Insight

With an innate sensitivity to design and ergonomics, and a corporate DNA focused on the quality of its ‘Made in Germany’ products, Bülte is a long-standing family business now totally under management by the third generation.

After 10 years with the company, working alongside her father Stefan Bülte, Fanny Bülte officially took over the reins of Bülte Group in 2023 and is determined to preserve the family heritage and perpetuate the values and expertise that have been the company’s strength for almost 70 years within the plastic fastener market. 

“As a major player in the international plastic fastener industry, Bülte has developed a reputation for catering to a wide array of industries, including automotive, electronics, construction and general industrial applications,” states Fanny Bülte. “The company’s expertise in plastic fasteners and components makes it a trusted source for reliable non-metallic fastening solutions.”

In a competitive sector, Bülte stands out in the plastic fastener market for several reasons – for instance its diverse product range of plastic components for various industrial applications, such as plastic screws, nuts, washers, fasteners, spacers, custom moulded parts and more. “We use high-quality raw materials that are resistant to corrosion, chemicals and have no electrical conductivity, which is supported by our own strong technical expertise in the design and manufacturing of plastic components – with ‘Made in Germany’ quality,” explains Fanny Bülte. “Our team is also able to work closely with customers to develop bespoke solutions that meet specific application requirements. We can also advise our customers on the best manufacturing solutions to meet their needs and help them to choose the right raw material for their project.” 

Bülte’s experience and professional expertise enables it to manufacture advanced injection moulded parts using a variety of different plastics materials, such as PA, PE, PP, POM, PVDF and PC. Bülte also makes sure it uses only the highest quality plastic materials – helping to ensure the durability and reliability of its products under various environmental conditions. Plus, the company also adheres to international quality standards and is certified to ISO 9001, which further guarantees the quality of its products and processes.

Ongoing innovation

Bülte is committed to ongoing innovation and actively seeks new technologies and materials to enhance the performance of its products. “Our aim is to remain at the forefront of the industry – by developing advanced plastic fastening solutions,” emphasises Fanny Bülte. “We are committed to using our strengths as a lever to continue modernising and through innovation we can continue to offer composite materials that combine plastic polymers with other materials (such as glass, carbon or reinforcement fibres) to provide ever more effective solutions and meet the specific needs of customers.”

A prime example is the expansion of Bülte’s catalogue to include pressboard and hard paper. “These two innovative materials share characteristics that make them commonly used in the manufacturing of electrical and electronic components, such as insulating sleeves, spacers, supports and insulation components,” highlights Fanny Bülte. “They are valued for their ability to provide reliable electrical insulation, thermal resistance and dimensional stability in electrical and electronic environments.”

Made in Germany

Fanny Bülte is aware of the fundamental challenges facing not only Bülte Group but an industry that needs to reinvent itself, which is why she has made sure Bülte remains attentive to the environmental and social challenges of production, such as the climate emergency; the rational consumption of raw materials; the decarbonisation of the industry; and the need for more responsible management and governance.

“Due to the changes in the market in the past few years, and especially because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of German manufacturers and our products has increased immensely,” reports Fanny Bülte. “That is why we have already begun working on our sustainability and environmental responsibility, as well as digitalisation and quality control. To not only honour our culture of  safety, compliance and tailored solutions, but to put us in a strong position as a European manufacturer.”

This is also why Bülte Group has looked to further strengthen its market position in the field of plastic fasteners, including the acquisition of the specialised plastic fastener division of Werit Group in 2021. “Customers have seen Bülte’s offering expand, and the acquisition helps to further confirm our position in Germany as a leader within the sector,” highlights Fanny Bülte. “We are also increasing our tooling range, which will enable us to further improve both quality and manufacturing efficiency, as well as strengthen our position in the eastern and northern European markets.” 

Fanny Bülte concludes: “Although originally German, our added value lies in our knowledge of the international market and our Franco-German bi-nationality, which has enabled us to position ourselves at the centre of Europe. We are very proud of our ‘Made in Germany’ capabilities, which is why we will continue to maintain our current production facilities, mainly in Germany, further underlining and confirming our ‘Made in Germany’ reputation for ever greater quality, flexibility and reactivity.”

In-depth product portfolio

Bülte Group offers a wide range of plastic components and fasteners for various industrial applications. The oldest and best-selling product in the company’s history are plastic washers according to DIN/ISO standards. 

The washer range includes standard washers, but also locking and sealing retaining washers (such as the well-known RBM – a patented washer), then various flat washers covering a wide range of thickness from 0.2mm to 6mm, plus other technical washers such as self-adhesive washers and peek washers.

Other products within the range include:

• Plastic screws: With 6,600 standard products, the plastic screws range is the broadest and most diverse of Bülte’s product families. These are a part of the core business and Bülte is able to offer several styles of head in its hex head screw family from DIN933 – the most commonly used standard for various types of washer faced hex heads. The screws are lightweight, corrosion resistant and can be used in various industries. Bülte highlights that all kinds of materials can also be processed including PVDF, PTFE, hard PVC, PP, PE, POM, polyamide glass filled, etc.
• Plastic nuts: Bülte has a full range of plastic nuts to meet customers’ requirements, such as hex nuts, including Plastilocknut®, flat nuts and self-locking nuts. The common standard for nuts is DIN934/ISO4032 passing through cap nuts, wings nuts, and knurled nuts, as well as miscellaneous nuts, including a wide variety of shapes, and bi-material nuts (metal/plastics nuts).
• Spacers range: Spacers are one of the most extensive product families at Bülte, with applications in many sectors and a wide range of sizes and materials. This means that 4,500 different products are available to customers. The range is divided into two families – round unthreaded spacers and tapped/threaded spacers. Options also include round or hexagon profiles, female/female, male/female and female/clip. 
• Custom moulded parts: At the same time as distributing standard products, Bülte can also propose special parts according to individual customer requirements. “These really are our greatest asset and our development objective,” states Fanny Bülte. “Special parts meet the unique requirements of specific applications for our customer and we can even provide neutral labelling or products with customer’s branding. Details such as article number, or special labelling etc, can be applied too."