Fastener Training Institute

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Bengt Blendulf

Bengt was on faculty at Clemson University in the College of Engineering and Science until 1996, when he formed EduPro US, Inc. to focus on education and consulting in the area of fastening technology and bolted/screwed joint design. He is a founding member and formerly served as chairman of the Bolting Technology Council (now ASTM F16.96 Bolting Technology). Mr. Blendulf has been in the metalworking field since 1962 and in the fastener industry since 1966. He is the author of more than 100 technical papers in addition to published articles related to fasteners and international standardization and is also a contributing author of the Handbook of Bolts and Bolted Joints (Marcel Dekker, Inc).

Instructors for FTI’s advanced fastener courses include:

Instructors

Salim Brahimi

Salim Brahimi is Director of Engineering & Technology at the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI). He is also President and Principal Engineer at IBECA Technologies, and co-director of the McGill Hydrogen Embrittlement Facility (MHEF). He is a licensed member of the Quebec Order of Professional Engineers. He has accumulated nearly 30 years of experience that have made him into a complete fastener and bolting professional. Dr. Brahimi also serves as chairman of ASTM Committee F07 on Aerospace and Aircraft, vice chairman and immediate past chairman of ASTM Committee F16 on Fasteners, as head of the Canadian delegation to ISO Committee TC2 on Fasteners, as vice chair of the Research Council on Structural Connections (RCSC), and as voting member of ASME Committee B18 and the SAE Fastener Committee.

Laurence Claus

Laurence has over 25 years of experience in the fastener industry. Most of those years he worked with a leading automotive fastener manufacturer, holding roles of Application Engineer, Director of Engineering and Quality, Director of New Business Development, General Manager , and Vice President of Technology and Engineering. He is a degreed Mechanical Engineer with a broad knowledge of fasteners and special experience in materials, thread forming screws, and automated assembly of small parts. He has participated for many years in technical standards activity with the IFI, SAE, ISO, ASME, ASTM, and NASC. He is knowledgeable in the manufacture and use or automotive, industrial, and aerospace fasteners. Laurence is a certified Six Sigma Black belt. Most recently he formed NNi Training and Consulting, Inc., a consultancy company serving fastener manufacturers, distributors, and automotive suppliers.

Joe Greenslade

Joe is Retired Director of Engineering Technology for the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI). He has served in many capacities in the fastener industry since 1970 and has written more than 300 technical articles for fastener trade journals. Mr. Greenslade serves on all of the fastener standards organization committees for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society for Materials and Testing, SAE, and ISO. He also served as the technical representative for fastener distributors on the Fastener Quality Act Task Force that worked with the federal government during the creation of the FQA.

Carmen Vertullo CFS

Carmen is the founder of CarVer Consulting, a San Diego-based consulting, engineering and training company specializing in fasteners and bolted joints. He has experience in fastener quality assurance, manufacturing, sales, and inventory management programs. Carmen is a designer and producer of aircraft support equipment and tooling for all branches of the U.S. military, prime contractors and foreign military sales. He has developed and teaches a series of advanced fastener training classes for the Fastener Training Institute. Mr. Vertullo is a Certified Fastener Specialist through FTI, and he holds a BS in Manufacturing Engineering Technology from National University, San Diego, CA.

Jim Speck

James A. Speck, P.E., worked as a regional manager of the Johnson Gage Company following an extensive career in the fastener industry at Holo-Krome and Crescent Manufacturing. He trained and served as a technical expert in the Department of Commerce’s National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation program for fasteners and metals. Jim has presented numerous workshops and seminars on fastener fundamentals, fastener applications, and screw thread technology. Jim is the author of numerous key publications. Following completion of an apprenticeship at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Jim earned a BSc(1971) in business administration from Drexel University and an MSc(1974) in management from the Hartford Graduate Center of RPI. Jim is a licensed professional engineer in his home state of Connecticut and the author of the text book Mechanical Fastening, Joining and Assembly.

John Medcalf

John is the Principal Engineer of Peak Innovations Engineering, an Illinois based company specializing in the design, testing, and validation of bolted joints. His educational background includes a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering along with certificates in business management and materials failure analysis. John held positions in quality, engineering and engineering management. He is actively involved in fastener standardization through the ASME, ASTM, and ISO fastener standards committees, serving as vice chairman of the ASME B18 committee, chairman or vice chairman of several ASME and ASTM subcommittees, and US delegate to ISO TC/2. His thesis work on hydrogen embrittlement of case hardened fasteners has helped advance the knowledge of the phenomenon within the industry and influenced relevant standards.