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Auto-Supported Fastener Bill Goes to President

6 August 1998

Auto-Supported Fastener Bill Goes to President

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- The U.S. House of Representatives today
cleared legislation to rewrite a never-implemented law requiring special
testing and certification of most fasteners, which include nuts, bolts,
screws, and washers.  The bill, which is expected to be signed by the
President, would delay implementation of the law's testing requirements until
Congress can consider fully rewriting the law next year.
    "It isn't easy to build cars and trucks without using nuts and bolts,"
said American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) President & CEO
Andrew H. Card, Jr.  "If this law had been implemented as scheduled,
automakers and others likely would have experienced serious shortages of
fasteners, leading to disruptions at factories nationwide."
    "Automobile manufacturers and their suppliers observe the highest quality
standards possible today, but the Fastener Quality Act would require industry
to step backwards and rely on obsolete testing methods.  The fastener law is
simply a case of well-intended legislation being overtaken by technology,"
said Card.  "The law imposes slide-rule-era technology on an industry whose
quality systems are in the supercomputer age."
    The 1990 law generally requires that every lot, or batch, of fasteners be
tested to ensure that it meets specifications.  Card said that fastener
manufacturers today rely on in-process controls that eliminate the need for
most end-of-line testing.  However, because it was written before today's
quality assurance systems were developed, the fastener law does not recognize
process controls as complying with the statutory testing requirements.
    "Public safety should be the paramount concern for Congress and the
Administration in rewriting the Fastener Quality Act," said Card, "but
Congress cannot ensure quality by legislating yesterday's technology.
Manufacturers of motor vehicles and fasteners look forward to working together
with Congress and the Administration to develop a workable fastener quality
law."
    AAMA is the trade association whose members are Chrysler Corporation
, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation
.  Visit the AAMA's site on the World Wide Web at
http://www.aama.com.