M.S. & H.T. Nuts & Bolts
Fasteners have played a major role in the advancement of the human race since prehistoric days when the caveman used thongs to hold a rock into the split end of a stick to make the first axe. Since that day, the progress of fastening methods and devices includes: wooden pegs; wedges; the first iron nails; glue; rivets; welding; and today, a multitude of highly specialized fasteners that range from simple wooden clothespins to cap screws made from specialized materials for our space programs. Few of us realize the importance that fasteners play in our way of life. Less than $100 worth of fasteners represents the difference between a useless pile of parts and a finished automobile. A $75,000 crawler tractor would be nothing but scrap iron without a few hundred dollars worth of nuts and bolts. Without the variety of fastening devices available to industry, we would have to do without electricity, city water, natural gas, telephone, radios, television, refrigeration, transportation, canned and frozen foods, clothing, shelter, and in fact, almost every necessity and convenience we take for granted. Each year, the fastener industry uses over two million tons of steel to produce more than 200 billion fasteners in over two million different shapes and sizes. To keep pace with the rapidly expanding market and increasing demands for absolute reliability as well as availability, the fastener industry must continually develop new materials, improve its manufacturing and distribution techniques, invent ingenious new parts and gain prestige in the industrial world. All of these factors compile to make this one of the most complex industries that exist in the world today. Market Survey Fasteners Fasteners mainly cover nuts, bolts, screws, studs and rivets and are segmented between MS (mild steel) and HT (high tensile) fasteners. These fasteners are used in engineering systems. All types of fasteners, except high tensile and special type fasteners, are reserved for the SSI sector. MS fasteners are thus produced mostly in the unorganized sector, while HT fasteners are produced by the organized sector, as these require superior technology which SSI unorganized sector can ill afford. HT fasteners are either standard fasteners or specialized fasteners, the latter being made to meet specific customer requirements. The industry has been opened for FDI through direct route, if the products to be produced are not reserved for the SSI sector. The overall fasteners market is estimated at about Rs 28 bn. While the organized sector (HT fasteners) has a share of 65%, the balance of 35% is shared by unorganized sector and imports. The imports in 2006-07 were Rs 8 bn, leaving Rs 2 bn or 7% as the market for the unorganized sector in value terms. The market is heavily dependent on imports which have been growing at close to 28.5% in recent period. General application fasteners are catered to by the unorganized sector where brand and quality have little meaning and price is the main criteria for selection of the supplier. On the other hand, high tensile fasteners are used in engineering applications, such as in the automobile, industrial and other sectors. The varied applications include construction, railways and the domestic sectors. The market is made up of OEM or bulk market; and the replacement market (the retail market). Inspired by the phenomenal growth in the recent years, the leading companies in the organized market have regularly been expanding their capacities. The boom has been due mainly to the upswing witnessed by the automobile sector, the main end-user industry, accounting for almost half of the demand for fasteners. The four major companies in the industry are Sundaram Fasteners (turnover Rs 12 bn), the leader; Lakshmi Precision Screws (Rs 1.9 bn), Mahindra Fasteners (Rs 408.5 mn) and Sterling Tools (Rs. 1.4 bn). Other units, among the major players, are Guest Keen Williams (GKW) (Rs 1.1 bn), and Precision Fasteners (Rs 770 mn). Sundaram Fasteners (SFL) is a highly rated company and receives orders from overseas markets including those from the US (General Motors, in particular). The preferred products are radiator caps and powder metal parts. Sundaram also supplies cold extruded parts to Delphi Automotive Systems. Due to better product-mix in exports and increased sales volume, TVS group's blue chip, SFL has emerged as a strong player in the high-tensile fasteners market. Sundaram Fasteners invested Rs 250 mn for setting up of a greenfield manufacturing facility in China. The company's revenues from the Chinese operations account for 25% of its total exports. The manufacturing unit has an installed capacity of 6,000 tpa. Precision Fasteners leads in the industrial fastener segment. The company started manufacturing a wide range of Unbrako high-tensile fasteners' forged components in collaboration with SPS Technologies Inc of the US. Precision Fasteners had plans to enter the automotive fasteners market and was to target mainly the replacement segment. Its Silvasa plant capacity was being increased two-fold. Laxmi Precision Screws manufactures industrial as well as automotive fasteners. The company is reported to be developing indigenously cold-heading quality alloy steel wire which will improve the margins enabling it to compete globally. The company' turnover has progressively gone up from Rs 826 mn in 2000-01 to over Rs 1.90 bn in 2006-07 and to Rs 2.0 bn in the following year. The latter represents a growth of over 13.5% in 2006-07 and 5.8% in the following year. Few Indian Major Players are as under Agarwal Bolts Ltd. Atul Fasteners Ltd. Caparo Engineering India Pvt. Ltd. Coventry Spring & Engg. Co. Ltd. Dev Fasteners Ltd. G K W Ltd. G S Auto International Ltd. Indian Fasteners Ltd. Jaico Steel Fasteners Ltd. Lakshmi Precision Screws Ltd. Mohindra Fasteners Ltd. Patton Electro Ltd. Pooja Forge Ltd. Precision Fasteners Ltd. Quick Thread Pvt. Ltd. Rockfort Fasteners Ltd. Small Tools Mfg. Co. Of India Ltd. Sterling Tools Ltd.