Insight

One of the major benefits of visiting fastener factories, says Executive Editor Phil Matten, is discovering things you would not otherwise learn from websites or brochures. Occasionally, it has to be said, what is unearthed can be negative. Other times a visit is rewarded by the discovery of capability far exceeding expectations – most certainly the case with Dega Demir.

A family business, Dega Demir was found in 1982 in Istanbul – a medium sized factory specialising in stitching and low and high carbon steel wires, including for cold heading. For the last eight years the company has occupied an impressively modern 20,000m² production facility in Esenyurt, around 30km west of Istanbul airport. Today Dega Demir is very evidently an accomplished fastener manufacturer, controlling all the processes from wire preparation through to heat treatment and electroplating.

The company’s knowledge in wire production is evident from its bank of annealing furnaces and, significantly for its higher grade fastener output, its preference to clean cold heading wire using abrasive blasting rather than acid pickling. The company can draw wire to diameter independently or inline with any of its forty-five, four or five die multistage cold heading machines, providing both accuracy and versatility.

Alongside its thread rolling capabilities – some of which is carried out post heat treatment – Dega Demir has extensive secondary operation capabilities. Tooling repair and maintenance is also carried out on-site, again aiding responsiveness.

Heat treatment is on two Italian-built mesh-belt, controlled atmosphere, quench and temper lines, one of which was only recently commissioned – evidence, if any was needed, of Dega Demir’s commitment to further investment to increase its capacity and expand its product range. Electrolytic zinc surface coating is also carried out in-house, with options for other treatments through external contractors to meet customer specifications.

Many of the cold heading machines are fitted with process monitoring but the quality department, which has a well equipped laboratory at its disposal, conducts sample process control, throughout production. Dega Demir currently has three automatic packaging lines and is looking to invest further to extend this capability. The company also has two Mectron laser and eddy current inspection machines, enhancing its final inspection capabilities.

When it comes to range there is very little that Dega Demir has not produced – special and standard high tensile bolting, hexagon socket head screws, countersunk cap screws, socket button head cap screws, hex lag screws, self drilling and chipboard screws, masonry and concrete screws, socket screws, in grades from 4.8 to 12.9. The company is capable of producing in diameters ranging from 4mm to 30mm and in lengths from 10mm to 300mm.

Dega Demir is very keen to work far more interactively to design and manufacturer special fasteners according to specific client requirements. Its R&D team is already active in researching technologically innovative solutions, as the company says, to produce the highest quality products at the best possible price. Many factories, of course, will say the same. A sincere family integrity, a real depth of knowledge, and meticulous attention to technical detail, however, underpin Dega Demir – with the added assurance of both ISO/TS 16949 and ISO 9001 accreditation.

This is a business that very evidently knows how to manufacture quality fasteners and that is very well attuned to customer needs and capable of a very responsive service – manufacturing lead times can be as little as two weeks, and truck delivery to European locations are usually with five days.

All it lacks, truth be told, is partners to really take full advantage of its undoubted capability – to challenge it to excel. There’s little doubt, Dega Demir will respond.