10-year fastener contract signed

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 18, 2007

Northern Precision's superlative customer service and excellent product quality has resulted in an unfaltering 10-year supplier partnership with steel fabricator, AM Hazell.

Northern Precision's has agreed a 10-year supplier partnership with steel fabricator, AM Hazell.

The two-man company, shortly to be increased to three, started in 1990 making specialist ducting, but with many other subcontractors undercutting prices, the Beckenham (Kent) firm now turns its hand to anything from bespoke sculpture to heavy duty steelwork fascias.

"We started purchasing sheet nuts, pop rivets, rivet bushes and weld studs from Northern Precision in the '90s when the local representative popped his head round the door"says Managing Director Tony Hazel.

"We now see Steve Murray, Northern Precision's local Sales Engineer, regularly once a month when he calls in to take our order and help solve any problems we may encounter".

"This is a major aspect of the Northern Precision service - although I must say that we've never had a quality problem with any fastenings supplied - and the engineering application discussions we have concerning the correct choice and use of fastener have been very useful".

The vast majority of the work that AM Hazell undertakes is secured by word of mouth recommendation such as its ongoing contract supplying Slidaway pool enclosures with ready-to-paint and assemble aluminium sections forming some 30% of the company's business.

Here, the M6 and M8 Northern Precision blind sheet nuts are used to provide re-usable threads in the enclosure framework.

Heavy steelwork fascias (for schools), now running into its second contract phase, is also included in the workload in addition to small stainless steel domestic work and sculptures.

"The Slidaway swimming pool enclosure work is very important to our company and we have been supplying the company for the past 10 years.

It certainly keeps us busy", says Tony Hazell.

"What people do not realise is that there are approximately 1500 separate components used in an average pool enclosure that consists of three 4m sections".

"These slide on a glide rail system over the pool to make it completely enclosed".

"That one job will take us a week to complete with two men".

"It also has to be accurate, as when the job leaves us it is sent for painting and assembly at the customer - leaving no margin for errors".

All of AM Hazell's work is to high specification and it is therefore critical that the components that it purchases meet the standard required, and that includes the fasteners - standard self-clinch items selected from the range of 5000 different types available off the shelf from Northern Precision.

The company purchases its steel, stainless steel or aluminium in 3 x 1.5m sheets at thicknesses of 0.5 to 3mm, depending on the application.

This is then cut, folded and fastened in-house to produce anything from disabled ramping, window bars and workstations to restaurant extraction hoods, commercial kitchen equipment and ventilation ducting.

"But my pride and joy is a job we completed for a friend", concludes Tony Hazell.

"We completely cladded an old-fashioned gypsy caravan in stainless which was then painted, and it is now displayed annually at the world's largest steam festival".

"However, what we would really like to do is increase our marine work because boats are another passion of mine".