FALL 2020

152 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

152 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK EUROLINK MAKING FUN OF DIN TO ISO CONVERSIONS from page 108 On the other hand, at Eurolink, we are not just a commodity importer, but rather a sourcing service, therefore (while we certainly have particular product lines that we favor and stock) we are not limited to any predetermined availability. In other words, if you need a metric fastener, we can most likely find some options for you, therefore while we easily tout access to over 100,000 C-class fasteners, it is difficult to estimate the true, uppermost range of products available within our network. With procurement teams sourcing fasteners for increasingly complex and globalized projects, it makes sense that such teams would rely on Eurolink’s services to decrease the demand on their teams and/or expand their product ranges. It is within that vein that Eurolink operates. We do not supply OEMs directly, rather we supply the stocking distributors that supply those OEMS. Our niche’s position in the supply chain uniquely positions us. Rather than working with engineers, we are usually working with sourcing specialists, account managers and sales representatives. These positions do not always need all of the details, but they do need references that they can refer to quickly as they handle their workflow volume. Enter the Eurolink DIN-to-ISO conversions chart. While this conversion chart is a useful resource, for sake of simplicity, the one-page chart could not incorporate nuances like the interchangeability of the standards or detailed dimensional differences. As stated, some conversions are not interchangeable. Circling back to our DIN 933 to ISO 4017 conversion example, particularly at that M10 diameter, the difference is small, in this case literally 1mm, with DIN 933 having a WAF of 17mm and ISO 4017 having a WAF of 16mm, but consider the implications if an assembly line operator or machine has a wrench tool that is specific to the 16mm WAF requirement. I think you can read between the lines on that one. Other conversions are not so minute. Unfortunately for me, early on, I once made the mistake of thinking that I could provide a customer with an ISO 10642 when they requested DIN 7991. Of course, we corrected the mistake quickly, but sourcing the DIN 7991 fastener at was not simple and was quite a bit more expensive than it’s ISO 10642 counterpart, therefore we had to take a loss on that sale. For whatever the reason, some conversions have been embraced by the industry, therefore it’s not always the case that the ISO version of a fastener is going to be the harder to find fastener, sometimes it is the DIN version that can create headaches for procurement. Honestly, I would recommend that anyone involved in procurement in the supply chain have a copy of our conversion chart on the wall by their computer for quick reminders, but (especially early on, as you are learning the differences) that they also download and keep handy the document created by Würth Industrie Services (Germany) titled “Fasteners: Differences between DIN – EN – ISO standards”. This document can be found with a quick Google search and is one of the most helpful documents for making decisions about DIN to ISO conversions. It is not all encompassing, but it is a very good resource. As I am a few months into my second year creating educational resources for the industry, I have decided to dig even deeper into the standards and begin sharing even more nuanced explorations of these standards in my second “season” of VLOGs. Some conversion differences, as already explained in previous videos, are not only dimensional, but can include differences in the material themselves or the processes used to ensure consistency. My discussion in a recent episode of Fully Threaded Radio with Carmen Vertullo, in which we apparently “solved” an industry mystery, hints at such nuance. If you ever have any questions related to this subject or an inquiry for such fasteners contact me or one of my very knowledgeable and helpful colleagues over at Eurolink Fastener Supply Service. EUROLINK FASTENER SUPPLY SERVICE