The Incredible Function and Future of Orscheln’s F.A.S.T. Distribution Network
OEMs around the world know Orscheln as a household name when it comes to cables, dipsticks, and more. However, it hasn’t always been that way! Over our 70 years of providing functional, reliable components, Orscheln Products is proud to join forces with other titans of the manufacturing industry. To build a better future for manufacturers all over the world, collaboration is key. So before you build your next solution with Orscheln, start by learning about the fascinating history, unmatched capabilities, and bright future of our F.A.S.T. distribution network.
A Brief History of F.A.S.T.
F.A.S.T. stands for Felsted Assembled Systems Technology. Felsted was started by four industry professionals with vast experience with cables. In the early 1970s, these engineers started building what would soon become a household name in the cable manufacturing industry. By focusing their efforts on perfecting and improving designs, they eventually expanded their offerings and operations in countries on almost every continent!
A Perfect Pairing
As Orscheln continued to improve our park brake systems, manufacturers trusted Felsted cables to link everything together.
Eventually, Felsted would expand its offerings to manufacture other motion control products for engines, transmissions, valves, FLIs, and even electronic controls! As Felsted expanded, so did Orscheln. This led to some very healthy competition whenever our offerings overlapped!
Orscheln’s Edge
The key component to Orscheln’s success has always been our experience. From Uncle Al’s first park brake system to components on fighter jets, Orscheln’s attention to detail is unmatched. Cutting-edge components don’t just grow on trees here. Every component we create is the product of decades of R&D by some of the best engineers in the world. Our commitment to reliable products and service hasn’t changed since 1946. But as the years roll on, Orscheln Products continues to find ways to improve our offerings.
Joining Forces
While being the number one motion control component manufacturer in the US sounds good enough for other companies, the minds at Orscheln wanted to offer our expertise to the world. That’s why Orscheln and Felsted joined forces in 1990. This partnership allowed Felsted to build on-site push/pull cables with the lowest wait times possible. With unbeatable quality and F.A.S.T. turnaround times, our F.A.S.T. distribution network quickly expanded into transmission shifters, brake cables, light-duty cables, and dipsticks.
After decades of providing quality components to Felsted facilities around the world, our engineers decided to focus their efforts on expanding our core industry. Orscheln and Felsted merged in 1998 to expand our offerings to industries such as off-highway, agricultural, aircraft, material handling, and more!
Orscheln Goes International
25 years after our initial merger, F.A.S.T. distributors look very different, but our values remain the same. To meet the needs of our customers around the globe, we continue to improve our capabilities. Gone are the days of having to send an order to our main office in Moberly, MO. Today, our F.A.S.T. distribution network allows customers to order and receive crucial components in a matter of hours, not weeks.
This amazing advancement in motion control manufacturing is what makes Orscheln an internationally known powerhouse. By providing professional-grade products to manufacturers worldwide, Orscheln keeps the world moving F.A.S.T.!
The Many Functions of F.A.S.T.
As you contact an engineer or visit one of our F.A.S.T. distributor facilities, we’re happy to fill your order and ship your solution to your door. But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of the world’s largest motion control component distributor network? Our engineers love seeing our components in action just as much as we love designing them. So let’s dig into the details that make sure you get reliable components F.A.S.T.!
Components
Just like any conversation with our engineers, it all starts with what components you need. Every F.A.S.T. distributor has the full support of our main factory, which means customers worldwide get the same high-quality components our customers enjoy stateside. All distributors can create capable push-pull cables, but some can provide even more solutions! To learn more about your nearest distributor’s capabilities, click Find Your Distributor, or contact us to discuss your options. Here are the details surrounding our solutions.
Cables
Orscheln combines our Felsted and ACCO product lines to provide the most diverse offerings of any manufacturer in the world. Everywhere you look, you’ll find our cables on everything from big rigs and buses to APCs and airplanes! Orscheln cables are made to last, with available thick wall polymer jackets, efficient rod and sleeve bearings, and rigorous quality assurance. All of these qualities ensure every cable is just as useful as it is durable. These cables are available from every F.A.S.T. distribution facility.
