As a purchasing manager, you always have to keep your budget in mind when purchasing fasteners. But you can’t be solely focused on price or the products you’re buying are going to be missing the mark. When you sacrifice quality, your fasteners aren’t going to be able to function as they should—they’ll quickly get damaged and your products are going to fail or work at a sub-par level.

Here are some of the reasons your fasteners might be missing the mark.

No Strength Due to Wrong Bolt Grade

Your fasteners need to be strong enough to withstand the pressures being placed on them. If they are not strong enough, it’s likely due to the wrong bolt grade. When you neglect to consider the load requirements of your product before your purchase, you can’t guarantee that the bolt grade you choose will provide enough strength.

No Durability Due to Cheap or Wrongly Chosen Material

You don’t want your customers to have to replace broken fasteners within a few short weeks of buying your products. But if you are using a cheap material to save on costs or you choose the wrong material for your application, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Your nuts and bolts won’t be reliable or durable, and they’ll quickly break. Make sure your manufacturer doesn’t cut corners when it comes to quality materials, and ask for guidance if you’re unsure of the best material for your product.

Corrosion Due to Lack of Coating

Different applications and different materials are going to need specific types of surface coating. For example, if your product is going to be used outdoors, its nuts and bolts are going to need to withstand weather conditions, such as rain, snow, and humidity. To ensure they stay protected, you need to choose a surface coating option specifically designed for outdoor use. This is the most effective way of ensuring that they don’t rust, and thus weaken, and compromise the integrity of your product. 

Careless Manufacturing

Choosing a manufacturer is an important decision. If you don’t perform your research ahead of time, you might end up working with a supplier that has careless manufacturing processes. If this occurs, your fasteners might be covered in tiny holes and gaps that suck in moisture leading to corrosion or they might be threaded improperly, which will lead to difficulties during installation and a weakened product overall.

Bad Fit Due to Off-the-Rack Purchasing

When it comes to bolts, there’s no reason to settle for a bad fit. An ill-fitting fastener won’t be able to create a tight seal or perform properly. If you’re buying off the rack from your manufacturer—just picking a fastener from a catalogue thinking it’s “good enough”you’re going to be disappointed. Choose a manufacturer that specializes in custom fastener designs and purchase what you actually need. The supplier can create a design that exactly matches the specifications of your application, so you don’t have to settle for an ill-fitting fastener that ultimately won’t hit the mark. You’ll get the material, steel grade, size, and surface coating option that you need, without any hassle.

Avoid Common Issues

Regardless of the industry you’re in, if you’re buying nuts and bolts, you expect them to be strong and durable. You expect them to be manufactured properly. You expect them to protect against corrosion. And you expect them to fit your application like a glove. If your fasteners are missing the mark, one of these common issues might be your problem.