engineering services
Fastener Engineering Services for oem design and assembly
When you’re selecting hardware for a new design, reviewing a growing bill of materials, or working through an assembly concern, the component decision often involves more than finding a part that fits. Endries provides fastener engineering services to help you evaluate the options in the context of your product, production process, and sourcing requirements.
Fastener Engineering Support That Starts With Your Application
Your engineering team understands the product, its requirements, and the environment where it will be used. Endries brings additional fastener knowledge and application experience to help evaluate the hardware decisions that affect how that product is built.
Depending on the application, that may involve reviewing a drawing, evaluating a bill of materials, examining an assembly through a product teardown, or working with your team on the production floor. The goal is to identify options worth considering while keeping your design requirements, manufacturing process, and approval procedures at the center of the discussion.
VIEW VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Here at Endries, our engineering services give our customers a second set of eyes on their product. But from the fastener perspective, one of our main functions is to be a go-to fastener technical resource for our customers.
We have access to a lot more fastener information than our customers do, and we can usually offer solutions that they might not even thought of.
Another big part of what we do is to offer cost savings. And we can do that by reviewing a customer's usage report for standardization opportunities, by visiting a customer's facility and walking their assembly floor, or doing teardowns of their product in our engineering lab.
We also offer fastener training on topics from fastener 101 to metal finishes to torque and tension.
The engineering team can also provide spec sheets or prints either for our internal sourcing team so that they can source product or for customers needs that they can use in their internal files.
BUILT AROUND REAL MANUFACTURING DECISIONS
Whether you're developing a new product or reviewing an existing assembly, our engineering team can bring an experienced perspective to the decisions in front of you.
Product Optimization
A product teardown can reveal details that are difficult to evaluate from a component drawing alone. Fastener selection, assembly sequence, and the relationship between mating components all influence how hardware performs within the finished product.
Our engineering team examines products and assemblies from a fastening perspective, helping customers consider standard hardware alternatives, component selection, and possible design-for-assembly improvements. Reviews can begin with an existing product, relevant drawings, or a specific application concern.
Getting Endries involved earlier in product development can also create an opportunity to consider standard fasteners before a custom component becomes part of the released design.
Solid Modeling Capabilities
When fastener geometry or an assembly detail needs closer review, drawings and models provide a common reference for the engineering discussion.
Endries offers Solid Modeling Capabilities that include 3D modeling and print support. These resources can help communicate component requirements, support technical review, and provide documentation for sourcing or customer engineering files, depending on project scope.
Existing models, drawings, dimensions, and application requirements help establish what needs to be reviewed. The appropriate modeling work and deliverables are determined by the needs of the project.
BOM Rationalization
A bill of materials can accumulate multiple fasteners with similar functions as products evolve, suppliers change, and new designs enter production. Those differences may be necessary, but they can also create opportunities for closer review.
Through BOM Rationalization, Endries examines component lists and usage information to identify parts that may warrant comparison or standardization. The review considers more than part numbers alone. Differences in specifications, materials, finishes, and application requirements must be understood before any changes are proposed.
The objective is to help your team make informed decisions about component variety and sourcing complexity without overlooking the requirements that make individual parts necessary.
Streamlined Standardization
Standardization goes beyond finding two parts that look alike. Components that share dimensions or general descriptions may still have important differences in material, finish, strength, or application requirements.
Endries supports Streamlined Standardization through print reviews, part comparisons, and evaluation of potential brand or component alternatives. Engineering input helps identify which substitutions may be worth investigating and which differences require additional attention.
Any proposed change must be evaluated against the OEM's specifications and qualification requirements before it is approved.
Some fastening concerns are easier to understand when the complete assembly process is visible. A drawing may explain what the component is supposed to do, while a production-floor review can provide additional context about installation, tooling, access, and handling.
Endries offers On-site Application Assistance that can include assembly line walks, application discussions, and reviews with customer engineering or manufacturing teams.
These conversations connect the hardware decision to how the part is installed and used. The specific review activities and availability depend on the application and agreed project scope.
Lean Kaizen Events
When the question extends beyond an individual fastener, a broader review may help uncover how component selection and assembly practices interact.
Endries offers customer-focused Lean Kaizen Events to examine manufacturability, fastening-related processes, and opportunities for improvement. Depending on the project, this may involve reviewing a product at an Endries facility or working with the customer's team on-site.
The review is shaped around the product or process being evaluated, with attention to the practical constraints of manufacturing and assembly.
Engineering Seminars
Engineering questions don't always require a project-specific review. Sometimes a team needs additional technical background to support the decisions it makes every day.
Endries provides Engineering Seminars covering topics such as fastener fundamentals, metal finishing, and torque and tension. In-person and online formats allow teams to explore fastening concepts with additional technical context.
Seminar topics, format, and availability can be discussed with the Endries team.
When to Involve Endries Engineering
Early involvement gives your team time to consider fastening options before drawings, tooling, and purchasing requirements are finalized. An engineering discussion can also be useful when an existing product or assembly process raises a new question. The starting point is the decision you need to make. Understanding that question helps establish which information and engineering activities are relevant.
Developing a new product
Explore hardware options while the design is still flexible, before a fastening choice becomes a drawing, tooling, or sourcing commitment.
Reviewing a nonstandard fastener
Review why the application calls for a special part and whether standard hardware could meet the requirements.
Reviewing a Growing BOM
Compare similar components to identify where standardization may be worth investigating, while accounting for differences in application requirements.
Addressing an assembly concern
Look at the fastener, mating components, and installation process together to understand what may be contributing to the concern.
Considering a material or finish change
Examine how the proposed change relates to operating conditions, component specifications, and the validation your team will need.
Evaluating a Component Substitution
Compare the alternative with the specified part and application requirements before your team decides whether to approve the change.
What information should you have ready?
You don’t need every detail to start a conversation. Begin with the concern and the decision you’re trying to make. Where available and appropriate to share, useful information may include:
- The product’s stage of development or production.
- The relevant drawing, specification, or part number.
- Component materials, finishes, and mating parts.
- How the fastener is installed and the conditions it will encounter.
- A description of the assembly concern and when it occurs.
- BOM or usage information if you’re considering standardization.
- Who will review, approve, and validate any proposed change.
Questions about engineering support
Can Endries help after a product is already in production?
An existing product may benefit from review when an assembly concern, sourcing question, or proposed component change needs investigation. Explain what has changed and what decision your team faces so we can discuss the relevant support.
Can a standard fastener replace a custom part?
Possibly, but that depends on the application and its requirements. A review can identify alternatives to investigate. It does not establish that a standard part is suitable or remove the need for your team’s evaluation and approval.
What if the question involves inspection or testing?
Identify the characteristic you need to verify and the evidence your team requires. Our Quality services are the related resource for discussing inspection and documentation needs. The applicable methods and scope need to be confirmed for your request.
Associations
We believe in following a strong set of standards. That’s why we are well versed in industry standards from:
Tell us about the decision you’re working through
Whether you’re reviewing a new design or investigating an existing assembly, tell us what you need to understand and where the uncertainty lies. Our Sales team can connect you with the appropriate Endries resource.