U.S. Fastener Crisis: A National Security and Manufacturing Wake-Up Call

Mike McGuire, a Fastener Hall of Fame inductee and founder of Worldwide Fastener Sources and US Fastener Sources, highlights a critical issue facing the United States: the majority of mechanical fasteners used in the country are imported, primarily from China and Taiwan. This reliance on foreign manufacturing poses significant risks, including military vulnerabilities and high-profile product failures. McGuire points out that the U.S. no longer produces its most common finished hex nut, the ¼-20, and that not one mechanical or civil engineering program in the country includes formal training in fasteners or fastening application engineering. In response, McGuire is partnering with Trident Technical College to launch a formal course in Fastening Application Engineering and developing The Fastening Application Guide to address this gap. The situation is further exacerbated by a shrinking domestic workforce of skilled machinists, essential for fastener production, putting U.S. defense contractors and OEMs at the mercy of foreign suppliers. McGuire emphasizes the national security implications of this issue, recalling the U.S.'s significant fastener production capacity during World War II and warning of the potential paralysis of American manufacturing in times of crisis. He also notes the high cost of fastener failures, with 80% of vehicle recalls being fastener-related, and calls for a reevaluation of fasteners as 'Critical' components rather than 'Class C'. McGuire's extensive contributions to the fastener industry underscore his call to action for industry stakeholders, educators, and policymakers to invest in fastener education and bring back production to American soil.