The manufacturing space thrives on experience and operation/product specific skill sets of engineers, who add life to the industrial floor and improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process through their craftsmanship. This experience has served as the pedestal for innovation across diverse manufacturing domains such as defense, aviation, and commercial aerospace sectors. Fastener Technology is one such legacy built on the experience of Mr. Bulent Gulistan, fondly known as BG, who created the company from the ground up, with as many as 34 aviation patents, serving an excess of 400 customers through exemplary products and services.

Dennis Suedkamp, president and CEO of Fastener Technology Corp (FTC), talks about the footprint left behind by the company’s founder. “Mr. Gulistan, with his engineering background and 30 years plus of experience in high tech aviation, was the cause of major improvements to the way fasteners were being used in aerospace. He breathed life into a company that serves some of the tier-one organizations in the defense sector.” And this long and highly decorated history includes aircraft such as the SR 71, U-2, F-117, F22, and F35, along with the International Space Station, the NASA moon rover, North American Rockwell space shuttles, and Trident missile systems. Suedkamp prides on being a part of this heritage, as he highlights some of the company’s meritorious strides in the captive fastener arena.

Undisputed Manufacturing Excellence

The utility and importance of captive fasteners are often understated within the engineering space, particularly the aviation sector. These parts function as an integral design for components ranging from electrical panels, to avionics panels in a commercial airliner and in fighter jets. From the strength of materials to the fasteners’ design language, manufacturers within the aviation space require captive solutions with varying specifications across different use cases. FTC’s engineering department is focused on addressing a multitude of such engineering prerequisites, effectively customizing or modifying its products based on the necessities of its clients while providing the associated tooling necessary for production.

Mr. Gulistan breathed life into a company that serves some of the tier one organizations in the defense sector

Each product is crafted with precision and attention to detail, providing the best possible fastening solution for clients to solve a discrete problem while upholding the highest standards of manufacturing precision and quality.

From snap-in bolts to captive screws, EDM “Magic Groove” flaring screws, close tolerance self-retaining bolts, jacking screws, T-bolts, trunnions, alignment pin assemblies, brackets, latches, and more, FTC’s product portfolio is not only diversified to suit various industrial applications but are also custom made for multiple use cases, as per client requirements. These products have become an integral part of aircraft, naval vessels, rotorcraft, industrial electrical boxes, and the like; the fasteners have demonstrated qualities of resilience, ease of use, and simplistic yet utilitarian functionality, thereby addressing multiple problems and requirements for clients.

In a recent collaboration, FTC addressed one such critical problem for a client who wanted to install fasteners into an aircraft panel without the need for any specialized tools. In conjunction, the fastener had to be designed in accordance with previous dimensions and weight characteristics while supporting plug and play functions. Though FTC redesigned the fastener from the ground up, the company considered the initial design, modified it to the required specifications, and improved the ease of use, as specified by the client through simplistic but utilitarian design changes. “In this engagement, we designed the fastener to remain intact while the panel could be moved in and out of the aircraft without wobbling – a secondary benefit to this particular design,” explains Suedkamp. “By doing so, we saved approximately 2 hours of aircraft manufacturing time and 15 minutes of installation time per panel.”

In another instance, FTC went the extra mile to incorporate electrical discharge machining (EDM) into its workflow to fulfill a niche requirement while developing a client component. Having carried out the manufacturing process manually until then, FTC noticed that the lead times had increased from 18 weeks to 36 weeks due to the lack of EDM machining. The company went on to purchase an EDM Die Sinker machine from George Fisher, reducing the production time by a factor of 10.

Within no time, FTC reduced the lead time to less than 30 weeks and enhanced its delivery speed.

An Employee-Centric, Customer-First Organization

In reflecting on such success stories, Suedkamp emphasizes that the company’s prosperity in the manufacturing and aviation space has always hinged upon its employees and customers. “We have been extremely successful with our revenue growth, owing to the employee buy-in and employee-driven nature of the company. Because, without motivated employees, an organization would not be able to satisfy customers and their unique requirements,” he adds. FTC has invested in the right people and the relevant technology to tackle discrepancies caused by long lead times and delays in product delivery. Poppy Carellos, the CIO, Tom Boat the CFO and Alex Krutz our Operational Excellence Specialist have collaborated with Suedkamp and embrace the employee centric culture of FTC. Such an “employee-centric” approach breeds a “customer-first” culture, with the workforce motivated to succeed along with the company. This mantra proves to be highly beneficial in the manufacturing space that has always had its fair share of shortcomings with customer service. FTC seamlessly bridges the gap between customers and the employees on the floor, thereby creating an environment where customers can interact with different FTC management team levels to fulfill a multitude of business requirements.

“Without motivated employees, an organization would not be able to satisfy customers and their unique requirements”

Under Avantus Aerospace's ownership, FTC aims to expand its service portfolio and foster better efficiency and speed of delivery, in tandem with superior customer service. “We are working hard in the military aftermarket to provide additional services to the aircraft that the company initially helped develop,” substantiates Suedkamp. Along with the military aftermarket, FTC complements its sister companies with its products, which actualizes a shared value chain within the aviation space.

Collectively, FTC marries manufacturing excellence with uncompromised customer service, providing clients with products that suffice application-specific requirements, all the while supporting them with a multitude of service requests that most manufacturers fail to provide. Especially in the military, commercial aerospace, and engineering sectors, such qualities serve as the differentiating factor that sets FTC apart from the competition. These traits uphold Mr. Gulistan’s commitment to delivering customer-focused products and services with an engineering competence seconded by none.