Special Types of Aircraft Fasteners and Their Use

Fasteners are extremely common elements for aircraft construction, often accounting for half of the total parts of many popular airline models. As fasteners are components tasked with joining parts together to form assemblies, they can come in a plethora of types to accommodate diverse needs and materials. While common fasteners such as rivets, bolts, screws, and nuts are well discussed in the aviation sector, some may be unfamiliar with the more specialized types that serve important roles for aircraft construction. In this blog, we will provide a brief overview of some of the special types of aircraft fasteners that are commonly used, allowing you to understand their applications and importance.

Pin Rivets
Pin rivets, or Hi-Shear rivets, are a specialized rivet type that are approximately three times as strong as conventional solid rivets. Pin rivets are the most beneficial for shear applications, though they should never be used in an installation where the grip length is lower than the diameter of the shank. While pin rivets may be considered a threadless bolt by some, they are almost half the weight of such components and are much quicker to install.

Turnlock Fasteners
The turnlock fastener is a type that may come in a variety of styles, and such fasteners are commonly employed for the means of attaching inspection plates, doors, and other various removable panels of aircraft. Turnlock fasteners are often referred to by many names, common ones being quick opening, quick action, and stressed panel fasteners. For their application, a turnlock fastener is most beneficial when there is a desire for the quick and simple removal of panels for maintenance or inspection.

Dzus Fasteners
Dzus fasteners are a type of turnlock fastener, and they consist of a stud, grommet, and receptacle. Dzus fasteners are commonly found on aircraft for securing skin panels, and they are capable of resisting disturbances such as vibration. To lock and unlock the fastener within an assembly, such components feature a recess on their head that permits the use of a Dzus key or ground screwdriver.

Camloc Fasteners
Camloc fasteners are another common turnlock fastener type, and such components secure assemblies under an elastic preload. When the camloc fastener is installed in a component and the stud is rotated, the cross pin will ride up the cam which results in a preload being applied to the assembly. As the cross pin is retained within a locking detent after it is turned with a tool, such fasteners resist loosening due to vibration forces.

Airloc Fasteners
Like many of the other quarter-turn panel fasteners available for aircraft, Airloc fasteners consist of a cross pin, stud, and receptacle that all work together to enable their operations. The receptacle is often riveted to the frame of an access panel, and the cross pin retains the positioning of the stud. Fixed and floating type receptacles are the two common variations for Airloc fasteners, the floating receptacle serving as the easiest type for stud alignment.

Hi-Tigue Fasteners
Hi-Tigue fasteners are a specialized component, and they feature a shank that has a bead encircling it. The bead serves to preload the hole that it is inserted into, strengthening the installation as it exerts radial forces. With their preloading capability, Hi-Tigue fasteners also avoid detrimental hazards such as cold joints. Such fasteners may also come in a variety of metals and are typically installed within an assembly with the use of an Allen or box-end wrench.

When you are in need of specialized fasteners of various types for your operations, ASAP Fasteners is your sourcing solution. ASAP Fasteners is a trusted distributor for bearings, fasteners, connector parts, and aircraft parts that have all been sourced from top global manufacturers. With our purchasing power and market expertise, we leverage competitive pricing and rapid lead-times on all that we carry for the time and cost savings of our customers. If there are specific items on our website that you are interested in, fill out and submit an Instant RFQ form today and a dedicated account manager will provide you with a quote for your comparisons in just 15 minutes or less.

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1. quentin felipe
2. Posted on May 24, 2021
fasteners

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