Hot Off the Press
RIMS Fastening Systems
Becomes RIFAST Systems LLC
Friday, July 19, 2002
RIMS Fastening Systems has changed its name to RIFAST Systems LLC. The company, with Mitchell J. Walters as president and Richard Epling as technical director, is introducing its in-die fastening system and fasteners to potential customers in North America. It is located in the 190,000-sq.-ft. Lincolnwood, IL, cold-heading plant of ATF Inc., a company which helped bring the technology from Germany, where the RIMS system was developed.
More than 135 systems worldwide employ this fastening method. Major customers include DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Volkswagen/Audi and Magna Intl. The complete turnkey system includes a feeder, punching heads and fasteners. The system can stake bolts/studs at the rate of 60/min. and nuts at 80/min. within the stamping die, an advantage over employing secondary fastening operations. For more, visit
www.rifast.com.
Gibraltar Adds Another Heattreater to Stable
Friday, July 19, 2002
Gibraltar, a metals processor in Buffalo, NY, has acquired B&W Heat Treating, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, reportedly Canada’s largest independent commercial heattreater. The acquisition strengthens Gibraltar’s position as the second-largest commercial heattreater in North America, claim company officials. B&W, with two facilities, serves more than 250 North American companies in the automotive, heavy-equipment, electrical-appliance, agricultural, mining and defense industries.
Since February 1996, this is the eighth commercial-heattreating acquisition made by Gibraltar. The company, with 3,400 employees, operates 57 facilities in 21 states, Canada and Mexico. For more, surf to
www.gibralter1.com.
Roll-Kraft Holds Regional Training Seminars
Thursday, July 18, 2002
Roll-Kraft, Mentor, OH, recently hosted more than 100 attendees at a two-day regional training session. Seminars, focusing on tube, pipe and rollforming, featured topics such as mill integrity and alignment, roll design, machine setup and tooling maintenance.
The company, a provider of tooling and equipment for the tube, pipe and rollforming industries, conducts periodic regional seminars as well as custom seminars. The next regional U.S. seminar will be held in Atlanta this fall.
For more, visit
www.roll-kraft.com.
