Sourcing Parts for Metric Machinery

Here we are in 2019, and the United States continues to be the only industrialized country in the world that does not use the metric system as its predominant system of measurement.

We still measure our distances in inches and miles and our temperatures in Fahrenheit. Even a pint of beer is different in the U.S. than in the U.K. (16 American ounces here, 20 Imperial ounces there).

Even though Congress authorized a study in 1968 that eventually recommended a 10-year plan to get the U.S. on the move to metric, by 1998 only 20 percent of manufacturers here offered products that conformed to metric standards (according to a study by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology).

Today the number of U.S. manufacturers conforming to metric standards has increased somewhat, thanks to the global marketplace and an influx of vehicles and equipment from Europe and Asia. And that means there are now billions of metric fasteners in use throughout the U.S.

So with all this in mind, imagine that you’re an auto mechanic and you accidently damage a fastener in the process of removing a part. It’s not a big deal because—in all likelihood—you’ve got drawers full of SAE and metric fasteners. The SAE fasteners are necessary when working on older American-made vehicles, while the metric nuts and bolts are needed for European, Asian and newer American-made cars and trucks.

Now imagine you’re in charge of maintenance in a 15-year-old plant full of equipment made overseas, and in the process of repairing a machine, a one-of-a- kind bolt gets damaged and can’t be reused. You forgot to order a replacement for the one spare that was used last year, and now finding a replacement will add downtime and cost more money.

If your plant happens to be in an industry that adheres to strict Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) standards, well, your quest for a replacement bolt just got even tougher.

“There’s more and more European and Asian equipment coming stateside in agriculture, mining, food processing and other industries, and companies are discovering that metric parts can be hard to find,” said Patrick Ginnetti, marketing manager for Earnest Machine. “Food industry equipment tends to have lots of metric stainless steel products, and there’s not a strong parts network in the U.S. because the parts are so specific.”

In agriculture and mining, high strength, carbon steel fasteners are often standard on the equipment but not standard in the parts network, and ag fasteners must often be RoHS compliant and have specialty plating. Again, not exactly standard stock for the average distributor.

Fortunately for those who service metric machinery, replacement fasteners can be readily sourced through Earnest Machine.

“Take a quick glance at our website and you’ll see tabs across the top that say ‘inch,’ ‘metric’ and ‘custom,’” noted Ginnetti. “We routinely stock metric sizes of our core products and carry metric hex head cap screw blanks in a variety of diameters and lengths that can be machined or coated to any specification. We have also added DIN Spec Metric Hex Head Cap Screws to our product line." 

So when you’re in a pinch for metric or custom fasteners, count on Earnest to help you out. Visit our website or give us a call, then relax and have a pint. Either American or Imperial.