What's the deal with A325M bolts in US?

[dozer]

We have a client that insist we use metric structural bolts. We manufacture large pieces of equipment that gets platforms and pipe supports bolted to it. The installation will be overseas. Anyway, finding A325M in the US, that's M as in metric, is like pulling teeth. Is it really that hard or are we just asking the wrong people? I should mention that we have country of origin requirements so bolts manufactured in China are out.

Here's a sample of the kind of thing I often run into. I asked for A563M Class 10S to go with the A325M bolts, you know, like A325M recommends. I get "Nobody makes those. We can offer 2H." 2H, what's 2H? There's no 2H in A563M. A little surfing and I figure out 2H is a grade available per ASTM A194. Why couldn't they just have explained that to me? Never mind that. So you're telling me that ASTM wrote a spec for metric carbon and alloy steel nuts, but nobody makes them? My head is about to explode.

Ok, I'm ranting now. I kinda left the subject of A325M bolts and got onto nuts, but the point is nothing has been easy with metric. Does anyone know if this thing with the nuts is true? Actually, I found out that Nucor Fasteners has the nuts I need but I'm told you have to have a large order. Has anyone found a place to get metric structural fasteners in the US, preferably made in the US?

 

[3DDave]

Just because they built it doesn't mean anyone would use it. The lack of use/need is the likely reason they aren't available. Other fasteners fill the need already; ASTM probably was just making a bid to sell more standards.

It's not as bad as a system I worked with. Designed in Israel, to be built per Euro-standards for motor vehicles in the U.S. Discovered the supplier for the braking system could not import the air tanks because they didn't meet US DOT standards, even though the unit was going to be exported to a place where they were acceptable. Couldn't use U.S. units because they are a different size and would not fit in the crannies left for the Euro-style and not acceptable per Euro DOT. Sigh.

Count your blessings and best of luck.

 

[CoryPad]

Are you sure Nucor doesn't have the bolts too?

https://nucor-fastener.com/Files/PDFs/TechDataSheets/TDS_011_Metric_Products.pdf

Others to consider:

http://www.dokkafasteners.com/contact/united-states/

http://www.afast.com/StructuralBolts.html

 

[weldstan]

US bolt manufactures do very little export business. If sales are essentially restricted to the USA, it makes little economic sense to provide the metric bolts.

 

[dozer]

Nucor only sales through distributors and the lead time is very long. Dokka doesn't list A325M in their product matrix. A guy at Atlantic Fasteners said they shouldn't have listed A325M on their web site. I officially give up on finding A325M in stock in the US. Thanks for the replies.

 

[CoryPad]

Dokka do make metric structural fasteners, although they usually require 500 or 1000 pieces for a minimum order. They may not have what you want in stock, but they definitely could make it.

 

[yaschief]

Did you think about reverse import from the approved manufacturer? We had to do this for a job and found a dealer in SA who had the items by the approved manufacturer in stock and it worked out well in the end.

 

[jayrod12]

What about looking at a Canadian manufacturer? I've never had a request come back that they couldn't get the metric bolt I asked for. It could be possible they're installing the imperial equivalent but I doubt it.