. Threaded steel screws and bolts have been the workhorses of the engine for this reason. Tomorrow’s autos will be constructed differently and subject their components to different challenges. Thus, they may have to be composed of different materials. This may include superior versions of specially treated steel as well as new metal alloys and non-metal materials.
Traditional steel nuts and bolts, brass fittings and other trusted materials will certainly continue to prove their worth in auto shops and service centers worldwide. However, experts expect to see the development of novel materials and fabrication processes play an ongoing role in fastener development as automotive design evolves.
The automotive fastener industry is tuned into environmental pressures.
Sustainability has become an imperative for every segment of manufacturing, and the automotive fastener industry is no exception. The influence of environmental concerns has shown itself in the automotive sector through both government regulation and consumer demand.
The biggest impact of sustainability can be seen in the way that electric cars are reshaping the automotive industry. As the drive towards eco-friendly electric vehicles continues to accelerate, automotive fasteners are along for the ride.
Because the radically different electric motor does not have the same components and attachments as a conventional engine, it demands a whole new set of fasteners. Some will be tried-and-true fasteners with an updated size, shape or protective coating. Others may be all-new fasteners especially designed for EV motors or battery parts yet to be invented.
As fuel efficiency regulations become increasingly strict, the weight of vehicles becomes a critical consideration. Not only does this mean that fasteners themselves must shed bulk, but also that they must be reconfigured to securely attach newer lightweight materials used for other vehicle components.
The nuts-and-bolts of future cars may look more like pins and rivets.
As already noted, changes in the design of vehicles go hand-in-hand with changes in automotive fasteners. Although threaded fasteners are dominant now, some analysts expect to see non-threaded fasteners become the hottest segment in the automotive fastener industry in the OEM market. Non-threaded fasteners include clips, rivets and pins.
The rise of non-threaded fasteners relates to the push for lightweight materials and streamlined assembly, but it’s also a function of the electrification of the automobile. Without mechanical engines, EVs may not require as many threaded metal fasteners, such as bolts and screws, as vehicles with conventional engines do. Nevertheless, increasing aftermarket demand for fasteners needed for older automobiles will keep the market for threaded fasteners healthy for many years to come.
The automotive fastener industry locks in its relevance.
Combining experimentation with practicality has supported the progress of the fastener industry throughout its history. Focusing on the needs of manufacturers and service professionals will secure the success of the industry in the future.
If you’re looking for quality fasteners to fit your automotive service needs, start your search here.
Sources:
- https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/hardware/fastener-industry-evolution/
- https://usfitc.com/blog/the-nuts-and-bolts-of-the-automotive-industry-the-role-of-fasteners-in-vehicle-manufacturing
- https://mafacts.profil-global.com/blog/history-of-automotive-fasteners-mechanical-attachment-in-die
- https://monroeengineering.com/blog/fascinating-history-fasteners/
- https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/automotive-fasteners-market
- https://www.usdanalytics.com/industry-reports/automotive-fastener-market
- https://www.assemblymag.com/articles/96432-new-materials-new-fasteners
- https://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/automotive-fastener-market
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- https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/automotive-fasteners-market-6399