Quality FORTAPS
The caps and ferrules we produce at FORTAPS serve as plugs to prevent metal tubes from corroding in metal structures exposed to weather, among other uses. In that way, they act avoiding wear affecting the service life of the structure. At the same time, they avoid cuts, injuries or accidents that people may suffer from contact.
OUTDOOR EXPOSURE OF PLASTIC PARTS
Plastic parts exposed to weather experience a number of effects that can affect their integrity and durability over time.
- First, ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can cause polymer degradation, resulting in color loss, cracking, and reduced structural resistance.
- Continuous exposure to moisture can trigger corrosion processes and promote the growth of fungi, mold or algae, compromising the aesthetics and functionality of the parts.
- Extreme temperature variations, from searing heat to intense cold, can cause mechanical stresses on the plastic, leading to brittleness and deformation.
- In addition, the presence of air pollutants, such as gases and particles, can accelerate the process of chemical degradation.
Together, these factors highlight the importance of having weather-resistant plastic materials, able to maintain their performance and appearance despite climatic adversities.
In the specific case of caps and ferrules, their main function is to protect the metal structures from corrosion by preventing the entry of water into the tubes. It also protects people from the cutting edges of the tube to avoid damage.
Our customers frequently inquire about the durability of outdoor caps, as manufacturers of fences, enclosures, road signs, sports facilities, and street furniture frequently encounter these problems:
- Caps that come out of the tube, leaving it exposed and affecting the safety and durability of the structure.
- The degradation of colors has an impact on aesthetics.
- The caps’ deformity is affecting both aesthetics and safety.
Plastic parts that are placed outdoors will be exposed to various climatic conditions, which can vary from harsh winters to scorching summers. These pieces must continue to perform the function for which they were conceived and designed effectively under all these circumstances.
Therefore, it is vital to ensure maximum durability of the caps to avoid degradation of metal structures or accidents with the cutting edges of the tubes.
In this context, Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) stands out for its inherent versatility and resistance, being an optimal option for injecting parts intended to be installed outdoors.
Our decision to use this material in FORTAPS is based on this reason.
- We use exclusively virgin material (not recycled)
- The material is translucent, Dyeing is made “in mass” adding high quality dyes.
- Adding carbon black is an economical and generally very effective way to get UV resistant plastics
By adding elastomers to the composition of this polymer, it can dramatically improve its weather resistance capabilities, which are known for their low density and flexibility.
We describe the measures taken in FORTAPS to enhance durability, the characteristics of LDPE, and analyze how the addition of elastomers enhances their characteristics, particularly with regard to resistance to adverse weather conditions.
LDPE, Low-density polyethylene
Low density polyethylene (LDPE) is a type of plastic characterized by its flexibility and ability to resist chemicals
The advantages of low density polyethylene (LDPE) are closely related to its properties per se and can be summarized in the following points:
- Flexibility and durability: LDPE can be significantly molded without breaking.
- Impermeability: Its moisture resistance prevents liquids from leaking.
- High impact resistance: Although it has low tensile strength, its impact resistance makes it durable.
- Chemical resistance: High resistance to chemicals
- Extreme temperature resistance: It can maintain its shape in a temperature range of -40C to 90C, making it suitable for applications in extreme conditions.
- Electrical insulation: Its property as a bad conductor of electricity makes it useful for insulation in electrical wires and cables.
- Cost-effective and recyclable: It is economical to produce and widely recyclable, making it attractive for mass manufacturing and reducing environmental concerns.
The use of elastomers can increase weather resistance.
Our choice for improving LDPE polyethylene’s properties is to add elastomers to the virgin material’s composition. This modification process significantly improves LDPE’s resistance to adverse weather conditions, such as UV radiation, humidity and temperature fluctuations.
Advantages of Elastomer Addition
- Improved UV resistance: Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation can degrade plastic materials, but the addition of elastomers strengthens the resistance of LDPE, extending its life in outdoor environments.
