GLENVIEW, IL — Optimas Solutions, a global industrial manufacturer/distributor and service provider, has elevated its standing in the fastener supply chain by transforming the way manufacturers improve product design, streamline production, and increase efficiency with new onshore custom and collaborative design engineering capabilities in the United States.
Optimas is the only fastener company in the United States and the United Kingdom that offers advanced cold forming manufacturing and global supply chain distribution offerings. In August of 2020, it announced a strategy to emphasize its manufacturing services. As part of the plan, Optimas is investing in custom engineering solutions designed to reduce time, cost, and waste in fastener manufacturing to help manufacturers more easily regionalize or re-shore to the United States.
“We have always worked closely with our customers, but we are finding they want more of our direct involvement in improving product design and their manufacturing processes,” said Marc Strandquist, CEO of Optimas Solutions. “Our engineers have years of hands-on experience specifically within the fastener application and manufacturing arenas. This allows our team to quickly understand U.S. and U.K. customer challenges and work with them onshore to develop solutions that improve product design and manufacturing processes.”
READ MORE: Lean much more about Optimas in Industrial Distribution's recent In-Depth company profile feature (published Dec. 3)
A Gartner, Inc. survey of 260 global supply chain leaders in February and March 2020 found that one-quarter of survey respondents stated that they have already regionalized or localized manufacturing to be closer to demand.
Optimas Solutions has invested more than $10 million in its U.S. cold forming manufacturing capabilities over the last few years, principally at its Wood Dale, IL facility, to further elevate its onshore manufacturing solutions. Advancements within its engineering solutions (3D printing with plastic, carbon and steel, rapid prototyping, design software and state-of-the-art cold forming equipment) have allowed Optimas to better leverage its manufacturing capacity for supply chain, operations, and procurement professionals responsible for fastener acquisition and usage.
Strandquist listed a number of factors that have contributed to re-positioning Optimas as a custom engineering manufacturer that works collaboratively with its customers:
- In-house application and manufacturing engineers enable Optimas to be a one-stop shop for customers to design and produce the right fasteners for their products
- History of offering specialty engineered cold form products others are unwilling to produce
- Cold form engineered services offer custom large-scale product production for greater flexibility in fastener manufacturing, in diameters from M2 to M22
- 106 dedicated machines—43 cold headers, 42 thread rollers plus shavers, trimmers, pointing, slotting, and drilling
- Strategic local partners for heat treating, plating, coating, patching and other secondary processes
- Partnerships with 11 licensed brands known for innovative thread-forming and drive solutions that also include weight and height saving solutions.
- Cold forming processes are engineered into product production, so customers eliminate complexity, save time, reduce waste, drive down costs as well as improving efficiency and reproducibility
- Highly-skilled tool and die makers in-house with immediate access to engineers and machine operators also improve quality and reduce lead time and cost
- ISO- and IATF-certified quality lab ensures the fastener designed is the one that is shipped and employed by customers in their products
“Late last summer, we announced our plans to transform Optimas into the most advanced fastener manufacturer and distributor in the industry,” Strandquist said. “These advancements in our engineering capabilities and the fact we are delivering results that customers want are examples of our overall strategy coming to life.”