Mechanical Control Cables
There are four major segments where you’ll find our control cables at work. Heavy on-road applications use our control cables to ensure efficiency and longevity, while off-road vehicle manufacturers trust our cables to ensure their customers can control the machines that keep the world moving.
Light Duty
Orscheln Light Duty control cables are built to handle what plastic and thin sheet metal components can’t. We supply various applications with rotary, twist-to-lock, and linear control customization options.
Push-Pull HP Cables
Our push-pull cable options include 4 different series, ranging from Series 3 to Series 8. Each series of cables is classified by the standard and HEFT ratings indicated by either a maroon (standard) or black (HEFT) sheathing. With low backlash and high efficiency under load, these cables are constantly in high demand around the world.
Universal Utility Cables
With so many uses, our universal utility cables are requested by almost every OEM we supply! This popular family of cables is comprised of three heavy-duty series that makes Orscheln Products a household name for manufacturers around the world.
The 3, 4, and 6 series are rated for load capacity and construction. Each cable comes rated for two temperature ranges. Standard temperature ranges include everything from -65 to +225°F/-54 to +107°C. The highest temperature ratings range from -65 to +300°F/-54 to +149°C. To find the right series for you, you’ll need to discuss your design with an Orscheln engineer.
Every F.A.S.T. facility is capable of creating the correct motion control cable for every customer by understanding the details behind every design. We go over sizing, load, travel, length, and mounting requirements as we select the optimal design for every application. Every solution we supply is initially tested at our US-based proving grounds before designs are shared with our distributors. This ensures the same quality and reliability for every cable we create around the world.
Dipsticks
Custom locking dipstick solutions from Orscheln are the first available patented Twist2Lock™ style dipstick on the market. With additional research, development, and industry changes, Orscheln adapts and uses the most advanced technology to create innovative solutions for fluid management, including battery coolant lines, fluid transfer, and other specialty applications where corrosion is a concern.
We also can design and produce custom mounting brackets or jump tubes as required. Orscheln offers stainless steel fluid transfer lines that utilize many similar features to our tried-and-true dipsticks that have been trusted by manufacturers around the world for decades. As amazing as our advanced indicators are, they’re not available at every F.A.S.T. distribution facility. To build your solution, talk to an engineer to discuss your options.
Shift Selectors
If you’re operating a safe and efficient vehicle on or off the highway, you’re likely using an Orscheln Products shift selector. Our F.A.S.T. network can supply both electro-mechanical and mechanical shift selectors to meet the needs of any customer.
Our electro-mechanical shift selectors give you one less part number to keep track of. By connecting your transmission to a drive-by-wire system, you’re connecting the engine to the transmission for flawless and reliable execution from your vehicle’s transmission control module (TCM).
Our mechanical shift selectors include more complex physically connected linkages. We typically recommend these for heavy-duty or high-performance applications. By connecting your transmission to your selector with a physical part, you’re ensuring a strong, lasting connection.
No matter which shifter you need, our F.A.S.T. distribution network is here to meet your needs. Make sure to talk to an engineer to find the right distributor for your desired solution!
How to Find Quality and Components F.A.S.T.
Throughout our entire F.A.S.T. distribution network, reliability is the top priority. OEMs worldwide rely on our engineers to design lasting solutions. Manufacturers rely on our distributors to provide quick turnaround. Consumers rely on our products to keep the world moving without fear of breaking down. At Orscheln Products, we understand everyone relying on our solutions. This is why we ensure every component is capable of upholding our brand’s reputation for quality.
Customization
While our F.A.S.T. distribution facilities have limited customization capabilities, that doesn’t mean that manufacturers are limited in their options. Our entire line of products comes with customizable options to ensure that we meet every customer’s needs. To build your custom solution, talk with an Orscheln engineer to go over your options.
