Global Fastener News

LAFA Expands Training Program

John Wolz

The Los Angeles Fastener Association is expanding its technical training program bx�offering sessions in Northern California and Las Vegas.
Students who complete the series of six one-day classes are eligible for LAFA�s Certified Fastener Specialist designation after a take-home examination. There are 51 graduates thus far.
Upcoming courses are dimensional and material specifications on May 16 in LaMirada, CA, and May 17 in San Jose, CA; fastener quality assurance, June 13 in La Mirada, June 14 in San Jose and November 15 in Las Vegas.
The final three classes in advanced technical training will be in the Los Angeles area, with tours of related plants or labs: fastener manufacturing, July 17; fastener secondary operations, August 14; and testing, September 25.
Speaking at the Western Association of Fastener Distributors spring meeting, Vertullo, of the San Diego-based training firm SimplyBetter, described technical training as �another form of product knowledge.�
�A crisis situation is not the best way to learn,� Vertullo remarked in advocating the LAFA program.
Technical training does not have to provide all the answers, Vertullo explained. �It is not as important to know the answer if you know where to find it.�
He once was called by an elevator manufacturer customer questioning the lack of a hardness testing record for a Grade 5 nut in use on the assembly line. Vertullo was able to answer the question by looking up SAE J995 in the SAE manual. Because he knew to look in the standards manual, within minutes he was able to fax specifications to the customer without even getting off the phone. Vertullo found the explanation was that though the bolt standard calls for hardness testing, the nut standard calls for proofload rather than hardness testing.
However, technical training ultimately is �only as good as our ability to make money with it,� Vertullo emphasized. �We aren�t in business to provide training. Technical training should be combined with sales training to put it to work.�
LAFA instructors include Joe Greenslade of Greenslade & Associates, Bengt Blendulf of Clemson EduPro and Vertullo.
The prerequisite for participation in the certification program is completion of LAFA�s three-day Fastener Familiarization Seminar or two years experience in fastener sales or purchasing.
For information contact executive director Vickie Lester. Tel: 562 425-1721. Fax 562 425-0199. E-mail: lafahq@aol.com \
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