Welding, joining and fastening
An integrated a pproach
ISMR visits fastening specialist,
Profil, in Germany to gauge its
views on automotive market
developments, fastening
trends and new solutions
P
rofil develops and manufactures
pierce nuts and studs which are fas-
tened to formed sheet metal parts
with a riveting process. It has over 450 pat-
ents worldwide, offering the widest product
range of its type in Europe. Most of its fas-
tening solutions are used in the automotive
sector and can now be found on nearly
every car model manufactured in Europe.
Right:
Michael Vieth,
ISMR took a trip to its main manufacturing
Profil MD
facility at Friedrichsdorf (near Frankfurt,
Germany) to see how it is keeping pace with
dynamic loads. That was the philosophy of
rapid changes in the automotive sector.
engineers fifty years ago. It took an awful lot
of work, on the product development side,
to change that – we had to change customer
understanding, more so as new materials are
used in the automotive sector.
“You are destroying the structure of a sheet
metal part when you weld. A mechanical
fastener does not have this disadvantage. We
had to prove this to customers with dynamic
testing. Today, our fasteners are looked upon as
a proven technology especially for sheet metal
parts made of high strength steel, for crash-
relevant components, items subject to high
A step change
dynamic loads such as chassis parts etc.”
“When we started in the 1960s, the existing
A new geographical challenge is the expan-
technology was welding,” Michael Vieth,
sion of automotive markets into eastern and
Profil’s managing director, tells ISMR. “We
southern Europe, placing new demands on
were operating in a niche at the time.
logistics. Automotive customers will con-
Mechanical fasteners were cheap and sim-
tinue to outsource elements of produc-
ple but were not viewed as suitable in terms
tion and Vieth predicts that the market will
of durability, particularly for bearing high
become hungrier for fasteners with special-
14 May/June 2007 International Sheet Metal Review
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