The world of fasteners relies on precision, but the standards that govern that precision don’t just appear out of thin air; they are built through the most human of skills: consensus building. 

On April 27, the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) hosted its first IFI Standards Camp. Part of the IFI Emerging Fastener Professionals initiative, this “crash course” was designed to pull back the curtain on how the industry’s essential consensus standards are actually developed. 

Twenty-four “campers” from across the fastener industry gathered to learn the ropes from a distinguished panel of “camp counselors”. Led by IFI Technical Director Dr. Salim Brahimi, the session offered a deep dive into the methodical but vital process of technical standards development.

Rather than just listening to lectures, participants got hands-on experience with the process through:

  • Role-playing exercises where they argued for or against specific proposals.
  • Conflict resolution drills designed to bridge opposing views.
  • Real-world case studies demonstrate how technical committees operate under strict governing rules.

This successful debut wouldn’t have been possible without our expert panelists who shared their knowledge and guidance:

  • Steven Sherman (Industrial Rivet & Fastener) 
  • Nicholas Lessnau (MNP-Fontana Grupo) 
  • Darlene Collis (LindFast Solutions Group) 
  • Kevin Menke (Fastenal) Lydia Stanford (ASME) 
  • Toby Anderson (Bay Bolt) 

The IFI Standards Camp proved that while the standards themselves are technical, the process of creating them is all about collaboration. We look forward to seeing how these emerging professionals apply these consensus-building skills to shape the future of the industry.

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