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Do high strength bolts for vehicles have to be imported?

AddDate：2015-10-18    Click：704

BMW recently recalled 232,000 vehicles due to the possibility that the fixing bolts on the engine shells of some of its models might come loose or even break. In recent years, there have been numerous recalls of bolts, making them the smallest but most important part in cars. In the past interview, some parts companies reported to the reporter that few fastener companies in China have the ability to produce high-strength bolts, and many high-strength bolts applied in some key positions such as engine and chassis are imported. So, domestic bolt production enterprise strength after all how? Do high strength bolts have to be imported?

Some high strength bolts can be purchased in China

Generally speaking, according to the nominal tensile strength and bending ratio of bolts into 3.6 to 12.9 and so on more than 10 grades, in different areas of use requirements are also greatly different. Chen kun, marketing director of FAWER Automotive Parts Limited Company fasteners, told reporters: "cars need to use thousands of bolts, most of which are 8.8 or above, of which 10.9 or 12.9 are considered high strength bolts."

Chen kun used engine bolts as an example to show that the technical requirements for fixing the bolts of the peripheral parts of the engine are relatively low, and ordinary bolts can meet the requirements. The high-strength bolts we often say are mainly related to the strong parts in the engine, such as the flywheel bolts, connecting rod bolts must be class 10.9, and the engine cylinder head bolts must reach class 12.9.

The reporter interviewed many engine, automobile chassis related enterprises, inquired about the purchase of high-strength bolts. These enterprises all said that high-strength bolts are not completely dependent on imports, and self-owned brands prefer to purchase high-strength bolts made in China. The joint venture also gradually makes all kinds of bolt products in China to save costs.

According to Chen kun, fuao fastener company invested heavily in developing a variety of 10.9-grade high-strength bolts for Volkswagen EA211 engine. The matching standard is the same as that in Germany. Liu kai, deputy general manager of jiangxi isuzu engine co., said that the high strength bolts of the isuzu diesel engine have been purchased in China and the purchase standards are consistent with those of isuzu in Japan. Sun jingyao, vice minister of quality control department of qingte group co., LTD, told reporters, "not all the high-strength bolts used in qingte axle are imported, and some domestic fastener enterprises can also meet our technological requirements."

Domestic companies still lack strength

"The manufacturing process of high-strength bolts requires high requirements, especially high-strength bolts for vehicles. Any defect will seriously affect the safety of driving." China automobile industry association international department director Chen yuanzhi told reporters.

Chen Yuanzhi said that part of the fastener enterprises in our country have developed high strength bolt technology, to produce high strength bolt sample, but if the mass production can be difficult to guarantee the quality of each product, main reason is that the product can not meet the batch consistency requirements, other domestic advanced alloy materials are in short supply or no better materials can supply. As a result, some high-strength bolts are still imported.

It is understood that domestic general fastener enterprises can supply 8.8 bolts, can batch production of 10.9 bolt enterprises are not many, but can produce 12.9 bolt enterprises are not many. Chen kun said, in fact, the domestic production of high-strength bolt capacity, can do well at the same time and by the industry recognized fastener enterprises only about five. It is worth noting that these few enterprises also include joint ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises.

Analysis, domestic enterprises to develop high - strength bolts of insufficient power.

Chen kun said that compared with ordinary bolts, high-strength bolts profit is not obvious, coupled with the large investment in the early stage, some small businesses are likely to research and develop high-strength bolts production cost is not enough; Every automobile enterprise has different requirements for high-strength bolts, which makes the product more difficult to match and the cycle longer. The joint venture brand is very cautious about the localization of high-strength bolts, and the localization will only choose the enterprises in its supporting system, while the domestic fastener enterprises have few supporting opportunities.

Production cannot escape import

Although some high-strength bolts can be purchased in China, it seems that domestic fastener enterprises have certain production strength, but in fact, every production link of high-strength bolts is difficult to get away from import. According to Chen kun, the difficulty of producing high-strength bolts lies in the following aspects: cold heading forming process requires high tolerance of products, which requires more sophisticated production equipment, and these cold heading equipment should be imported from abroad or introduced from Taiwan; Product hardness uniformity depends on heat treatment process, high-end heat treatment furnace also need to import; Product surface treatment is also key, and the solution needed is also imported from overseas.

The huge investment in equipment purchase determines that some small fastener enterprises cannot join in the production of high-strength bolts. Chen kun said that fuao fastener company for Volkswagen EA211 engine research and development of high-strength bolts for two years, investment of tens of millions of yuan in the production of general equipment, car fastener special heat treatment furnace and a series of testing equipment, the final products still need to pass the inspection and certification of relevant foreign institutions.

High - strength bolts of raw materials are also inseparable from imports. It is understood that China's automotive fasteners are mainly made by baosteel group, and many domestic vehicle enterprises regard baosteel as the designated manufacturer of special standard parts. A small number of high strength bolt raw materials with special requirements need to be imported from Japan and South Korea. "This huge investment is because we are targeting the domestic or domestic demand for high-strength bolts from vehicle manufacturers. Although there will not be a sudden increase in demand in the short term, this demand will exist in the long term." Chen said.