MRO supplies are the “behind the scenes” heroes of modern production facilities. Most attention is placed upon the final product; however, without MRO supplies like safety equipment, repair tools, lubricants, compressors and pumps then the final products would never make it to market. AFT Fasteners is now offering a complete line of MRO supplies from vendors such as 3M, Dewalt, MCR Safety, Greenlee, Dixon, Precision Brand, Kimberly Clark and many more.

Maintenance, Repair, Operations (MRO) items are supplies consumed in the production process but which do not either become part of the end product or are not central to the firm's output. MRO items include consumables, industrial equipment, plant upkeep supplies and even computer equipment. These types of items range from safety equipment, cleaning materials, laboratory and office supplies, compressors, pumps, valves, gaskets, lubricants, repair tools, and even computer equipment and supplies.

The economics of ordering MRO materials and the decisions on how to save money by consolidating the vendors involved in this order process is an ongoing science. For 2012, AFT Fasteners has dedicated copious resources to the science of saving businesses money. By consolidating the MRO shopping process into a “One Stop Shop”, AFT Fasteners has allowed MRO purchasers to save time. The goal is to provide the most comprehensive vendor line-up in the world of MRO supplies. There are numerous factors in deciding upon an MRO provider and one of the most critical is the availability of products and the “speed of delivery”.

Availability and “speed of delivery” are greatly increased by AFT Fastener’s ability to drop ship items from 19 locations in the United States. Just a few of these new locations for 2012 include Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Grand Rapids, Harrisburg, Houston, Los Angeles, St. Paul, Orlando, Pittsburgh and Portland. These warehouses contain over 60,000 individual SKU items for maximum availability and rapid delivery. Now you can order an item from your location and not worry about it being organized and shipped from across the United States. These efficient and clean warehouses offer JIT ordering and help keep your company’s inventory right where it needs to be.

As the new year progresses AFT Fasteners will be analyzing companies’ needs and what items they order to make sure that the most popular MRO and Safety Supply items are maintained for production and manufacturing needs. AFT Fasteners is a global provider for fasteners, metal plating, industrial components, petrochemical hardware, kitting and warehousing services. If your company needs a resource for these services or has any questions about industrial solutions, then please contact AFT Fasteners online or call toll free at 877-844-8595. Their sales staff and operators are excited to help your company save money and succeed.

Consolidation of services and production processes are at the heart of successful manufacturing. AFT Fasteners understands this and offers solutions to customers that allow the customers to focus on other aspects of doing business - like getting more business.

AFT Fasteners’ customized products and programs have now been made available to domestic and international customers to lower their material, labor, inventory, storage and fabrication costs. AFT Fasteners has increased their warehouse spaces, increased inventory control capabilities and added more warehouse personnel experienced in today’s high-tech management systems. Other production services that AFT’s customers benefit from are hardware kitting and fastener modification, fabrication and  plating.

Warehousing and inventory services are implementations that improve shipping as well as inventory costs and price control. Automated systems like JIT, KanBan, VMI and EDI offer inventory counts and ordering times for needed parts without the potential for manual mistakes. AFT is offering solutions for customers who need their specialty parts imported, modified, plated and then stored in a safe, secure warehouse environment.

Manufacturers are often unaware of the benefits of having “kitted” parts and hardware. Benefits afforded to those who use kitting services are easy ordering of parts with one “kit” number versus multiple part numbers. Invoicing is also easier because of the fewer part numbers and tracking requirements. Production is improved since all of the pre-approved parts are in one assembly location. Waste is also reduced since the parts are packed together instead of individual wrappings. Parts costs are lowered as well, due to the ability to order in bulk and package accordingly.

AFT Fasteners also does hardware modification and fabrication. Just a few of the most common procedures include: fastener drilling, cutting, end slotting and thread locking. These capabilities, along with an in-house metal plating and coating facility,  provide a one-stop production capability that few solutions providers offer. Visit www.aftfasteners.com, call 877-844-8595 or feel free to use our "Contact Us" form for more information.

- AFT Team

Automated Finishing Technologies, known for their high quality metal plating and coating operations, has added a new Dry Film Lube, Xylan® and Wet Paint facility. Located in Arlington Texas, this operation is located near the global shipping hub of Dallas, Texas. AFT globally provides a wide variety of fasteners with the most desired electro-plating, Xylan® and dry film coatings to meet the most stringent industry specifications.

