FDI April

Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 5/7/23 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) weakened further to 46.3 compared to 48.6 in March. Respondents indicated raw material shortages and declining prices/margins were the primary drags in April. The Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) also softened to just 37.8 […]

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FTM 187: What happens when ring gauges don’t agree

This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published April, 18th, 2023 as “We have a fastener, our ring gauge says it is OK, the customer’s ring gauge says it doesn’t conform. What do we do?” during episode 187 of Fully Threaded Radio. Well hi everybody, this is Carmen Vertullo with […]

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FDI March

Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 4/6/23 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) retreated slightly, coming in at 48.6 vs. 51.6 last month. Participant commentary suggested slowing demand and recession concerns weighed on sentiment. The Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) improved very modestly, albeit remaining in contractionary […]

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FTM 186: Can black oxide treated stainless rust?

This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published March, 16th, 2023 as “Why did screws made of 18-8 stainless steel that were passivated and black oxide finished rust in a salt spray test?” during episode 186 of Fully Threaded Radio. Hello everybody, this is Carmen Vertullo with your Fastener Training […]

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FDI February

Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 3/7/23 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) registered its first expansionary (>50) reading since November, improving to 51.6 from 47.7 last month. Consistent with this, commentary from participants was also a bit more positive this month, with some respondents […]

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FTM 185: approved coatings for structural bolts

This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published February, 17th, 2023 as “What are the approved coatings for structural bolts during episode 185 of Fully Threaded Radio. Well hi everyone, welcome to the Fastener Training Minute. This is Carmen Vertullo coming to you from the Fastener Training Institute and from […]

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FDI January

Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 2/7/23 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) began 2023 with another sub-50 reading, albeit modestly improved over the previous month with a reading of 47.7. Commentary was mixed as some respondents pointed to still-strong customer backlogs and solid demand, […]

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FTM 184: Why do we salt spray test stainless steel

This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published January, 17th, 2023 as “Why do we salt spray test stainless steel” during episode 184 of Fully Threaded Radio. Well hello everyone this is Carmen Vertullo with the Fastener Training Minute coming to you from beautiful El Cajon California, the location of […]

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FDI December

Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 1/9/23 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) capped off the year with a startling sub-50 reading, coming in at 43.8 in December. This was a significant deceleration from last month’s 54.9 reading and indicates market conditions worsened vs. November. […]

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FTM 183-why did Monel dissolve during passivation

This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published December 15th, 2022 as “Why did my Monel parts dissolve during passivation?” during episode 184 of Fully Threaded Radio. Well, hi, everyone this is Carmen Vertullo with the Fastener Training Minute coming to you from the Fastener Training Institute and The AIM […]

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