Fastener Standards Systems Advance, Driving Industry Standardization

Standards Systems Lead Standardized Development

As a core pillar of industry development, the standards system plays a leading role in making the fastener industry more standardized and more high-end. In recent years, with technical upgrades in downstream applications and increasingly frequent international trade, fastener standards systems at home and abroad have kept improving. They have filled technical gaps and unified market access thresholds, and have pushed the industry from uncontrolled expansion toward standardized development, laying a solid foundation for high-end and international growth.

China's Standards System Keeps Improving

China's standards system keeps improving to match the needs of the industry. To localize high-end fasteners, the relevant national authorities have accelerated the drafting and revision of standards and issued a series of dedicated fastener standards for key fields such as aerospace, new energy vehicles and nuclear power, defining product performance indicators, process requirements and quality test methods. For aerospace superalloy fasteners, for example, strict standards cover material composition, heat treatment and fatigue life, filling the domestic gap for high-end fasteners; for hydrogen-embrittlement-resistant fasteners used in new energy vehicles, the standards specify hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity test methods and acceptance criteria, giving the industry a basis for product development and quality control. At the same time, domestic standards are being aligned with international ones: referring to ISO, ASTM and other international standards, Chinese standards are being optimized for scientific rigor and applicability, which helps domestic companies compete internationally.

International Standards Converge

International standards are clearly converging, which lowers trade barriers. As global trade integration accelerates, countries are promoting alignment of fastener standards to reduce the obstacles caused by differing requirements. The EU, the United States, Japan and other developed economies have built regional standards alliances to unify fastener standards, while actively taking part in international standard-setting and leading the agenda for high-end fasteners. The EU, for instance, has established unified technical standards for fasteners used in wind power and electric vehicles, requiring products entering the European market to comply; this both raises product quality within the region and gives companies clear market access guidance. By aligning with international standards and joining their development, Chinese companies are gradually gaining influence in the global standards system, creating conditions for entering high-end overseas markets.

Higher Standards Force Industry Consolidation

Better standards raise quality levels across the industry and accelerate consolidation. As requirements tighten, companies must invest more in technical upgrading and quality control to comply, which puts considerable pressure on smaller producers. Strict rules on dimensional tolerances, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, for example, force companies to adopt precision manufacturing equipment and intelligent inspection systems so that product quality stays stable; process requirements push companies to retire high-pollution, high-energy-consumption processes in favor of green production. The domestic pass rate for fastener products has risen from 85% in 2020 to 92% in 2025, and for high-end products it exceeds 98%. Overall quality has improved markedly, and substandard small and medium capacity is leaving the market faster.

Standards Underpin High-End Development

An improved standards system underpins the industry's move upmarket. The high-end fastener market depends more heavily on standards: a complete standards system defines the technical boundaries of high-end products, guides companies to focus on core technology development and helps them avoid low-end homogenized competition. Dedicated standards for aerospace and semiconductor fasteners, for example, give R&D teams technical direction, help them break through core bottlenecks and localize high-end products. Standards for emerging areas such as intelligent fastening systems and 3D-printed fasteners can regulate development, prevent disorderly competition and speed up the commercialization of new technologies.

Where Standards Go Next

Going forward, as technology keeps upgrading and downstream demand keeps changing, the fastener standards system will improve further: coverage will extend from conventional products to emerging ones, and requirements will shift from basic to high-end performance. Companies need to track standards closely, take part in drafting them, benchmark against advanced international standards and meet the requirements through technical innovation and quality control, so as to achieve high-quality growth within a standardized framework.