- Low Temperature Flexibility: Elastomers improve the ability of LDPE to maintain its flexibility even under low temperature conditions, which is essential for cold weather applications.
- Durability and Impact Resistance: The combination of LDPE with elastomers improves the overall durability of the material and its ability to withstand impacts, contributing to more robust and reliable end products.
Practical Applications
This improvement in weather resistance makes the modified LDPE ideal for weatherproof metal structures, ensuring that the tops maintain their properties and carry out their farming throughout the life of the structure.
CONCLUSION
The success of plastic injection manufacturing requires understanding the properties of materials. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), in combination with elastomers, proves to be an exceptional choice by offering not only versatility and strength, but also greater durability in challenging environments.
In order to respond to the needs and concerns of our customers (especially those located in the northern part of Europe), at FORTAPS we inject our entire range in virgin PELD polyethylene, to which an elastomer is added to achieve the best possible result.
Quality FORTAPS
In order to offer access to quality materials for all needs, Fortaps specializes in the manufacture of a wide range of products. Among these, you will find nut protection caps for hex nuts and bolts. Having previously had excellent products in this area, we have recently decided to expand our range of options. Now, it has a total of 8 new pieces that allow customers to have access to hexagonal caps that perfectly fit what they need in each occasion.
Importance of nut protection cap for nuts and bolts
Bolt protectors are an increasingly widespread product nowadays. This is because they represent a solution to protect and give a better finish to nuts and bolts. In this sense, we can say that, on the one hand, nut protection cap for nuts and bolts have an aesthetic purpose. They help to keep nuts and bolts out of sight, achieving a more attractive and subtle visual result. But it is also important to refer to the functional role of these hexagonal caps or nut protection cap. What they do is to protect the screw or nut from dust, dirt and corrosion generated by external agents such as the sun, water, among others. It is important to bear in mind that, with the passage of time, such exposure can lead to damage to the nuts and bolts. If nuts and bolts are covered by a cap, their service life is longer. This not only ensures the safety of the elements in which they are placed, but also saves money. There will be fewer replacements of nuts and bolts.
Why choose Fortaps nut protection caps for hex nuts and bolts?
Now that we have seen the importance of incorporating bolt protectors, we want to tell you about the hex caps offered by Fortaps. The first important thing to note is that these are nut protection cap for nuts and bolts compatible with DIN 933 (ISO 4017) and DIN 985 (ISO 10511) standards. ISO 4017 is the standard that specifies the characteristics of hex head millimeter bolts with thread pitches ranging from M1.6 to M64 in diameter. Also included here are grade A products with thread pitches from M1.6 to M24 diameter and with nominal lengths up to 150 mm. In order for them to play their role correctly, it is very important that the caps are of good quality and have no sharp points or damaged parts. This, in turn, helps to avoid injuries to people as a result of handling the parts. It also prevents damage to other elements that may come into contact with the nut protection cap.
Characteristics of Fortaps nut protection cap
In addition to complying with the standards mentioned above, it is essential to note that Fortaps nut and bolt nut protection caps are made of low density polyethylene (PELD). They are highly resistant to weathering, as well as to the chemical agents to which these products may be exposed on a daily basis. In addition, it is important to note that Fortaps manufactures the RAL range to order. The products available in stock have a delivery time of 24 hours, so that people have quick access to these elements.
An expanded catalog
As we have previously mentioned, in order to offer access to a greater diversity of options, Fortaps has expanded its catalog of nut and bolt nut protection cap. Previously, we had the following sizes:
- M6 – H10
- M8 – H13
- M10 – H17
- M12 – H19
- M14 – H22
- M16 – H24
- M18 – H27
- M20 – H30
Recently, the following options have been added:
- M4 – H7
- M5 – H8
- M22 – H32
- M24 – H36
- M27 – H41
- M30 – H46
- M33 – H50
- M36 – H55
Thanks to the breadth of this catalog, you will be able to find the most suitable bolt caps for the nuts and bolts you are using. If in doubt, we recommend that you consult with us to identify how to obtain the measurements of these elements.
