Key Things to Know About Bolts

Key Things to Know About Bolts

1. Alternative to Nuts and Bolts

The original lock-bolt was designed to be an alternative to a threaded fastener consisting of a nut and a bolt. The new two-piece clamping fastener was ideal for a variety of locking applications that required high uniform clamp force and vibration resistance.

2. Extremely High Vibration Resistance

The original bolt design resisted vibration like that experienced on rails and railway cars. Because vibration causes threaded fasteners to lose clamp force due to the shear load, typically they require periodic re tightening-a maintenance headache and, in some cases, a threat to safety.

Unlike threaded nuts and bolts, lock-bolts allow no relative movement between the cylindrical collar and a threaded pin. At installation, the smooth collar is permanently swayed or deformed into place over the pin`s lock grooves. The result is labor cost savings and a safer joint.

3. Permanent Fastened Joint

Compared with conventional nut-and-bolt fasteners, the lock bolt is a permanent, high-strength joint. A lock-bolt has a larger cross-sectional area and core diameter than a bolt of the same size, providing 10-20 percent greater tensile strength, according to Ar-conic, the maker of bolts.

4. Simplified Installation

Lock-bolts are easy to install in seconds using the special tooling system. The tools, which must be matched to the fastener`s particular size, use either pneumatic or hydraulic power to swag the collar over the pin. The tools can be operated with minimal training-no expertise required.