Understanding Nuts and Bolts: Their Attributes and Variations

Aircraft fasteners are essential mechanical parts that are employed to assemble and secure structural, engine, and system components across all types of aviation platforms. To ensure reliable performance, these fasteners are often engineered to withstand vibration, temperature changes, and sustained mechanical stresses without loosening or degrading. In this blog, we will examine several fastener types commonly used in aircraft, focusing on their roles, design considerations, and relevance to maintenance and procurement.

What Are the Most Widely Used Aircraft Fastener Types?

Different fastener types are selected based on the structural load, material compatibility, and disassembly requirements of each aircraft assembly. The following fasteners are widely used across diverse airframe structures and onboard subsystems.

Screws: Screws are used to provide threaded engagement for tensile and shear loads, making them suitable for structural assemblies, engine mount points, and flight control linkages that require secure yet serviceable connections.
Rivets: Designed to form a permanent connection through deformation, rivets are extensively used in airframe skins and interior sheet metal assemblies where long-term vibration resistance is critical to structural integrity.
Hi-Lok and Hi-Lite Fasteners: These precision fasteners employ break-off collars that can automatically apply consistent torque and clamp load across a joint.
Lockbolts: Installed with swaged collars to resist loosening or tampering, lockbolts can deliver exceptional vibration resistance and are typically used in high-load areas like wing spars, landing gear beams, and engine pylons.
Anchor Nuts: These are threaded inserts mounted on the reverse side of aircraft panels to enable secure, repeatable fastening in blind or restricted-access locations during initial assembly and routine maintenance.

How Do Fastener Materials Affect Aircraft Performance?

Fastener materials are selected to meet specific structural, environmental, and weight requirements, ensuring that the fastening system is compatible with the surrounding components and conditions. Several key material types are widely utilized for aviation fasteners, including:

Titanium Alloys: Titanium fasteners are used in high-performance zones like wing boxes, engine pylons, or fuselage joints where strength and weight savings are both critical concerns.
Stainless Steel: Stainless steel can offer strong general corrosion resistance, good manufacturability, and reliable mechanical strength, making it ideal for control linkages, cabin mounts, and system support hardware throughout an aircraft.
Aluminum Alloys: Aluminum fasteners are used to reduce overall aircraft weight while still providing adequate strength for components in low-load environments, such as fairings, interior panels, or secondary structures.
Nickel-Based Superalloys: Materials like Inconel are employed in engine compartments and other extreme-temperature zones where long-term oxidation resistance is essential for safety and performance.
Composite-Compatible Coated Fasteners: Composite-compatible coated fasteners feature surface treatments that can mitigate galvanic corrosion when installed alongside carbon fiber or fiberglass-reinforced polymer composites.

Where Are Specialized Fasteners Used in Aircraft Structures?

Some fasteners are designed for specific aircraft zones or conditions where standard designs would be ineffective or impractical. The following fasteners are commonly used in these specialized structural and maintenance-related applications.

Blind Fasteners: These fasteners are designed to be installed from one side only, making them essential for various obstructed areas during manufacturing and field repair procedures.
Quick-Release Fasteners: Quick-release fasteners, such as panel fasteners and Dzus fasteners, are used to secure access panels that need to be opened frequently, including those on avionics bays and equipment service hatches.
Flush Fasteners: Used to maintain aerodynamic smoothness, these fasteners are frequently applied on wing and control surface exteriors.
Shear Pins: Built to fail under specific loads, shear pins are installed in a wide range of emergency release systems and mechanical disconnects to control breakaway behavior.
Quick-Release Pins: These removable pins allow tool-less access to protected components and are frequently used in engine cowls, inspection panels, and modular equipment mounts.

Obtain Affordable Procurement Solutions on In-Demand Aircraft Fasteners

Owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, Hardware and Fasteners proudly provides access to an expansive selection of reliable nuts, bolts, and screws that fulfill a diverse set of aviation requirements. For quality assurance, all items on our website trace back to leading companies that we trust, and countless listings undergo varying levels of testing, inspection, and document verification prior to shipment. Bearing our commitments in mind, explore our database at your convenience to discover why a growing number of professionals consistently select our platform as their preferred purchasing hub.