Conclusion
In view of the above, we can say that the hexagonal caps or nut protection cap for nuts and bolts that we manufacture at Fortaps not only meet the quality standards and regulations in force. In addition, they are pieces that are offered in a wide list of alternatives that allow everyone to have access to these elements, according to the characteristics and measures of their nuts and bolts. If you are looking for hexagonal caps for nuts and bolts, you can visit our website. There you will find our catalog of nut protection cap for nuts and bolts, and you can also contact us to solve your doubts and access to professional advice. On the other hand, in Fortaps we work in constant conversation and collaboration with our technical department and the technical department of our customers in case it is necessary, to achieve an efficient service. 
Quality FORTAPS
Fortaps is an international company and we have been in the technical plastic injection molding industry for more than 25 years. Since our beginnings, our goal has been to obtain the highest quality and excellence in the products we offer, always hand in hand with innovation and the latest technologies.
In addition, we differentiate ourselves from our most direct competitors because we always have available stock of those models with a higher demand from our customers and, therefore, we work directly with distributors of industrial supplies and hardware store countertops. In this blog article, we will explain everything you need to know about our product and processes in this sector of activity.
Distribution of hardware supplies and ferrules in hardware stores
Thanks to our experience in the sector, many of our customers have trusted Fortaps for the distribution of our products through industrial supply distributors and hardware stores. We also work with other types of customers, such as purchasing centers or those engaged in the sale of pipes for metal carpentry.
Our customers in this case are resellers, who are responsible for delivering to the end customer, who in turn are usually other professionals, a basic offer of the products that are most in demand in stock. We also have customers who are resellers for the B2C market.
Therefore, if you are one of these businesses, you should know that at Fortaps we are committed to the availability of permanent stock. And what does this mean? It means that we have the capacity to give an immediate response to the recurring needs of hardware stores.
Our factory in Constantí stores more than ten million pieces and, once we start working with a new reseller of our products, we use a predictive system based on the history of demands. That is, once we register the regular orders that are taking place, we will automatically keep that stock always available to be able to meet future recurring needs in record time.
The ferrules in hardware stores have a very limited supply and are available as part of a basic offer, and usually consist of metal tube sections of 40×40 mm, 80×40 mm, Ø 30, etc., which are sold at retail, with other complementary products for these sections.
However, your commercial advisors are prepared to contact us as manufacturers to provide a solution to your needs. In this way, if the order involves punctual products, they can also be obtained quickly and in a very short period of time, with a close and personalized service. Within a maximum of 24 hours, any reference and quantity can be shipped to our customers.
Differentiating features of Fortaps ferrules
Each company in the sector has its own differentiating characteristics. At Fortaps, after more than two decades in the injection molding sector, we have managed to position ourselves and become a benchmark.
It is clear to us that professionals in this field are looking for a service that is, firstly, agile, as they cannot afford any kind of delay. Secondly, this service must be personalized and close, with commercial advisors who accompany the client at all times and resolve any type of doubt.
All our products are manufactured according to the certified quality standards set in Europe. To ensure that these standards are met, we manufacture our products in-house, so quality and standards are the norm at our facilities.
This, in turn, allows us to keep a permanent stock of ferrules in hardware stores with the parts in greatest demand, while, at our own facilities, the availability of our catalog is more extensive. Customers with more specific needs can also obtain the parts they require directly, since, as we have indicated, we rely on a forecasting system that makes use of a history of demand.
At Fortaps we are characterized by a personalized attention to our customers, both directly and in the case of the mats in hardware stores and other physical stores. In addition, we guarantee the reliability, tracking and traceability of all our materials and final products, and we directly manage the expedition and delivery in very short periods of time, both nationally and internationally.
