FOCUS ON FASTENERS
racks , cabin doors , cargo containers , floor panels , bulkheads and cabin structures . These products provide longevity and structural integrity to aircraft structures .
Industrial fastener segmentation
Increased levels of automation in end-user industries , particularly the automotive sector , have fundamentally changed the requirements of fasteners in recent years
Fastener types and applications
A fastener is a connective mechanism used to join and secure materials together . Sheet metal fastenings are used for a variety of applications such as automotive ; telecommunications ; electronics ; white goods ; brown goods ; lighting ; home appliances ; aerospace ; medical etc .
Fastener product segments include bolts , nuts , screws , rivets / washers and miscellaneous ( pins , nails and others ). Industrial fasteners ( including nuts , bolts and screws ) are used to join or fix two or more objects together . These products increase the durability of joined parts and can be used on different kinds of substrates such as metals and plastics . Industrial-grade products are commercially available in several forms including externally threaded , aerospacegrade and other standard fasteners .
The most widely used fasteners include nuts , bolts , screws , bolts , clips and grommets . Stainless steel is the most common material used for manufacturing internally threaded fasteners . Brass , alloy steel and aluminium are other materials used to manufacture them . Most nuts are further plated or polished using chrome to improve performance and durability in the end-use application .
The SNAPLOC fastener is used in a variety of medical applications .
Aerospace grade products vary significantly , compared to ordinary commercial-grade counterparts , in terms of quality , performance , raw material , price and technical specifications . For instance , commercial grade fasteners are generally manufactured using carbon steel , whereas aerospace grade fasteners are manufactured using corrosion-resistant steel and are further heated to exceed a tensile strength of 125,000 psi to achieve the required properties .
Externally threaded fasteners , a dominant segment , include critical fasteners , machine screws , thread forming and screw & washer assembly . There is rising usage of these products in automotive , MRO , machinery , construction and medical applications as they offer high rust-resistance and durable bonds . Aerospace grade fasteners are increasingly being used in aircraft engines , baggage
Industrial fasteners include a wide variety of mechanical fastening devices , ranging from mass-produced simple items with little opportunity for product differentiation , to complex and ad-hoc products designed for specialist applications .
The most common form of product segmentation identifies threaded and nonthreaded fasteners . The major types of threaded fasteners are bolts , nuts and screws . Bolts are usually used in conjunction with nuts . A variety of materials are used for their production , depending upon the required tensile strength of each application . Standard bolts are made of iron or steel , with brass and copper bolts widely used in electrical assemblies . Aluminium bolts are frequently , but not exclusively , used in the aerospace sector , and those made of nickel are used where high temperature tolerances are required .
Standard nuts utilise hexagonal heads , although square-headed nuts are commonly used for woodworking applications . Different shape variations are also used to ensure the satisfactory locking of bolts . In safety-critical applications and where frequent vibration occurs , self-locking nuts are most commonly used . Applications for self-locking nuts have increased strongly over the past few years and
Fasteners in automotive sheet metal applications .
ISMR March 2021 | sheetmetalplus . com | 23