FREQUENTLY ASKED
Engineer’s FAQ.
Thirty-some questions, organized by topic. Lead times, mechanisms, coverage, ISO and PPAP, what we actually do (and don’t) — straight answers, no marketing padding.
QUESTIONS32 · 6 TOPICS
NORMAL QUOTE TURNAROUND 1-2 BUSINESS DAYS
NORMAL LEAD 1–2 WEEKS
MIN INVOICE$350 · MOST ORDERS
What we actually do.
Bradley is a service company, not a fastener supplier. Engineers are sometimes surprised by what that means in practice — these are the basic structural questions.
What is your primary business?
Bradley is strictly a service center. We apply pre-applied thread lockers, sealants, and other products to fasteners and fittings supplied by our customers. We don’t manufacture fasteners; we coat the ones you send to us.
Do you supply the fasteners?
No. We are a service center for applying thread lockers to customer-supplied fasteners. If you need help sourcing fasteners, we can refer you to a fastener distributor in our network — but Bradley does not stock or sell raw fasteners.
Do you have multiple facilities?
No, we do not. The corporate headquarters and processing operation is at 3635 Swenson Avenue, St. Charles, IL.
Can you remove adhesives or nylon from fasteners?
Removal isn’t our specialization, but we maintain referrals to shops that handle it. Send us the fastener spec and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Do you do pellets or strips?
No. Our white nylon patch is a mechanical thread locker applied as a patch — no drilling, no slotting, no pellet insertion. If your spec calls for a pellet, we’re not the right fit, but we can offer an alternative solution.
How quoting works.
The most common question is “how fast” — the answer is usually same business day. The second most common is “how is this priced.” Per thousand pieces, almost always.
How long does it take to get a quote?
Most quotes are returned within one business day. Email requests typically receive same-day responses. Send your drawing, OEM spec, or sample — the engineering desk turns it around fast.
Who do I contact for a quote?
Fastest path: call 630-443-8424 or email applicationpros@bradleygoc.com. The web form at /contact routes to the same engineering desk.
Is your service priced per pound or per piece?
All quoting is priced per one thousand pieces. We don’t price by weight, regardless of fastener size.
What is your minimum invoice amount?
$350.00 for most orders. Some products carry higher minimums.
What is the normal lead time?
Most orders ship within 1–2 weeks after receipt of fasteners. Emergency lead times may be accommodated upon request — call the engineering desk and we’ll see what’s possible.
Got a quote question that needs a person?
For unusual sizes, complex spec packets, or expedite requests — calling beats forms. Most calls get a verbal estimate inside ten minutes.
VERBAL ESTIMATE~10 min on phone
FORMAL QUOTEusually same business day
EXPEDITEmost accommodated
How the chemistries differ.
Where engineers most often make the wrong call: assuming chemical and mechanical lockers behave the same way. They don’t. These are the questions that resolve the right product.
When would you use a thread locker?
Thread lockers prevent joints from loosening due to vibration and side shock, even when the joint is correctly torqued. If your fastener will see sustained vibration, thermal cycling, or shock loading — you want a locker on it.
What’s the difference between chemical adhesives and a nylon patch?
Chemical adhesives activate upon thread engagement and require a specified cure time before reaching full strength. The microcapsules break and mix together and then cure; once cured, it stays cured creating a locking feature.
Nylon patches are mechanical — a bonded nylon element compresses against mating threads and produces counterforce. No chemistry, no cure window, immediate locking action on install.
What do the different colors represent?
The colors are visual identifiers for either strength or temperature rating — the meaning depends on the product line. Always check the product datasheet for the specific color/strength mapping for that line; conventions are not universal across manufacturers.
Can fasteners with adhesive or nylon be reused?
Mechanical lockers (nylon patch): reusable up to about 5 install/remove cycles, with progressively reduced break-loose torque each time.
Chemical lockers: designed for a single use. Reuse is not recommended; the cured film is consumed at install. If you need a reusable lock, specify the nylon patch.
Can you do internal threads, or nuts?
Yes — most products are applicable to internal threads.
Do the adhesives outgas?
Yes — all adhesives outgas to some degree as they cure. The exception in our line is the white nylon patch, which is purely mechanical and does not outgas. If outgassing is a concern (vacuum environments, optical assemblies, etc.), specify the nylon patch.
Can you put rust preventative over the adhesive?
Yes. After we process your parts and dry the adhesive, a rust-preventive oil can be applied over the cured coating without affecting performance. With PRECOTE and ND Industries products, the oil typically remains during processing — that’s by design.
