By Phil Matten

Fastener+Fixing Magazine

The European Industrial Fasteners Institute automotive chair predicted 2018 worldwide automotive sales will rise 2.1%.

The May 24-26, 2018, EIFI meeting in Croatia included representatives of China, Taiwan and the U.S.

EIFI Automotive Group chair Paolo Pozzi noted global vehicles sales rose during the first four months of 2018: +9.6% in Europe, +48% in China, +19.7% in Brazil, +20.5% in Russia, +19.0% in Argentina. Sales were stable in the U.S., while Japan was down -1.3%.

Electric vehicles in 2017 resulted in European emissions being 117.3 g/km – down from 132 g/km registered in 2012. However, some countries showed a negative trend, including Netherlands, Greece and Luxembourg.

Battery electric vehicle production is expected to increase 8% in from 2018 to 2025 worldwide. Pozzi also analyzed new mobility services, concluding that the biggest impact on vehicle sales will be on how customers interact with vehicles, their expectations and uses for them.

  • Zoran Legac, co-owner of “Feroimpex automobilska tehnika d.o.o” of Croatia, which produces bearings and parts for automotive, wind power, railway and other industries, discussed his company’s innovative scrap metal breaking technology, which reduces the scrap volume to make its handling easier.  He also talked of “Innovative Measuring,” based on designing innovative technology for dimensional measurement and control of metal parts, and “Robotization, Automation, Digitalisation” aimed to maximize customer value while minimizing waste.
  • EIFI president, Anders Karlsson noted the organization’s updated its PPM document “Mechanical Fasteners – Quality of Technical Characteristics,” has a new survey on electricity and gas tariffs at the European level; and the amendment of EN nomenclature for CN codes 7318.

  • In the general session it was reported that during 2017 the European economy grew at its fastest rate in 10 years, with all member states reporting recovery. It was supported by high confidence, low financing costs, improving private balance sheets and brightening labor market conditions.

It was predicted the European economy should continue growing, with unemployment falling further and inflation increasing only very gradually. GDP growth in the Eurozone  was 2.4% in 2017, and forecast at 2.3% in 2018, easing to 2.0% in 2019.

  • Ramón Ceravalls, EIFI General Fasteners Group chair, said world construction outlook for 2018 to 2022 is expected to be good, with an annual increase of 3.9%. Estimated growth by 2030 is more than 50% in China, USA and India. European construction in 2017 was EUR1.5 billion (US$1.74b), up 3.5% from 2016.

  • University of Zagreb economics professor Josip Tica forecast global growth at 3.9%. The US, Japan, Eurozone and China are growing above expectations as are the emerging markets of Brazil, Mexico and Central & Eastern Europe, Tica reported.

EIFI presented the Robert Dicke Award to Ejot CEO Christian Kochersheidt. Web: EIFI.org