Heat treatments for bolts are on the way out

New wire rod products will eliminate costly heat treatments from the cold-heading process, which is used to manufacture screws, bolts and rivets for the automotive and construction industries.

Costly heat treatments are on the way out for the fastener industry.

That was the good news message from a Corus product development expert.

Andy Trowsdale, Product Technology Section Manager, addressed a high profile audience at the annual technical conference of the Confederation of British Metalformers today, and highlighted the significant cost advantages available to fastener manufacturers using Corus' new and innovative DuplaTM steel.

Delegates heard how metallurgists based at the company's research, design and technology centres have been working on new wire rod products that will eliminate costly heat treatments from the cold-heading process, which is used to manufacture screws, bolts and rivets for the automotive and construction industries.

Andy told delegates how the development of such innovative products was part of the drive by Corus to maximise its materials expertise in order to help customers meet the continuing need for cost reduction throughout the supply chain.

"We want to develop products that simplify our customers' processes, improve their logistics and significantly reduce costs," said Andy.

"Our new dual-phase steel is just one way in which we are working towards this goal of adding value to our customers' products." Thanks to its enhanced chemical composition and improved process controls the newly-developed Dupla steel can be formed into high-strength bolts and rivets without the need for quenching and tempering.

With previous grades of steel, the quenching and tempering process was necessary to give the steel the required strength properties once it had been formed into a bolt.

Eliminating the need for quenching and tempering takes significant cost and time out of the production of high-strength bolts, benefiting Corus' customers as well as operations further downstream.

This means the supply chain can be much more efficient, which is vital in industries where cold-headed fasteners are used.

A huge variety of finished products are manufactured with these fasteners and they are used in a wide range of applications.

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