Insight

Dr Stefan Beyer, general manager

Dr Beyer has worked within the fastener industry for over 35 years and has been the general manager of Deutscher Schraubenverband (German Fastener Association) since 2010. Editor Will Lowry visited DSV’s headquarters in Hagen, Germany, to find out more about the objectives of the association, as well as the current situation within the German fastener market.

What are the main aims of Deutscher Schraubenverband?
“The role of the German Fastener Association (DSV) is to provide technical and commercial support to our members through the use of committees, working groups, workshops, training programmes, and seminars. Our aim is to help our members meet the requirements of their customers.

We have 50 full members who are fastener manufacturers and 70 associate members from across the whole of the supply chain – job coaters, machinery and accessories, wire and pre-treatment, test and sorting/process control, torque/tension testing machines, threadlocking and sealing devices, coating systems, power tools, lubrication systems, institutes, tools and tool coatings, as well as others. We have found the associate membership to be particular popular, as it gives companies the opportunity to further understand the fastener requirements of the full members (fastener manufacturers).

As an association, we have a very diverse range of member profiles with 48% of members from companies with less that 49 employees; 11% from companies with 50 – 99 employees; 23% have between 100 and 249 employees; and 8% have over 500 employees. A big number of them are family-owned enterprises, a characteristic of our association.

As part of DSV there is a professional group for those members focusing on automotive, as well as a group on small screws, rivets, nuts and fasteners for wood applications. These two groups predominately focus on commercial discussions. In addition, we also have technical committees and sub committees that focus on topics such as materials and quality; heading, extrusion, thread forming; health, safety and environment; as well as fastener assembly. Plus, there are working groups for common research and development, surface coating systems, and logistics.

Since the 1970s we have also regularly had engineers from the Technical University of Darmstadt, who work as research associates within the DSV on their thesis and carry out scientific work on fastener testing, material development, surface coatings, tribology, etc. This helps develop the technical knowledge within the association and these engineers normally go on to work within the fastener industry.

The DSV also has a close collaboration with German OEMs through the VDA – Association of the German Automotive OEMs – where we can understand the demands in the automotive industry and invite automotive people into our subcommittees and working groups to discuss issues, solve problems or to launch investigation work or R&D projects.

Plus, in 2003 the association helped found the German Cold Forging Group (GFCG) in cooperation with the Steel and Metal Forming Association. Many of the subjects regarding cold forming are the same for both associations, so a partnership made sense. This association is divided into four sub-groups, which focus on tribology, cold forming, material development, and tooling.

Finally, the DSV is also connected to the European Industrial Fasteners Institute (EIFI) and is part of the membership that looks at the fastener manufacturing industry across Europe.”

How can the DSV support members and their customers?
“One of our main services is the DSV Fastener Training Academy, where we can offer different training and qualification programmes to members and their customers. The aim of the training academy is to impart fundamental fastener knowledge and create a network between fastener manufacturers and users.

Through basic courses and seminars, as well as their own self-study, attendees can take an Initial Examination of Fastener Training, which ensures they have the basic understanding of fastener components and their capabilities. From there, they can then take a further three modules that focus on materials and part testing; construction, calculation and assembly; as well as quality management, along with a lot of practical training. There is then a final written and verbal examination they must take to confirm themselves as a Certified DSV Fastener Engineer or a Certified DSV Fastener Technician. To date, there are over 350 qualified fastener engineers and fastener technicians.

For the future, we are also looking to introduce new certifications including Certified Fastener Employee, Certified Fastener Practitioner and Competence in Manufacturing Mechanical Fasteners. These are to coincide with similar certifications within the welding and adhesives sectors.

We are able to provide the training academy service thanks to the technical knowledge within the DSV – with the result that our members are able to maintain and improve their competitiveness.”

What is the current situation in the German fastener manufacturing market?
“In 2018 German fastener manufacturers exported 905,000 tonnes at a value of €5.733 billion, which was a sales increase of 4.9% on 2017 (€5.466 billion), but only a production increase of 0.7% (2017: 899,000 tonnes).

Regarding the domestic market, 795,000 tonnes were produced in 2018 at a value of €3.877 billion, which was a production increase of 1.1% on 2017 (787,000 tonnes). However, this is still below the 2016 figures when domestic tonnage reached 837,000 tonnes. The number of imported fasteners reached 1,037,000 tonnes in 2018, which is a 5.2% increase on 2017 (986,000 tonnes).

As for 2019, so far it has been a challenging year. At the beginning we thought there would be a slowdown during the first half of the year, but it would pick up after the summer holiday. However, now it looks like it will continue for the remainder of 2019.

Our membership supplies a lot of different markets and there are different reactions according to these markets. Some companies are experiencing a difficult situation in the automotive market, but there are those that haven’t seen much of a change compared to previous years.

A key factor is having other fields to focus on, so you are not dependent on one industry. For instance, construction and housebuilding is very strong, therefore companies involved in this area are in a good situation and experiencing good growth.

Another big factor impacting the markets are the political and economic uncertainties, as well as the situation in the Far East. You just don’t know what is going to happen in the market, which makes it difficult for companies to plan for the future.”

Another service the DSV provides is the monitoring of the cost changes in wire rod. Why and how does it monitor it?
“It is important to point out that in order to conform to the compliance rules, we monitor the cost changes rather than material costs. We collect raw material price changes for specified materials from our members and weight them in accordance with their yearly sales figures. The weighted average price change is then published.

The reason we do this is if there are significant price changes, we can provide a suitable instrument for our members to reduce time-consuming negotiations with customers – because the published numbers are proved and reliable.”

How do you see the German fastener market developing and what are DSV’s plans for the future?
“From my point of view, the German fastener market is not likely to grow significantly in the coming years, but there are still opportunities within the market. The development of high-tech fasteners and techniques offers potential for the future, but there needs to be more qualified employees within the sector.

There will also be the fast changing demands in the automotive field and the need for further globalisation. Big companies must follow OEMs regarding worldwide local production. Smaller companies who are not able to follow OEMs into foreign countries must develop unique features to survive in the local market.

As an association, we will look to continue to strengthen the technical power of our members, through training, education and R&D projects.”

www.schraubenverband.de