Established in 1850, Baker & Finnemore Ltd (Bakfin), situated in Birmingham, UK, has the capability to design, manufacture and supply a wide range of bespoke pressings and clips to specific order.
Bakfin's most significant development was in the mid-1950s when it designed and introduced the Starlock® – a push-on fastener that gives an instant fix and grip when pushed onto a shaft, thus eliminating costly threading and grooving operations.
Today Bakfin has developed a global reputation for its Starlock® push-on fastener, producing over 500 million annually, with it being used in 50+ countries across every continent.
In addition to its range of Starlock® push-on fasteners and StarPress™ precision pressings, Bakfin’s range varies from simple flat designs to complex multifaceted precision pressings.
The company has total control over its production process thanks to its in-house capabilities that include a design and development department, a tool room, a quality department, a fully furnished press shop, and a heat treatment and finishing department. All of which are equipped with high specification equipment and skilled staff. “At Bakfin we provide a first class development service,” says Paul Watkins-Burke, operations manager at Bakfin.
“Our comprehensive in-house facilities and wealth of experience mean that we are very flexible when meeting customer requirements. This includes our highly skilled research and development team that can assist customers in achieving an optimum solution at a relatively low cost.”
A key part in this optimum solution is Bakfin’s design and development department, which works with customers’ drawings or 3D models to create high quality, accurate prototypes – using the latest CAD/CAM and 3D technology. The design and development department also has the ability to work with customers to create unique solutions for specific applications.
“Due to the tooling design being carried out in-house, we are able to efficiently design and produce the perfect product for an application,” explains Paul.
Phillip Brookes, design draftsman at Bakfin, adds: “We are able to design specialist products based on original tooling that is already available in our tool room. Whilst we can develop innovative tooling for new customer applications, we can also design new versions of existing tooling to help improve current products.”
Linking up with design and development is the quality department, which ensures that the solutions provided meet the relevant high quality standards.
“The quality department was recently refurbished, and we have put a lot of investment into it to ensure that we have the latest technology available,” comments Paul Watkins-Burke.
“An example of this is the recent investment in a state of the art (non-contact) measuring machine, with programs including 2D measurements, with the ability to import CAD data as well.”
Simon Roberts, quality manager at Bakfin, adds: “The non-contact measuring machine means we can now generate reports for customers – for instance if they have any queries with products that have been delivered – as well as store programs for specific products. It has enabled us to take another step forward in ensuring the quality of the products.”
“At Bakfin we prefer to build the quality into the production, rather than inspect it out,” states Paul Watkins-Burke. “This is why we carry out quality checks at the beginning and during the production process to ensure the products are being produced to the required standards.”
Bakfin’s commitment to quality is also underlined by its accreditation to ISO/TS 16949, as well as its ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 accreditations.
The recent accreditation to ISO/TS 16949 gives Bakfin the opportunity to continue to grow in the automotive market.
“Even before we received accreditation to ISO/TS 16949 we were producing parts to an exceptionally high standard,” says Paul. “Now that we are accredited it gives us more potential within the market.”
Paul continues: “The past 160 years have given us a vast experience in the design and manufacture of precision pressings. Thanks to the success of Starlock® we have a worldwide reputation for supplying quality products for applications not only in the automotive industry, but across all industries.”
www.bakfin.com
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.