In recent years AFT, Automated Finishing Technology, has grown from a small North Texas business to an international importer/exporter of quality standard and non-standard fasteners, mechanical components and manufacturing industry services. One of their most recent acquisitions is a dry film lube and Xylan® coating facility located in Arlington, Texas. Proven business practices and management models have already lifted the local business to the international stage in the electroplating and fastener distribution fields.
AFT has already started enjoying great success with this new facility by quickly establishing a diverse customer base. These customers are receiving excellent coated products to meet their wide diversity of manufacturing needs and specifications. Dry film lubricants start out as high performance, paint-like coatings consisting of fine particles of lubricating pigments blended with a binder and special additives. After application and proper curing, these lubricants bond to the surface of the ware, and form a solid film, which reduces friction, and greatly increases wear life. Many dry film lubricants also contain special rust inhibitors which offer exceptional corrosion protection in harsh environments. Dry film lubricants contain special pigments that reduce friction and wear by preventing surface-to-surface contact between mating parts (i.e., a shaft and its bearings). Performance properties vary depending on the specific lubricating pigment used. Some offer excellent lubrication and corrosion protection, while others operate at high temperatures. Some are formulated for use in extreme environments and can withstand nuclear radiation. A few applications of dry film uses are: parts usage in corrosive atmospheres, protection for stored parts, parts requiring permanent lubrication, parts subject to frequent disassembly, fretting and galling protection and ease of release assistance.
Xylan® and wet paint applications can also be matched to a wide diversity of colors and specifications. Xylan® is the umbrella trademark for most of the Whitford fluoropolymer coatings line. Xylan® is comprised of low friction, wear resistant composites of fluoropolymers and reinforcing binder resins. There is a wide range of Xylan® coatings available in one, two, and three coat conventional and reinforced non-sticks. The fluoropolymers utilized in Xylan® coatings consist of PTFE, PFA, and FEP.
Automated Finishing Technologies has years of experience in fastener and parts electro-plating and metal coatings and specialize in black oxide, copper, e-nickel, silver, zinc, zinc phosphate, cadmium and more. AFT also is related to AFT Fasteners which provides high quality fasteners, components, inventory control, kitting services and fastener manufacturing and modifications. These companies are no strangers to meeting the most stringent manufacturing specifications. For more information regarding metal plating, Xylan® and other coatings – visit www.aftfasteners.com, call 877-844-8595 or feel free to use our "Contact Us" form.

- AFT Team

Dallas Chamber of Commerce has been a positive economic influence in North Texas since 1909, and its membership ranges from sole proprietors to large corporations. AFT Fasteners is pleased to announce its membership into this influential and constructive organization.

The Dallas Regional Chamber is the area’s leading membership-driven business organization committed to promoting economic prosperity by leading economic development, driving improvements in public education, influencing public policy, and catalyzing and advocating for regional partnerships. The Chamber is a not-for-profit organization comprising businesses representing all facets of the North Texas business community.

AFT Fasteners joins the Dallas Chamber of Commerce's mission of accomplishing successful business practices and leadership in Dallas and North Texas. Not only is AFT Fasteners a North Texas business leader but is also a national and international business partner which supports local labor and goods deliverable to numerous states and countries.

AFT Fasteners embodies the spirit in which the Dallas Chamber of Commerce promotes success. Being part of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce allows AFT Fasteners access to information, professional development & networking, access to savings, visibility and leadership advocacy. For more information about AFT Fasteners and their line of top quality fasteners, construction and manufacturing hardware, please visit www.aftfasteners.com or call 877-844-8595. For more information about the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.dallaschamber.org.

- The AFT Team

TR Fastenings, the manufacturer of TR Hank® Self Clinch Fasteners, is expanding into the US market. They are pleased to announce that AFT Fasteners, based out of Texas, will be one of their United States distributors for their wide range of self-clinching fastener products.

TR Fastenings was founded by Mike Timms and Mike Roberts in the United Kingdom  in 1973. The TR Hank® Self Clinch Fasteners brand was established in 1988 and has since grown to be globally distributed for industries that range from mobile phone manufacturing to aircraft manufacturers. Self clinch fasteners are widely used as a fastening product when manufacturing thin sheet metal intensive products. These fasteners provide strong threads in sheet metals, require no “tapping” and provide high push-out and torque resistance. These are fasteners that are excellent when the manufacturing process does not provide easy access to the gripping side of a fastening point.

AFT Fasteners is already a trusted international source for numerous products, and they are excited to add these internationally certified self-clinching products to their expansive line up. This partnership creates a global force to compete against manufacturers like Captive Fastener Corporation and Penn Engineering. With a focus on product quality and availability, AFT and TR Fastenings will provide a wide variety of high quality, self-clinching fasteners at a competitive price. Visit www.aftfasteners.com, call 877-844-8595 or feel free to use our "Contact Us" form for more information.

- AFT Team

AFT Fasteners is proud to be a part of the Cable Tie Express distribution network. These products are high quality UL recognized and ISO certified to meet or exceed customers’ satisfaction and expectations. AFT was founded in 1984 and since then has become a distributor of global products ranging from fasteners of all types, petrochemical hardware, MRO and safety supplies, industrial services such as kitting, inventory and warehousing systems.

