Automotive

NORMA Group has more than 60 years experience of manufacturing and developing a comprehensive range of engineered joining technology in the clamp, connect and fluid categories. We spoke to Michael Potts, vice president of sales and application engineering for the Americas region at NORMA Group, about recent joining technology innovations, why these innovations are developed, and how they are introduced through its global network.

NORMA Group is uniquely focused on engineered joining technology, and is able to manufacture a whole range of metal and plastic parts. We find that a lot of our engineered joining technology customers are global, which means that each region regularly works together to provide a consistent service to the customer no matter where they are in the world.”

How does the Group introduce innovations into different markets? Are products introduced globally or focused on specific markets?
“The simple answer is a little bit of both, but first I need to explain the two distinct ways NORMA Group has into the market.

Firstly, through our engineered joining technology (EJT) market we provide customised engineering solutions for specific customer application requirements. We have engineers that work directly with customers and take a product group/family and tailor something exclusive for an application. These products are typically designed in-house – where we have the capability to design, engineer, validate, manufacture and distribute. From that stand point we are a full service supplier.

The other side of the business is distribution services (DS), which is a bit more standardised joining technology. We can supply a variety of industries and application environments with our distribution services. This side of the business uses various distribution channels to get products out to different end markets.

In the distribution service market we are constantly expanding the distribution network. We have recently added new representative offices in Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and a distribution centre in Russia.

As far as whether we globally develop products or if it is market specific, we have a process in place that enables us to make that decision. Twice a year the sales, product development and marketing departments get together and we go through each of our market segments and what we think the next 3 – 5 years are going to look like. We discuss our specific market needs and develop a business development strategy.

We focus on global development and then tailor it to the specific markets and specific customer needs. We are able to do this because each region has their own product development resources and also their own application engineers. They can all work directly with customers to tailor products to the customer’s specific requirements for certain markets. Also each region has its own prototype and testing lab.

NORMA’s strategy is to try and manufacture in each market for each market. We try not to manufacture in one location and ship parts around the world. When products get launched and we start selling it in other regions, we will then look to put manufacturing lines in those specific regions as the market dictates."

NORMA Group provides engineered joining technology solutions. How does the Group ensure it is providing the technology its customers need?
“We find that we are working more on global programmes now, and requirements for technology are rising. To ensure that we are providing the technology the customer needs we constantly monitor customer feedback and global megatrends. These are global requirements that are driving changes within industries. For instance in the automotive industry there is the need to reduce emissions, improve fuel efficiency, reduce weight, and introduce smaller components due to less available space, as well as improve production time.

We take all of the megatrends, and what we are hearing from the close working relationship with our customers, and we filter it all through our Business Development Strategy process.

By focusing on these industry trends, and what each of our customers are doing with their strategy, we are able to anticipate what customers are going to need in the next 3 – 5 years. This enables us to be ahead of the curve and to develop products that our customers need before they are asking for them.”

What recent innovations has the Group been focusing on?
“Over the last few years there have been quite a few innovations at NORMA Group and looking forward there are more to come. Recently we have spent a lot of time working on higher temperature resistant plastics, as we are working towards full plastic lines replacing elastomer hoses in fluid systems – as full plastic lines tend to be lighter weight and easier to route in the vehicle. We have also worked quite a bit on developing metal pipe connections with high temperature gaskets due to the higher temperatures and lower leak requirements in vehicle exhaust systems.

Other innovations include a new generation of low emission tubes for fuel – due to the higher alcohol content of some of the fuels; Push&Seal Quick Connectors with 40% less mass – helping to get weight out of vehicles; and Twist 3 – a plastic quick connector that was developed due to tighter packaging constraints in vehicle engine compartments.

One of our newest developments is the Breeze Super-Seal, which is available with or without Belleville washers. Whilst we have a wide range of different hose clamps, we found that we were running into tougher applications due to the increase in pressure and temperature requirements. We therefore took features from different clamps and rolled them into one hybrid product – Breeze Super-Seal.

By combining the technology of the NORMA CC clamp for charged air applications with the technology of the Breeze High Torque and Breeze Constant Torque clamps we created the Breeze Super-Seal – which is a significant improvement on our current technology."

What are the features/specifications of the Breeze Super-Seal?
"The Breeze Super-Seal (without Belleville washers) and Breeze Super-Seal HD (with Belleville washers) are suitable for fluid connections using rubber or silicone hose in diameters from 34mm – 102mm. The Super-Seal features two high-pressure sealing lines around the whole periphery of the clamp. This means that instead of having a flat clamp on top of the hose and pushing down to create the seal, we have two rings in the clamp band itself that focus the load into a very small area and create a higher pressure – with the same amount of clamp load. This double-bead profile helps to prevent leaks and secures the hose.

The Breeze Super-Seal also features a recessed hardware attachment. We looked at the hardware and how it is attached to the clamp and because we have the double-bead profile we were able to use a recessed hardware package, which means that there is no pressure gap around the periphery – helping to once again reduce potential leaks.

We also made the Breeze Super-Seal with a worm drive closure mechanism. The advantage of this is that it can be used with a variety of spigot diameters or hose thickness combinations, meaning that customers don't have to carry a unique part number for every specific application. They can use one part number for a whole range of applications. 

Finally, the optional Belleville washer can be used on hoses with higher compression, which helps to maintain adequate clamp load as the joint diameter contracts."

What are the main benefits of the Breeze Super-Seal to the user?
“If you tighten a clamp around a certain diameter and that diameter contracts due to temperature or hose characteristics we can test to see how much clamping pressure there is as it goes through that contraction. According to the testing we have done so far, the Breeze Super-Seal offers clamping pressures up to 50% higher than we are seeing on other clamps.

In addition, due to the higher temperatures and pressures, we developed an extremely harsh durability test to make sure that this product outperforms the products on the market. In doing that we have been able to get the Super-Seal to pass 100% of those extremely harsh durability tests. We are therefore highly confident that this product will be a significant improvement on what is available on the market.

As temperatures and pressures increase, customers need clamps that will resist leaks in harsher environments. Through the combination of Super-Seal and Super-Seal HD customers will be able to use the most economical combination of clamp and hose to ensure they have reliable and robust connections at the best value."