At Wilson-Garner, we’re a leading manufacturer of American-made custom fasteners. But if you know anything about the fastener industry, you know that the word “custom” can mean different things to different people and different situations.
So, what are those differences, and what exactly does “custom fastener” mean to us? This article will fill you in.
What Are Custom Fasteners?
Custom fasteners are any fasteners that are manufactured to customer specifications. They don’t follow a standard design, which makes them hard to find in the general fastener marketplace. Specifications can be made for several characteristics, including part, size, head style, material, coating, and more.
Custom fasteners are also commonly referred to as special fasteners, specialty fasteners, and per-spec fasteners.
RELATED: Need a specialty bolt, screw, or stud? Wilson-Garner can help.
Custom Fastener Manufacturer Capabilities
“Custom” can mean a number of things, depending on which engineer, designer, or manufacturer you ask. But since the word “custom” can be so broad, it’s important to understand that every manufacturer will be limited to some extent by their capabilities.
As an example of what that may look like, we’ll list some of our custom fastener manufacturing capabilities. We specialize in limited-run, special parts made to the highest quality. However, we are limited by our size and equipment to a relatively small scope of parts. Please keep in mind that this is just what we can do; other manufacturers may be able to make more, less, or different parts.
Parts Capabilities
We can manufacture the following fastener types:
- Bolts
- Screws
- Studs
- Wheel studs
Head Style Capabilities
We can manufacture parts with the following head styles:
- Hex head
- Round head
- Square head
- Place bolt
We can also manufacture these head styles, but only with one particular part number:
- T-bolts (7069543)
- 12 point (9338540-2)
Size Capabilities
Our size capabilities vary depending on the type of fastener you’re looking for. Here are the size specifications we can handle, categorized by type.
Bolts & Screws
Diameters
- M5 – M30
- ¼” – 1 ¼”
Lengths
- Diameters up to 5/16” = 6” maximum length
- Diameters ⅜” or more = 8” maximum length
Place Bolts
Diameters
- M8 – M20
- ¼” – 1”
Lengths
- Diameters up to 5/16” = 6” maximum length
- Diameters ⅜” or more = 8” maximum length
Wheel Studs
Diameters
- M8 – M30
- 5/16” – 1 ⅛”
Material Capabilities
We specialize in the manufacturing of alloy steel and carbon steel fasteners. We do not manufacture parts with stainless steel or super alloys like Monel and Inconel.
How the Custom Fastener Manufacturing Process Works
Again, the custom fastener manufacturing process may look different depending on which manufacturer you choose to work with. Here’s a general idea of what our processes are like for customers who know the exact part they need and for customers who aren’t 100% sure of what they need yet.
Custom Fastener Manufacturing for a Known Part
Most of the time, a customer comes to us knowing exactly the part they need. An engineer or designer has determined the part that’s needed and what its specifications are. They’ve already drawn the blueprints for it.
At that point, they’ll submit an RFQ and blueprint to our team, which also states the number of parts that are needed. We’ll review it to make sure it’s in our wheelhouse of capabilities. If it is, we’ll send a quote out, and if the customer chooses to place the order, we run the job.
If the part is not within our wheelhouse of capabilities, we’re happy to refer the customer to a different manufacturer who will be able to help.
Custom Fastener Manufacturing for an Unknown Part
Occasionally, a customer will come to us without knowing the exact part they need. While we don’t have an engineering team on staff to design the part for them, we’re more than happy to offer recommendations based on the part’s intended application. We can also make suggestions to help make things easier and more affordable.
Some example recommendations we’ve made in the past include:
- Certain lengths are standard for certain diameters, and fitting within those standard dimensions can make the manufacturing and installation process much easier.
- We have existing tooling for some parts, so if the customer can work within the tooling we have, they won’t be charged for new tooling.
- Some fastener coatings are cheaper and easier to source than others.
If the part with all of its recommendations is something we can manufacture, we talk quantities, pricing, and lead times and send a quote out. If the quote is signed, we run the job.
It’s important to note that this is an instance where ordering in a limited-run quantity is especially helpful. Because we can make fasteners in limited-run quantities, customers can mitigate risk by ordering a smaller “trial run” before committing to high production volumes.
And, of course, if the part’s design isn’t within our wheelhouse of capabilities, we’re happy to refer the customer to a different manufacturer who can help them.
Wilson-Garner: Your Trusted Source for Custom Bolts, Screws, and Studs
Wilson-Garner is an American manufacturer of limited-run, hard-to-find, custom fasteners. Our jobs are manufactured to customer specifications and cold-formed for durable, high-quality results.
If you need a custom bolt, screw, or stud for your project, we’re your top-choice manufacturer. Send us your ideas or blueprints, and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can help bring them to life.