In 2000, the domestic fastener industry, as a whole, had a modest 0.9 percent growth over 1999, according to the Industrial Fastener Institute. The outlook for 2001, affected by the pressures of a slowing economy, is mixed. According to industry figures, the market for 2001 should be flat or drop as much as 2.5 percent below 2000 levels.

There are signs for optimism, however.

"When automotive fasteners pick up again, there should be substantial gains throughout the industry," says Frank Akstens, staff engineer for IFI.

The explosion of technology in industries using fasteners, from computer and electronics makers to bridge and road builders, has created a similar explosion in the need for new, upgraded and expanded standards, he says. The institute's main job is to fill voids in fastener standards and cooperate with other organizations in determining standards, he says.

"We work in the dimensional, mechanical and chemical areas of fastener requirements. In the last 12 months, I think we have gotten more revision requests than ever in a time frame," says Akstens.

Fastener standards are as comprehensive and various as those of any industry. Standards describe the material, shear and pull strengths, and size tolerances for fasteners. The standards do not suggest that a particular fastener is right for a specific job, he says.

Those parameters are up to the end user and the application requires end users to determine the best fastener for the task.

"The quality that a bolt has, as far as we're concerned, is its meeting our standards check," he says. "The designer must anticipate the highest load that a joint might encounter in the field and decide on the bolt for the job."

Manufactured goods in particular benefit from fasteners manufactured from higher quality materials and to better tolerances. "A washing machine put together with stainless bolts will generally last longer because those bolts won't corrode in that wet and caustic environment," Akstens notes.

However, the use of standards is an industry-wide means of cutting costs in manufacturing, allowing the fabricator to use the best possible fasteners and still save money.

"Any application that has standards written is likely to be more cost-efficient, less prone to needing special designs, and take less time in the manufacturing process," Akstens says.

"In your kitchen, you have a recipe. You don't make every meal saying, 'I'll try some of this, maybe some of that and maybe something will work.' Any manufacturing practice is improved by standards," he says.