Welding, joining and fastening
features a rectangular body but round rivet the overall number of fasteners by looking at
sections combining the low cost benefits of other existing niches,” continues Vieth. “We
a traditional rectangular pierce nut with the have budgeted enough capacity for this. It is
functionality of a round fastener. now possible for us to work seven days per
The company has also developed new week, if we wish, which gives us more flex-
products on the assembly side with new types ibility in our production.”
of customised and automated fastening feed-
ers designed to abate noise (below 83 dBa).
However, Profil does not focus exclusively
on the automotive sector. It also supplies to
other sheet metal sectors such as white goods
(Whirlpool dishwasher front door hinges etc.)
and construction (metal doorframe adjustable
hinges for offices etc.). Vieth estimates that
80% of Profil’s business is in the automotive
industry and the rest is split between a range
of other industry sectors.
“Our focus has been very much on the
automotive industry over the years. However,
Please click above to view the fastening
we think that there are good opportunities points inside a Land Rover model
for our products in other sheet metal working
sectors and we are trying to increase that,” he Industry trends and movements
told ISMR. Profil has identified a number of trends in the
Metal furniture is one area for special automotive industry, including the increas-
project development, where frames need to ing use of aluminium. Environmental issues,
be easily adjustable. energy costs and water usage have become
“We see a market for hinges in furni- real issues as OEMs seek to reduce their costs.
ture where parts are not so standardised “In the automotive industry, you see a patch-
so quantities could be very high,” Hubert work of different metals technologies and non-
Rautenstrauch explains. “We are working metal components which are adapted to dif-
with several furniture suppliers in Italy to ferent applications,” Vieth explains. “The use
develop some of their special hinges so there of high strength steel is increasing, sheet metal
is good potential here.” thickness has been reduced and the combina-
“We are constantly looking at finding new tion of metal and plastics is found more and
applications for our fasteners and increasing more (particularly in the front end of a car but
will be increasingly used elsewhere in cars). A
Left:
Profil
traditional car is no longer being made solely
feeding
of steel or of aluminium – people are trying to
technology optimise different types of material in a car for
the best weight-cost relationship and the best
crash reliability results.
“If you take the door hinge part as an exam-
ple, people tend to design more functions
into a fastener i.e. centring, spacing, fixing,
sealing functions etc. This means that the
prime function (to fix one part to another)
still exists but is reduced and the quantity of
specialty fasteners, adapted to a special need,
is increasing.”
20 May/June 2007 International Sheet Metal Review
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