Construction Fixings

Koelner Rawplug reports that its EN 14399 sets, manufactured at its Łańcut factory in Poland, are one of its fastest developing products in its sales portfolio. 

When it comes to HV high strength bolts, Koelner Rawplug is clear that there is no place for unreliability. “Defining and preventing potential risks before producing HV sets is the key to success and building long-term customer trust,” explains Koelner Rawlplug. “At Rawlplug, we know that we are not just selling a product but also the reliability and safety of the connections that our products create. We know our customers and we know that they need a product that is reliable and easy to use, with no room for compromise in either of those key areas. Our offer of EN 14399-4/6 sets is a direct response to the requirements of our customers, from intermediaries to end users.”

First class production

The HV high strength bolts are produced at Koelner Rawlplug’s Łańcut factory, which is often described by visitors and customers as one of the most modern fastener production sites in Europe – thanks to the modern machinery, advanced technology and over 65 years of experience of producing fasteners. 

“Thanks to the continuous modernisation of the Łańcut factory machine park, it has become one of the most modern production plants in the fastener industry – widely recognised for its reliability and high production standards,” points out Koelner Rawlplug. “Products with the ŁF mark are well known for meeting even the strictest customer requirements – with fasteners made in the Łańcut factory suitable for a wide variety of industries, from automotive to construction building.”

Almost all processes in the cycle of production are performed on-site in Łańcut, which ensures independence and absolute certainty of maintaining the highest production standards.

Complete packaging solutions

In addition to its vast manufacturing capabilities, with Koelner Rawlplug sets available from M12 – M36, the company is also able to provide customers with a choice of packaging methods. “The components can be packed in separate boxes or all together in one box – with packaging of pre-assembled sets also available,” points out Koelner Rawlplug. “It all depends on what are the individual expectations of our customers.”

The company also ensures that the labels on the boxes are easy to read and include all the information necessary for handling in both small and large warehouses. “We also made sure to provide clear assembly instructions, supplemented by more detailed descriptions in the HV User Guide, available on our website,” mentions Koelner Rawlplug. “At the same time, we ensure full traceability of our bolts and nuts. Our marking method, combined with the record in our ERP system, allows us to quickly identify the exact batch of the product, which in turn ensures full traceability of production and easy access to detailed test results.”

Guaranteed quality

Due to the environments and applications HV sets are used, Koelner Rawlplug is under no doubt about the essential role its products play in installations – with no room for compromise. “Whether in heavy snow, fog, or rain, our HV sets are resistant to even the harshest weather conditions – making them a safe choice even in the most challenging constructions, such as wind turbines at sea or bridges,” states Koelner Rawlplug. “With an improved, customised coating of our nuts we continue to provide the reliability that our customers require. The improved coating is less susceptible to the influence of moisture and provides greater adhesion, thanks to which the K-factor value is within the requirements for the combined and modified method. An additional advantage is the reduction of soiling by molybdenum disulfide.”

Utilising experience

From the very beginning of the HV set project the Koelner Rawlplug team has utilised its experience from the automotive industry and implemented the same standards and quality in the steel construction field. “Our automotive industry know-how, especially in the field of friction coefficient tests, made it possible to develop a lubricating coating on the nut that provides high repeatability of the clamping force rate. It is thanks to the refined nut coating that we know that our sets will meet the requirements of assembly using the combined K1 and modified methods,” explains Koelner Rawlplug. “This allows our customers flexibility of choosing the preferred method of assembly.  We deliberately narrowed down the K-factor gates to always be ready to prepare an order dedicated to the K2 controlled moment method. In the case of the most popular K1 method, this solution gives high repeatability of the results obtained.”

Another area in which relevant experience is essential is in obtaining high strength classes in the production of fasteners. “We have used our achievements in the production of high strength fasteners for the automotive industry and ensured the heat treatment process is carried out in our modern continuous and chamber furnaces,” points out Koelner Rawlplug. “Additionally, we closely monitor every batch of steel delivered to our factory in order to ensure high repeatability of the mechanical parameters of the bolts. Our bolts are also hot dip galvanised without the use of acid, thanks to which we have reduced the risk of hydrogen embrittlement generated from the production process. We have implemented our own original method of testing the susceptibility of high strength bolts to hydrogen embrittlement and regularly check our HV sets this way. “

To complement its offer, Koelner Rawlplug is also able to provide active technical support in the challenges related to the design and assembly of steel structures. The company can guarantee the assistance of its engineers in case of any quality concerns. Well equipped in-house laboratories also make it possible to confirm process and product compliance, as well as to carry out advanced research and development work. 

“Exhibiting at the Fastener Fair Global show in Stuttgart will enable us to showcase our HV bolts,  as well as present the full range of possibilities of our Łańcut factory,” states Koelner Rawlplug. “With so many new investments and modernisation projects going on, it is hard to keep up with everything. That is why visitors need to visit our stand to make sure they do not miss out on any exciting developments.”