A fascination with fasteners

Lack of manufacturing capacity is just one reason for a shortage of aerospace fasteners.

As Boeing and Airbus churn out new aircraft at the top of the present-day market boom, it is ironic that many of the supply chain problems being experienced today by were sown earlier this decade when the aerospace market was at the bottom of its cycle.

Boeing has cited a worldwide shortage of aerospace fasteners as one of the reasons why it has delayed the flight-test program of its under-development 787. One of the main reasons that there are shortages today is because fastener manufacturers were forced to consolidate their operations earlier in the decade when orders dried up during the last downturn.