From our website, you can access all the technical information of our references with three-dimensional images for greater precision, but also request samples or a quote for the material you need for your business.
Quality FORTAPS
Unevenness of the floor can lead to difficulty in placing and using furniture, and shorten its life span.
To address this problem, Fortaps has come up with screw-on end caps, which offer much better results than the leveling feet currently available on the market.
If you want to know more about screw-on end caps, their features and the progress they have made at Fortaps, make sure to check out this blog.
What are screw-on end caps?
Leveling feet are the components currently used to level out the different heights of furniture legs, which are mainly caused by poor leveling or unevenness of the floor. In this way, they serve both to counterbalance the impact and disruptive vibrations, and to distribute all the weight between the legs to keep them vertical. They are mainly used for tables, cupboards and shelves.
To achieve this result and to prevent the furniture from losing its life span or tipping over, the leveling feet are equipped with screw-on end caps. These are inserted into the metal tube that would rest on the floor. However, at Fortaps we identified a problem and developed our own system to address it.
Fortaps screw-on end caps development
The majority of the screw-on caps available in DIY stores have a metal nut inside that screws onto the leg. After review by our technical team, we came to the conclusion that, for several reasons, this system could be improved, and we started developing a more effective solution for furniture and metal structures.
The results of this research are as follows:
- Leveling feet tend to break easily, due to the tilt caused by the threaded ends not fitting properly on the tube.
- The metal nut itself does not ensure the strength of the structure, and the thread is only a few millimeters thick, which may not be enough to support the weight of the furniture and what is placed on it.
- Because of this, the screw ends tend to break, and the leg ends up sinking into them. The result is a completely unbalanced furniture.
Fortaps’ solutions to this problem were to reduce the diameters of the tube to ensure verticality, to incorporate thick reinforcing ribs throughout the structure of the component, and to cold thread the component directly, so that the threading could reach the entire height of the component and thus prevent the foot from tipping.
Characteristics of Fortaps screw-on end caps
With the identified problems to be solved and the objectives in mind, Fortaps already has high quality screw-on end caps; solid parts injected in virgin HDPE (high density polyethylene) that fit perfectly on the pipe.
In order to avoid significant differences in their diameter, several references are available in our end caps catalog, each one tailored to a different tube thickness. In addition, the flexible fins have been minimized as much as possible. As for cold threading, it has been demonstrated that this methodology offers the same resistance as metal inserts and allows the thread to be much longer.
To achieve this successful result, at Fortaps we are committed to the highest level of conception, design and manufacturing, since our standards require us to comply with all current regulations; the development of a product that adapts to the needs of our customers; a selection of non-toxic polyethylene raw materials (peld, pehd, pa6. 6, abs, sbs/sebs), which excludes PVC for sustainability reasons; the use of our own molds with calibrated steels; the implementation of the latest technologies in computerized mechanization and process control for continuous improvement.
For more information about our products, please contact us.
Quality FORTAPS
Our society is moving from all sectors and areas towards a way of life in which digital media are increasingly present. At FORTAPS, we are aware of these changes in two ways: the natural evolution of sales channels and the needs of our own customers. In this article we want to address the change in our business strategies to adapt to this new environment.
Different data sources lead us in the same direction
As the saying goes, ‘all roads lead to Rome’, and that is what has happened in studying our different sources of information. Since the pandemic, online shopping has skyrocketed and the e-commerce sector continues to grow, this means that competition is no longer only at the national level, but that borders disappear.
Some of our clients are what are known as pure e-commerce players, which means that they work solely through digital channels, while others remain on the traditional route with a physical space, but they are starting to complement their services with digital channels. In addition to these, there are the statistics that we can read on the Internet from time to time.
All these avenues share the same conclusion, which is that customers, both the B2B and B2C environment are increasingly turning to online sales channels, as their cost and time advantages are far superior to physical ones.
