IFI Urges Review of Compliance With Quality Standards for Fasteners

John Wolz

The Industrial Fasteners Institute issued a statement reaffirming quality of North American fasteners and calling on all segments of the industry and fastener users to meet quality standards.

“The quality of a wide variety of products of all types is currently being called into question, due in large part to media reports of problems with various imports, notably from China,” the IFI noted in a statement on its website: industrial-fasteners.org,

Manufacturers, importers and end users rely on a system of voluntary compliance with a variety of consensus standards, OEM specifications, and Quality Assurance System certification, the IFI noted. “That reliance is well founded, by and large, but it depends on every participant in the process doing what is necessary to ensure that all fasteners manufactured, imported or exported meet the standards and specifications they are held out to meet.”

The IFI noted that Congress may investigate many products from China and the “scrutiny could lead to impediments to the free flow of products into and out of the United States and potentially to increased regulatory burdens on every manufacturer, importer & distributor unless we make sure that we police our own actions adequately.”

“We believe it is vital for all fastener manufacturers, distributors, importers, and end-users to carefully review their enforcement of QA systems and purchasing procedures to ensure only high-quality fastener product is put into the North American stream of commerce.

The IFI “will continue to advocate for stringent adherence to quality standards and procedures for the manufacture of fasteners, and we will work closely with the National Fastener Distributors Association and the American Association of Fastener Importers to promote overall fastener quality in the North American marketplace. We strongly urge all parties in the United States who make, import, or distribute fasteners to carefully review and enforce quality commitments, systems, and procedures to make sure that the fasteners sold into commerce meet all applicable industry and federal specifications and standards.”

The IFI invites fastener buyers to contact them for information on buying quality fasteners. Tel: 216 241-1482 Fax 216 241-5901 E-mail: rharris@indfast.com Web: industrial-fasteners.org �2007 FastenerNews.com