IFI Issues Stainless Steel Standard IFI-153 and White Paper on Tool Wear

John Wolz

The Industrial Fasteners Institute issues a new standard for stainless steel wire and rods for mechanical fasteners and released a White Paper of recommendations for balancing tool wear and process targeting.
IFI-153 describes the physical, mechanical and metallurgical requirements for stainless steel wire and rods in coils intended for cold and warm formed mechanical fasteners. It is the counterpart for the long-established IFI-140 for carbon and alloy steel wire, rods and bars.
IFI-153 provides stainless steel guidance regarding thermal treatment, surface condition, coatings, chemical and mechanical rdequirements, packaging and marking, ordering information, workmanship, finish and appearance.
The tool wear paper reports “capability indices are frequently misused”; “For situations when tool deterioration [wear] is the salient contributor to variation, centering is not the logical approach for statistical process control”; and “centering the process when variations originate with tool wear discounts tool life and increases production costs.”
For information contact the IFI director of engineering Charles Wilson. E-mail: indfast@aol.com Web: ifi-fasteners.org �2003 FastenerNews.com