Fasteners, springs, seals and CNC special parts with VMI inventory solutions for European industry
AFC Europe Limited
Birmingham · Heathfield · Hailsham · Basingstoke · Colchester · Walsall · Keighley · Airdrie · Heywood · Market Harborough (all UK) · Bochum · Gottmadingen · Gotha (DE) · Hranice (CZ)New on Amplifa
About AFC Europe
AFC Europe is the European division of AFC Industries and supplies manufacturers with technical components: fasteners, Smalley flat wire wave springs and retaining rings, ARaymond quick connectors, seals and O-rings, as well as custom parts. In Gotha (Germany), the company manufactures special screws, non-standard DIN parts and made-to-drawing parts in modern CNC machining centres – specialising in single units and small batches up to medium-sized series. The raw material stock includes structural steels, free-cutting steels, heat-resistant materials, stainless steels and special alloys. In addition to manufacturing, AFC Europe offers design support, global sourcing, kitting/contract assembly and Vendor Managed Inventory with Kanban, Direct Line Feed and Smart Vending. With service centres in the UK, Germany and the Czech Republic, the company supplies customers across Europe and beyond, including in the automotive, off-highway, HVAC, aerospace, robotics and electronics industries.
- Site
- Heathfield
- Processes
- Special CNC machining (turned and milled parts to drawing, special/DIN parts), Design and development of flat wire wave springs and retaining rings (Smalley Wave Springs), Spring manufacturing (wave springs/compression springs from flat wire, coiling flat wire on edge), O-rings, V-rings, oil seals, seals, vulcanised cord rings, bonded washers, Kitting/contract assembly of standard, special and customer-supplied components, Global Sourcing, Custom Manufacturing, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), Smart Vending, Warehousing, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), Kanban / Direct Line Feed (DLF)
- Materials
- Carbon steel (carbon steel), Stainless Steel 302, Stainless Steel 316, Inconel, Elgiloy, Structural steels (structural steels), Free-cutting steels (free-cutting steels), heat-resistant materials
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015
- Industries
- Automotive, Commercial Vehicles / Off-Highway, HVAC and Plumbing, Aerospace, Robotics, Electronics
- 01
Engineering & Design Consulting
- 02
Global Sourcing & Manufacturer Partnerships
- 03
CNC Machining (Special Parts, Gotha)
- 04
Assembly, Packaging & Kitting
- 05
Warehousing
- 06
VMI / Kanban / Smart Vending
- 07
Logistics & Worldwide Shipping
Materials & Processes
Carbon Steel
Standard material for springs, retaining rings and fasteners with large stock availability.
Stainless Steel 302
Stainless steel for wave springs and retaining rings with corrosion requirements.
Stainless Steel 316
Seawater- and chemical-resistant stainless steel for demanding environments.
Inconel
Nickel-based alloy for springs subjected to high temperatures and corrosion.
Elgiloy
Exotic alloy for springs with the highest requirements for strength and corrosion resistance.
Free-Cutting Steels
Stock material for the CNC production of special screws and turned parts.
Structural Steels
Stock material for CNC-machined fasteners in single-unit and series production.
Heat-Resistant Materials
Special materials for thermally stressed applications from the company's own raw material warehouse.
CNC Machining
Production of special screws, non-standard DIN parts and made-to-drawing parts in Gotha.
Wave Springs (Flat Wire Coiling)
Precision forming by coiling flat wire on edge, diameters from 5 mm to over 1000 mm.
Parts & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special CNC machining (turned and milled parts to drawing, special/DIN parts)Machining | – | – | – | Single units and very small batches – small to medium-sized series | Structural steels, Free-cutting steels, Heat-resistant materials, Stainless steels, other special materials |
| Design and development of flat wire wave springs and retaining rings (Smalley Wave Springs)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Carbon steel, Stainless steel (302/316), Inconel, Elgiloy, exotic alloys |
| Spring manufacturing (wave springs/compression springs from flat wire, coiling flat wire on edge)Forming | – | – | – | – | Carbon steel, Stainless steel, exotic alloys |
| O-rings, V-rings, oil seals, seals, vulcanised cord rings, bonded washersPlastics | – | – | – | – | Special material grades on request |
| Kitting/contract assembly of standard, special and customer-supplied componentsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Global Sourcing, Custom Manufacturing, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), Smart Vending, WarehousingEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC machining centres (special and custom milled/turned parts) | – | – | – | – | Gotha, Germany |
Additional services
Quality
AFC Europe operates a BSI-certified quality management system to ISO 9001:2015 (certificate no. RS 10882), first registered in 1990. The Gotha site is qualified by TÜV as an approved manufacturer in the pressure vessel sector in accordance with AD 2000-W0; the supply chain includes batch traceability and technical consulting.
| Evidence | Heathfield |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 |
History
- 1960er
Foundation; the company has been in the market for over 60 years according to its own information ('established for over 60 years').
- 1980er
Start of the partnership with Smalley; European partner for wave springs & retaining rings for over 40 years.
- 1990
First registration of the ISO 9001 quality management system with BSI on 01.10.1990.
- 2024
New validity period of the ISO-9001 certification as of 24.02.2024 (valid until 23.02.2027).