How it gets on the part.
The mechanical questions — coverage spec, application method, what happens to oily fasteners. If you’re putting a Product callout on a print, this is the section to read.
How do you specify lead and coverage?
Standard convention: coverage is usually specified as one to two lead threads un-applied, and one to one-and-a-half times the diameter to be applied. So for a 6mm bolt with 1mm-pitch threads, that’s 1–2 threads bare from the tip, then ~6–9mm applied to thread length.Deviations are common in OEM specs. If your print calls a different convention, send it — we’ll match the spec exactly.
How do you apply the material?
Three primary methods: flow application, roll application, and spray application. The right method depends on fastener geometry, chemistry, and coverage spec. All methods hit accuracy targets within ± ½ thread of the specified coverage zone.
If my parts have oil on them, do you clean them?
If your fastener arrives with too much oil for the coating to bond, we will remove the oil and apply the adhesive. Additional charges may apply depending on the cleaning method required (vapor degrease, ultrasonic, alkali wash, etc.). Your quote will spell out cleaning charges if needed.
Note: PRECOTE and ND Industries chemistries are formulated to bond to oily phosphate substrates — so for those products, light oil dressing usually doesn’t require pre-cleaning.
The paperwork engineers ask for.
ISO, PPAP, lot traceability, REACH, RoHS, IFI test data, UL potable water — the standard compliance package. Most of it is included at no extra charge.
Are you ISO certified?
Yes — certified to ISO 9001:2015. Active certificate available on letterhead. See the ISO certification page under About Us.
Are you QS certified?
No. QS-9000 was retired by AIAG in 2006 and superseded by IATF 16949 / ISO/TS for most applications. Our ISO 9001:2015 certification is the live equivalent for general fastener processing work.
Are your adhesives and sealants RoHS compliant?
Yes. RoHS compliance letters are available alongside REACH (SVHC), Prop 65, and asbestos-status statements in our combined compliance package. Available for download on the Resources page.
Are your thread locking and sealing materials safe for potable water systems?
Two pre-applied products carry UL approval for potable-water service: Loctite Dri-Loc 204 and Loctite 513. Other SKUs are not currently UL-approved for potable water — confirm with the engineering desk before specifying.
Can you supply certifications?
Yes. Material certifications and mechanical test data certifications are provided at no extra charge if requested on your purchase order. Specific test methods (IFI, ASTM, custom) can be specified at quote time.
Can you supply PPAP information?
Yes — full Level 3 PPAP documentation is available, including FMEA, control plan, part submission warrant, and material certification. Issued per request and with additional charge.
Do you have lot traceability?
Yes. All incoming material is assigned a tracking number at receipt, and that tracking number follows the lot through every processing step until shipment. Full chain-of-custody documentation is available on request.
What are the standard testing procedures?
The Industrial Fastener Institute publishes the test standards we work to. The most common references for our products are IFI-124, IFI-524, IFI-525, IFI-125, IFI-160, IFI-555, and IFI-560. Other standards (ASTM, customer-internal) can be substituted on request.
What is your Quality Policy?
“We the employees of The Bradley Group of Companies are committed to deliver quality in every product and service which we provide to all of our customers. We will meet customer expectations and applicable legal requirements. We will maintain an environment which encourages us to continuously strive to improve the quality of work and system, both individually and as a team, to maintain the loyalty and trust of all our customers.”
Who should I contact with a quality question or concern?
Quality concerns route to the engineering desk or quality department directly: applicationpros@bradleygoc.com or 1.800.201.7381. We respond same business day to quality issues.
Inbound & outbound.
The shipping and packaging questions. Short answer: bring your own freight; we’ll send your fasteners back in the same boxes they arrived in.
How do you return the parts to us?
Parts are returned to customers in the same containers they arrived in — original boxes, totes, or pallets. The exception is when inbound packaging is damaged in shipment; in that case we’ll repack at our discretion using equivalent containers.
Who pays the shipping (freight) costs?
The customer pays all shipping costs, both inbound and outbound. Bradley does not provide pickup or delivery services. You select your carrier; we’ll release the parts on your shipping label or to your nominated freight forwarder.
Question we didn’t cover? Send it.
If you’re spec’ing something unusual or hit a question this page doesn’t answer — call the engineering desk. Most questions get a real-person answer same business day.
RESPONSEsame business day
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DIRECTa real engineer, not a form