To build your custom solution through a F.A.S.T. distribution facility, we start by creating a prototype at our main factory. Our team of engineers designs custom components with provided CAD files and double-checks every design by prototyping components for real-world use. As we create your custom solution, we use our in-house testing facilities to exceed the needs of our customers. Our engineers test every custom solution to destruction in excess of the requirements set forth by our customers. This rigorous testing ensures that every custom component we create is capable of carrying on the reputation for reliability that Orscheln is known for around the world.
After we create a successful design, we create the finalized design files and make them available to our F.A.S.T. distribution network. With our complete guide for manufacturing, testing, and reproduction, capable F.A.S.T. facilities are able to provide unique solutions wherever they’re needed.
Quality Assurance
To ensure the highest-quality components every time, every F.A.S.T. distribution facility goes through rigorous training and regular check-ins. Every year, our main factory holds an on-site training event to familiarize distributors with our processes and products. Additionally, Orscheln staff visits every distributor facility to conduct cable line checkups and train any new builders as required. We also share regular internal newsletters, tips, product videos, and instructional sessions with our distributor.
Getting Up to Spec
F.A.S.T. assemblers have strict specifications and crimp requirements that are built into the assembly process. Every cable is also subjected to a test bench to verify the load requirements of the cable. Each distributor is responsible for the quality of the product they produce, and each has their own quality assurance process to ensure compliance with local, state, and government regulations.
To meet the most rigorous requirements, F.A.S.T. distributors create components with the same high-quality materials our home factory uses. All of our materials and products go through the same stringent quality inspections as well. Through detailed training, specifications, and measurements, F.A.S.T. assemblers ensure that every product we create is capable of meeting the Orscheln standard.
Personal Service
How many international distribution moguls can you simply call on the phone? Orscheln Products is proud to continue our tradition of excellent customer service by keeping the ordering process as simple as possible. When you order your cables through a F.A.S.T. distributor, an Orscheln expert will walk you through the part number building process.
Watch and Learn: Cable Identification With Jerry Frans
No matter where you find our F.A.S.T. distributors, you have the full support of the Orscheln Products factory. With just one call, manufacturers around the world get the cables they need F.A.S.T. thanks to Orscheln’s close ties to every facility we trust to keep the world moving. Maintaining our place as the world’s leading control cable manufacturer isn’t easy. But our commitment to our customers continues to grow as the world moves toward a brighter future.
The Future of F.A.S.T.
There’s never been a better time to work with our F.A.S.T. distribution network. Orscheln Products continues to improve the components we create, so it’s only fitting that we improve the customer experience while we’re at it! As we help the world tackle new challenges, our connections around the globe are growing stronger than ever before. Here are the ways we’re improving to keep the world moving.
Expanding Our Capabilities
Every F.A.S.T. distribution facility is devoted to maintaining readily available, reliable components where the world needs them most. To provide more products in more places than ever before, we’re expanding the capabilities of the shops our F.A.S.T. distributors use every day. This means more tools, more training, and more testing than ever. To meet the demands of this expansion, we’re investing in education and developing strategies to better equip our facilities.
Going Beyond Cables
As we expand the capabilities of our facilities, we’re able to add more products to our selection available from F.A.S.T. distributors. In addition to high-quality control cables, we’re introducing options for shift controls and fluid level indicators to our emerging selection. These are already available at many F.A.S.T. facilities across the US, but Orscheln is going above and beyond by expanding our offerings around the globe.
Enhancing Your Experience
At the core of every product we design, build, and ship, people keep everything running smoothly. That’s why Orscheln Products is investing in our customers by streamlining the ordering process. To get the right parts for our customers around the world F.A.S.T.er than ever, we’re improving our online ordering system. Our current customers enjoy the ease of ordering new shipments in just a few clicks, and our entire team enjoys helping more customers than ever before. Start streamlining your production by finding the right F.A.S.T. distributor for you!
Our Cable Guys Around the World
Orscheln Products is proud to have the most trusted team of control cable guys on the planet. To see why our F.A.S.T. distributors are trusted to keep the world moving, just contact our team, or find your nearest distributor in just a few clicks!
