CFI Custom Fastener Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

About Components for Industry

How long has CFI been in business?

Components for Industry, also known as CFI, has been in business for over 30 years as a family-owned and operated industrial components company in Mundelein, Illinois in suburban Chicagoland. Three generations of the Christie family have worked for the company since its founding on one revolutionary component.

What sets CFI apart from its competitors?

We do not treat our partners as mere customers - we treat them as part of our family. Our commitment to excellence and expertise is unparalleled in the component industry with our "Vendor Base of One" philosophy.

What is your vision?

Our vision for our partners is to give them an unparalleled level of service that allows CFI to work in collaboration with them for years or even decades to come. The "Vendor Base of One" concept is to analyze all of our partners' parts, usage and prices to find improved methods of procurement and materials to simultaneously improve the quality of components while lowering their costs.

Product and Service Offerings

Does CFI Supply Standard Components?

Yes. CFI also supplies standard components as well as custom components. This feeds into our "Vendor Base of One" philosophy. It is our way of creating an easier customer experience for our partners so they have the peace of mind of having one ally that they can trust in the fastener space.

What types of products does CFI supply?

We provide custom fasteners and specialty components, including rods, pins, studs, bolts, screws, threaded inserts, nuts, and washers custom-engineered for a multitude of industrial applications.

What industries does CFI serve?

Components for Industry works with partners in a number of industries, but our core industries are in Automotive, Aerospace, Appliances, and Heavy Industrial.

Can you assist with component selection for specific applications?

At CFI, part of our job is to guide our clients through the component selection and design process. Whether that's selecting the correct fastener - right down to selecting the proper material choice - to ensure that the components meet your specifications for strength, pricing and other considerations.

What materials do you work with?

Our components are built in several materials including alloy steels, carbon steels, stainless steels, tool steels, aluminum alloys, copper alloys, titanium, plastics, and other materials.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

What certifications does CFI have?

We have ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management Systems (QMS). ISO provides a framework for organizations like CFI to ensure that we consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements while continuously improving processes and performance.

Can you meet specific industry standards?

Yes. We specifically adhere to industry standards in the automotive, aerospace, appliance and other industries.

How does CFI ensure quality in its precision parts?

We have invested heavily in a state-of-the-art QC Department as well as a team of passionate QC experts dedicated to the craft.

General FAQ

What materials are most commonly used for industrial components?

Materials vary according to client needs such as strength, corrosion resistance, durability, cost and other factors, but common materials include aluminum, brass, composites, steel, and stainless steel.

What do the marks on the head of a bolt mean?

The marks on a bolt's head provide information about a bolt's material, grade and strength and manufacturer or importer. Some bolts include the manufacturer's bolts and initials, identifying the company that produced the bolt. In addition, some bolts also include the thread type, with markings such as UNF for Unified National Fine and UNC for Unified National Coarse threads.

Strength grade markings are quite common. There are several grades of U.S. (Imperial) Bolts that graduate up according to tensile strength. For example, Grade 2 (Denoted by no markings and have a minimum tensile strength between 60,000 and 74,000 psi); Grade 5 (Denoted by 3 Radial Lines and have a minimum tensile strength between 105,000 and 120,000 psi); and Grade 8 (Denoted by 6 Radial Lines with a minimum tensile strength of 150,000 psi).

Meanwhile, metric bolt graduate on a similar scale with Grades such as Class 4.6 with a minimum tensile strength of 400 MPa; Class 5.8 with a minimum tensile strength of 520 MPa; Class 8.8 with 800 MPa, etc.