However, if you are buying in substantial volume (say, 1000 pieces or more for a $0.10 screw), industrial fastener suppliers will generally save you some money.
Try:
Maryland Metrics http://mdmetric.com/
Metric & Multistandard Components http://www.metricmcc.com/
Mr. Metric http://www.fastenerweb.com/mrmetric/We also use local suppliers (Salt Lake City). Get out the yellow pages for your area and call a few, or fax them a Request For Quote (RFQ), and see how well they respond.
On the other hand, if you're buying $3 of screws at a shot, you can't beat McMaster-Carr.
Jim
At 19 08 04, 10:19 PM, Euric wrote:
Thanks for the info.
I took a sample of some of the fasteners we buy and compared them to the prices in McMaster-Carr. I was shocked to see how much more reasonable McMaster-Carr was. There were some sizes where metric was cheaper then inch and some where inch was cheaper then metric. The differences in pricing was less then one cent in the worse case.
The present supplier is over-charging us for metric and charging less the McMaster-Carr on most inch fasteners. I got a strange feeling he is, for whatever reason, undercharging on the inch sizes and over-charging on the metric to make up for it. I showed my finding to our purchasing girl and hopefully convinced her not to buy metric fasteners from our present vendor and go to McMaster-Carr instead. My feeling will prove correct if he starts to raise prices on the inch series once we stop buying the metric from him.
Euric
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Elwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, 2004-08-19 10:39 Subject: [USMA:30802] Re: Metric Fasteners are Expensive
We have a custom M3x44 screw > made in lots of 1000 -- costs $1.20 each. If this were a stock part, made > in millions via stamping, rather than lathed, it would probably cost $0.10 > or so.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a 45 mm screw and if it is too long, to add a washer to take up the 1 mm not needed? Why the odd length? Just curious.
Screws > Head Style > System of Measurement > Drive Style > Thread Size > Material > Length > Specifications Met Machine Screws This item matches all of your specifications.
Part Number 92005A136 $11.92 per Pack of 100
Material Zinc-Plated Steel
Head Style Pan
Drive Style Phillips
System of Measurement Metric
Thread Size M3
Pitch .5 mm
Length 45 mm
Head Diameter 6 mm
Head Height 2.4 mm
Drive #1
Thread Point Style Standard Machine
Specifications Met DIN 7985A
Rockwell Hardness B71
Minimum Tensile Strength 60,900 psi
The information in this technical drawing is provided for reference only. Details
> > >So, has anyone else ever experienced this and if so, how does one handle it? > > If your vendors are charging more for STANDARD metric parts over STANDARD > colloquial parts, find some new vendors. > > Jim > > > > Jim Elwell > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 801-466-8770 > www.qsicorp.com >
Jim Elwell, CAMS Electrical Engineer Industrial manufacturing manager Salt Lake City, Utah, USA www.qsicorp.com
