WCA September 2010

Fasteners and fittings

Fasteners and fittings – machinery & manufacturing “For want of a nail . . . the kingdom was lost” is a warning as old as the practice of joining and fastening and as new as the multi-material lockbolts in the wing-box assembly of an airliner. Today, a cold headed fastener 8 feet long is no novelty; neither is a friction-welded fitting as durable as its container; nor vibration-resistant bolts, screws, and nuts robust to internal and pressures or vacuum to 20,000 psig. The availability and reliability of these marvels may be taken for granted. Why? Because a centuries-old cautionary tale resonates still with the designers and builders of the machinery of their production.

Photo credit: Rad Con Inc

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2010