At FORTAPS we have also decided to adapt our commercial strategies for the sale of our ribbed inserts and end caps. Otherwise, we would fall behind and become uncompetitive. But what steps have we taken to do this?
New business strategies at FORTAPS
In general terms, we can say that FORTAPS is expanding in three different ways. Firstly, we have incorporated e-commerce websites among our clients. As their presence becomes more and more important, it is a growth opportunity for us to be a supplier of the products they offer to their customers.
Secondly, we also work on specialisation within the sectors we supply, such as hardware and industrial supplies. We have multiple advantages that make us stand out from our competition, such as the wide variety of end caps and end caps; a minimum order of one container, which also means penetration of a niche, and deliveries in a very short period of time, amounting to 24 hours in Spain and between 48 and 72 hours for France, country we work with on a regular basis, but also for the rest of Europe.
Our current third channel is a combination of the two previous channels, as it is the online distribution of industrial supplies. Customers in this area are the classic trade with online sales; online shops that do not have stock, but rather order it from another company, known as dropshipping, and sales platforms.
The advantages of our commercial strategies in this area are the constant availability of stock; the ability to respond within a maximum time of two hours; detailed descriptions of all our products, with pictures, text and diagrams; delivery to third parties on behalf of the intermediary customer; tracking of all shipments; monthly invoicing and deliveries in record time, which are again 24 hours in Spain and between 48 and 72 hours in Europe.
Our aim at FORTAPS is to continue to meet the needs of our clients and to continue to adapt to changes in the sector and in society as a whole in order to maintain our competitive advantage.
Quality FORTAPS
Technological advances and the advent of e-commerce have completely transformed the way consumers and businesses interact. With the increase in Internet presence, which now covers three quarters of the population, this is becoming the main tool for communication. For this reason, at FORTAPS we have decided to say goodbye to paper catalogues.
The fusion of the physical and the digital: phygital
Our day-to-day life, both as businesses and consumers, has been modified and we no longer understand our reality without smartphones, tablets and other devices. This has changed the way we shop and the way we use information.
This is known as phygital and consists of merging the physical world with the digital world, with the aim of offering customers a more complete experience in line with their new needs. Its emergence has caused many companies to rethink the channels they use for communication or advertising. One of them is paper catalogues, and in the case of FORTAPS, we have taken the decision to dispense with them as a communication tool.
Why paper catalogues are no longer adequate as a communication tool?
Although they could be used as a complement to face-to-face customer relations, they could be used as a complement to face-to-face customer relations, the analysis of our data has shown us that the most cost-effective decision is to dispense with printed catalogues as a communication tool altogether. Our main reasons have been the following:
Cost reduction
Printing such a large number of colour documents is very costly. However, the lifespan of the catalogue is very short, because once the purchase decision is made or if an alternative is found, we dispose of them. By stopping printing, transport costs are also reduced and contributes to the care of the environment. Therefore, it also becomes an Environmental Social Responsibility (ESR) action.
Improving customer experience
Paper catalogue is static, as it is a finished product with only the images and text provided. However, on the digital pathway, the options that can be used are increasing, since multimedia content appears. As the catalogues are on the website itself, it makes it easier to find more information and contact the brand.
Updated information
When a product is discontinued, a modification is made or new items arrive, it is not possible to make such changes when using the paper catalogue as a communication tool. But when the information can be viewed in digital form, editing and making the necessary changes to bring it up to date is facilitated.
Knowledge of our customers
While competitors should not be overlooked, it is important to keep an eye on, each company must take the decisions that are best for it, in FORTAPS, analysis of our search history or the ways in which quotations are requested has led us to the conclusion that the paper catalogue no longer fulfils its function, because consumers prefer digital media.
For all these reasons, 2019 was the last FORTAPS paper catalogue, which is still available online; and that the pandemic highlighted the growing need for change. If you want to consult our products and services, just go to our website.