Cable Tie Express announces the addition of AFT Fasteners to its distribution and dealer network. These companies are setting the standard in customer satisfaction and confidence, as a prime source for standard and specialty cable ties, heat shrink tubing, mounting products, cable clamps, wire connectors, and installation tools.  Non-standard items and to-print specials are other needs they fulfill on a daily basis. Cable Tie Express continues to seek and add specialized products to its product offering to provide customers with additional solutions to meet all of their wire management requirements. AFT Fasteners stands by the Cable Tie Express motto: “Tying Service to Quality”. Cable Tie Express has a strong commitment to their mission statement which includes maintaining a varied and competitive product line, highest quality standards, unparalleled customer service and fanatical product knowledge.

AFT Fasteners is thrilled to offer cable ties, mounting hardware, heat shrink tubing and other mounting products offered by Cable Tie Express. Visit www.aftfasteners.com, call 877-844-8595 or feel free to use our "Contact Us" form for more information.

- AFT Team

We have a problem when tightening stainless steel bolts - they tend to seize - what's happening?

Stainless steel can unpredictably sustain galling (cold welding). Stainless steel self-generates an oxide surface film for corrosion protection. During fastener tightening, as pressure builds between the contacting and sliding, thread surfaces, protective oxides are broken, possibly wiped off, and interface metal high points shear or lock together. This cumulative clogging-shearing-locking action causes increasing adhesion. In the extreme, galling leads to seizing - the actual freezing together of the threads. If tightening is continued, the fastener can be twisted off or its threads ripped out.

If galling is occurring because of high friction the torque will not be converted into bolt preload. This may be the cause of the problems that you are experiencing. The change may be due to the surface roughness changing on the threads or other similar minor change. To overcome the problem - suggestions are:


1. Slowing down the installation RPM speed may possibly solve or reduce the frequency of the problem. As the installation RPM increases, the heat generated during tightening increases. As the heat increases, so does the tendency for the occurrence of thread galling.

2. Lubricating the internal and/or external threads frequently can eliminate thread galling. The lubricants usually contain substantial amounts of molybdenum disulfide (moly). Some extreme pressure waxes can also be effective. Be careful however, if you use the stainless steel fasteners in food related applications some lubricants may be unacceptable. Lubricants can be applied at the point of assembly or pre-applied as a batch process similar to plating. Several chemical companies, such as Moly-Kote, offer anti-galling lubricants.

3. Different combinations of nut and bolt materials can assist in reducing or even eliminating galling. Some organizations specify a different material, such as aluminum bronze nuts. However this can introduce a corrosion problem since aluminum bronze is anodic to stainless steel.

If you have questions about stainless steel or other fasteners, please contact us at AFT Fasteners (877) 844-8595 or via email Contact Us.

AFT Industries provides a wide variety of products and supplies for the Petroleum and Oil Field Industries. AFT is excited to announce that we now have offices in Dallas / Fort Worth as well as our new office in Houston, Texas. On the international stage of petroleum refinery and production, Houston stands on top of the industry that literally drives the world. We have expanded our services to an even broader geographical base of clients that drill, refine and transport petroleum based products all over the United States.

Most hardware for this industry requires heavy duty components with larger sizes, higher safety specifications, higher operating tolerances and guaranteed longer life expectancies. Some of the premium petrochemical hardware that AFT Industries provides are:

• Studs and Bolts - petrochemical grades, stainless steel grades, exotic alloys: (nickel, brass, bronze, titanium), all threaded rod, low carbon studs, heavy hex bolts

• Nuts - heavy hex, all materials and grades, industrial electroplatings and specialty coatings

• Flanges - lap joint, welding neck, slip on, socket weld and threaded

• Pipes, Valves and Fittings - brass, steel, forged steel, stainless steel, CPVC, PVC, iron, and fittings for all purposes

• Gaskets - spiral wound, Flexitallic, composite materials/fibers and matching industrial sets

• Washers - all types of finishes and metal materials

• Special Platings & Coatings - Xylan, Teflon, Cadmium, E-Nickel, Zinc, Zinc Nickel, Nickel, Phosphate & more

• Cutting & Safety Equipment - personal wear, coco mats, escape chairs, welding helmets, welding supplies, leak detectors, saws, saw blades, circular safety blades and more.

At AFT Industries the mission statement is simple: Provide our Customers with what they need to Succeed! We strive to accomplish this mission every day in a timely manner that allows your business to be as successful and profitable as possible.

Next time your company needs Petroleum and Oil Field hardware or supplies, do not hesitate to contact us at Info@Aft-Corp.com or call toll free 877-844-8595.

Lance Thorley

AFT Industries

AFT Fasteners has seen some extraordinary growth over the past year, and AFT will be bringing their products and services to market at this year’s Design2Part Trade Show in Houston, Texas. Design2Part trade shows have been a cornerstone in exhibiting American manufacturing, technical and engineering products and services for decades. This year’s show will be held at the ultra-modern Reliant Energy Center in Houston, Texas on November 16^th and 17^th, 2011.

Enjoy this brief video about Design2Part exhibits --