Bulten Group

What are the ongoing or upcoming trends that you are observing in the industry?

Considering that sustainability has been one of Bulten Group's primary drivers for years, I believe there is a continued trend toward this greater attention. The traditional method OF MAKING A FASTENER has a noticeable carbon footprint, but IT IS the MAKING OF THE steel we use as a raw material to create our goods THAT has one of the highest carbon footprints of all raw materials. Therefore, I think the time has come to start asking questions and pushing for more improvement in the area of sustainability. At Bulten, we have seen customers questioning the existing quo and wanting 100% carbon-neutral products. We are always searching for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and increase sustainability.

What are the challenges that you have been witnessing in the industry and your approach to implementing solutions that have created a change or added value to it?

The area of sustainability, where the raw material comes with a huge carbon footprint, is RAPIDLY BECOMING ONE OF the biggest challenge that the industry is trying to overcome. Years ago, we started an initiative to control the carbon footprint in each manufacturing facility. By switching to fossil-free electricity, which is an easy step, we can contribute to economic growth and social progress whilst minimizing climate impact. For example, we switch over from gas to electrical heat treatment. 

Additionally, we have also developed a family of fasteners that can be produced without heat treatment, and we are still working on it with the new fasteners family. As a manufacturer, we are also making a shift in looking into the delivery conditions of the wire that we choose, whether WE REALLY NEED soft ANNEALED yield wire WITH HIHGER CARBON FOOT PRINT or IF HARDER rolled standard wire, WITH LESSER CARBON FOOT PRINT, COULD BE USED INSTEAD. Taking the process one step further to be more environmentally friendly, we are challenging the steel that goes into that wire by choosing it from scrap. It creates a major impact on the carbon footprint of the raw material that arrives at our plants. 

Thus, we are addressing the whole value chain from how the steel is produced, the way it is treated before we receive it, how the material is when it arrives in our plants, how we apply our processes in the most environmentally friendly way, and cutting out those processes where we can make significant changes AS WELL AS PROMOTING DESIGN OF THE PORDUCT TO SAVE WEIGHT, THUS USING LESS STEEL. After making fasteners, we are also actively looking for the most convenient EFFICIENT method of transport to deliver the goods in an eco-friendly manner and within the shortest distance. It's necessary to have a holistic view because if you focus on one area and try making it sustainable, there is always a risk of another area that loses sustainability. We are also looking further into the future, trying to find other coding. systems that are more environmentally friendly to find other types of raw materials that are more environmentally friendly.

Could you tell me some initiatives or projects where you have leveraged technology to make them successful?

We always evaluate OUR INNOVATION projectS based on its sustainability as one driver, and we never start its development unless we make sure that it will lead to a sustainability gate. Our heat treatment-free fasteners are an excellent example of a project that we have been working on for years and now moving towards industrialization. This means that there is an entire product line where you may select various sizes and different shapes, and we can make them in a more environmentally friendly manner. The primary success aspect behind it will be the availability of a more environmentally friendly alternative for our clients, which is the success story behind it.

How you see the future of the manufacturing industry?

I believe that the manufacturing sector should start focusing on two things; raw materials and energy. Since the entire world is affected by energy problems especially Europe, so we should conserve energy and be careful about using it. Energy generation is not our industry, but we know that there will be projects lined up in the future that will consume a lot of energy, such as the production of green steel using hydrogen. The battery plants and all electric vehicles require electricity as well. Therefore, there IS A RISK OF will be a shortage of GREEN energy, and we need to change the way we use it. 

Second, are raw materials. I think all manufacturing businesses need to think carefully about reuse, refurbishment, recycling, and establishing this entire pool cycle chain. If you take apart a car today and examine all the fasteners inside, you'll find a typical car has between 2,500 and 4,000 fasteners. If you group them all according to size, type, category, and strength, it will be simple for those who can identify which steel grade is used for which category. We never had to worry about how many steel grades we utilized throughout the years because it wasn't a problem. However, this implies that a variety of steels are now utilized in typical cars, which also means that you can't distinguish between different steel types while recycling a car.

Therefore, any POST CONSUMER steel SCRAP you want to recycle, remelt, or reuse to manufacture new steel will be a blend of several steel recipes, which is really bad for the STABLE quality of the steel you remelt. Therefore, the method we choose the best grade for whatever we have available now is hindered by our historical practices. Since we will be required to utilize our raw materials repeatedly, I believe that not only the automobile sector but every industry in general needs to consider how we are using them. We cannot keep removing more and more. We must begin to view all of our raw supplies as scarce, and that is a significant movement that will become even stronger in the future.

What would be your single piece of advice to your fellow peers?

I believe teamwork is the secret ingredient that allows the organization to achieve success IN INNOVATION. WHEN YOU PROMOTE AND It allows employees to exchange their thoughts and ideas. The satisfaction of coming up with original ideas, identifying workable solutions, and then AND TO imparting knowledge to others THIS IS REALLY WHAT LEADS TO THE might help in identification OF an even better third answer. Therefore, we face challenges in creating new solutions for the future. My advice would be to look for solutions that don't exist. A company's strengths are determined by the people and by how successfully employees from many disciplines can collaborate to discover long-term solutions.