Engineering solutions provider BMG has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of Swagefast fastening systems in Africa, including South Africa.

“This means that BMG will have the capacity to supply heavy industrial pin and collar fastening solutions directly to the rail industry,” says BMG fastener division business unit manager Maryna Werner.

She adds that the decision to make the partnership formal came after years of having supplied Swagefast’s fastening systems on a source-and-supply basis to the market.

Werner enthuses that BMG is confident that the partnership with Swagefast will yield positive results going forward.

She explains that the decision to partner with Swagefast was complemented by Swagefast’s experience and expertise and its capacity to train BMG staff to offer the correct product and tool for each fastener’s application.

BMG and Swagefast specialists will work closely with customers in all sectors to offer a complete service solution.

“Typical applications of the fastening systems include railway coach and truck body manufacturers, as well as for petrochemicals, mining, sugar mill, agriculture and construction operations,” she explains.

The fastening components are also suitable for vibrating screens, solar panel frames and lattice towers in electrical power generation.

BMG’s Swagefast fastening systems for rail applications include standard and custom sizes of pins and collars, which are fitted with specially designed pull-and-clamp tooling, for vibration resistance and reduced operator fatigue.

Further, the range will ensure greater track integrity and reduced maintenance requirements in rail infrastructure applications.

The fastening systems are available from BMG in round head and countersunk, both self-colour and zinc-plated.

“Swagefast offers lockbolt pins and collars, which are designed to replace bolted and welded joints. The brand provides a high-strength, vibration-resistant fastening solution that reduces downtime and improves safety standards by removing sheet gap and maintaining tension over time,” Werner points out.

The pins and collars are tamper-proof, and fast and easy to install, she says.

An important advantage for users is that no re-torqueing is necessary. The Swagefast fastening system is also fully compatible with existing tooling.

The fastening systems are manufactured in South Africa to South African Bureau of Standards and International Organization for Standardization standards.