H ARD W ARE
AMT 115 AIRCRAFT MATERIALS,
PROCESSES AND HARDWARE
A ircraft
H ard w are
A ircraft
H ard w are
S p ecif i
cation C on ven tion s
AN Air Force / Navy
NAS National Aerospace Standards
MS Military Standards
AMS Aeronautical Material
Specifications
SAE Society of Automotive Engineers
MIL Military Specifications
TEMPORARY JOINTS
Temporary joints are used where the
joint can be disassembled without
damage and where, usually, the same
fastener can be used to reassemble
the joint.
Bolts and nuts, circlips and quickrelease fasteners are, typically, used
in temporary joints.
PERMANENT JOINTS
Permanent joints. are those which are
not intended to be disassembled on a
frequent basis (if at all), and are joints
where either the fastening medium or
the joined components will suffer
damage in their separation
Adhesives, rivets and welds are
examples of uses of permanent joints.
FLEXIBLE JOINTS
Flexible joints allow movement of the
joined components relative to each
other.
Anti-vibration mounts, universal
couplings and hinges are devices
which may be employed in flexible
joints.
IMPORTANT!!!
Whatever fasteners are used to make a
particular joint, it must be ensured that only
the approved materials are utilized and that
their legality is confirmed.
This can be done by reference to published
Part Numbers, which are to be found in
Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, Wiring
Diagrams, Structural Repair Manuals,
Illustrated Parts Catalogues (also called
Illustrated Parts Lists) and other, approved,
S C R EW TH R EA D S
Threaded fasteners allow parts to be
fastened together with all of the strength that
unthreaded fasteners provide.
However, unlike rivets and pins, threaded
fasteners may be disassembled and
reassembled an almost infinite number of
times. Due to the large range of different
available fasteners, great care must always
be taken to select the correct fastener for
each particular installation.
In a similar manner to
the previously
mentioned wedges, a
thread with a small helix
angle (a fine thread),
will exert a greater force
than one with a larger
helix angle (a coarse
thread) for a given
Helix Angle
cylinder diameter.
Helix Angle of a Screw
Thread
S C R EW TH R EA D
TER M IN O LO G Y
There are two basic types of screw thread
fastener, these being the bolt and the screw.
A bolt is considered to have a plain shank
portion in addition to a threaded section,
whilst a screw has threads running the full
length of the shank with no plain portion.
There are exceptions to this general
statement, as shown by American AN
structural screws having a plain shank.
C lasses of Fit
C lasses of Fit
C lasses of Fit
The Class 3 fit is the standard type mostly
employed on aircraft, and would be typical of
a thread which is designed for use in a hightemperature environment and may require the
application of an anti-seize compound before
installation.
By comparison a fastener that is to be
subjected to high tension or shear loads,
associated with the securing of aircraft engine
parts, would need to be a Close tolerance type
B olts
S C R EW S
B O LTS
The bolts used in the construction of aerospace
components and structures, have evolved into a large
range of materials, shapes and sizes, all of which are
dictated by the applications for which the items have
been designed.
It is stressed here, that only the approved design
materials may be used for aerospace components.
While a selection of some of the bolts are presented
in these course notes, by way of introduction, the
relevant AMM, SRM and IPC will be the sole authority
for deciding the correct type of bolt that is to be used
in a particular application.
B ritish B olts
Id en tif c
iation of B S U n if i
ed
B olts
Id en tif c
iation of B S U n if i
ed
B olts
A m erican B olts
A m erican B olts
A m erican B olts
Id en tif i
cation of A N
S tan d ard B olts
AN24
Special-to-Type Bolts
The hexagon headed aircraft bolt AN3 AN20
(refer to Fig.10), is an all
purpose structural
bolt used for
applications
involving tension
or shear loads
where a light drive
fit is permissible.
Clevis Bolt
M etric B olts
Bolt Identification
Nuts
N U TS
N U TS
are of
robust construction and suitable
for shear and tensile loads. Some
plain hexagon nuts have a built
in collar or shoulder to give them
additional strength and thickness
for certain applications.
Wing Nuts
are used
where
the desired tightness can
be
obtained merely with
using the fingers and
where the assembly is
Stiffnuts Nuts
-A plain nut will depend upon friction
Anchor nuts
They allow threaded devices to be turned from
one side only when access to the back of the
fastener can not be achieved. They are usually
secured to the inside of structures by rivets during
construction, with their shape and size being
dictated by the amount of space available.
Anchor nuts are supplied with single or double
attachment points and may be either fixed or floating
in a cage. The anchor nut may be a single unit stiff
nut integral with the base plate, or an assembly
comprising stiff nut, cage and base plate. Single
attachment types are used in corners or where space
is limited and have two adjacent fixing points. Double
anchor nuts have a hole either side of the stiff nut.
SCREWS
-the most commonly used threaded
fastener in aircraft construction, and they
differ from bolts as they are generally made
from lower strength materials.
Machine Screws
-are used extensively for attaching fairings,
inspection plates, fluid line clamps and other light
structural parts. The main difference between
aircraft bolts and machine screws, is that the
threads of a machine screw usually run the length
of the shank, whereas bolts usually have an
unthreaded grip length.
A common machine screw used in aviation is the
fillister head screw, which can be wire-locked using
the drilled hole in the head. The countersunk head
screw is available with single or cross-point slotted
heads. The round head screw and the mushroom
head screw, provide good holding properties on thin
metal sheets.
Self-Tapping Screws
- have coarse threads and are used to secure soft
materials and thin sheets of metal. The type A screw
has a sharp point or gimlet, and the type B has a
blunt point with threads that are slightly finer than the
type A. There are four types of head in normal use,
round head, countersunk oval head, truss or
mushroom head and flush countersunk head.
STUDS
- are metal rods that are threaded at both ends.
In general they are used where it is not possible, or
desirable for a bolt to be used.
Standard Studs
-most widely used stud is the standard
(plain or parallel) type, in which the diameter
of the whole stud, along its length, is
constant. Standard studs are classified by the
thread type, diameter and overall length. The
metal thread is usually, finished very slightly
oversize to give a tight fit into the tapped hole
Waisted Studs
-are used where reduction of weight,
without the loss of strength, is of paramount
importance. The diameter of the plain portion
of the stud is reduced to the minor diameter
of the end threads, thus lightening the stud
without impairing its effective strength.
Stepped Studs
This type affords a stronger anchorage
than the standard type, if the metal
end of the stud has to be housed in soft
metal. The thread of the metal end is
one size larger than that of the nut
end.
Stepped studs are also used as
replacements for standard studs when
the tapped stud-hole has to be redrilled and tapped with a larger thread,
due to damage.
Shouldered Studs
-used where maximum rigidity of assembly
THREAD INSERTS
-are a means of providing a stronger
anchorage, for bolts, screws or studs, in the
comparatively softer metal alloys (aluminium,
magnesium, bronze), wood, plastics or
composite materials. They may also be used
when it is necessary to do a repair to a
threaded hole that has suffered damage.
2 BASIC Types of Thread Inserts
1. Wire Thread Inserts
2. Thin Wall Inserts
Roll Pins
- used to secure a pulley to a shaft or to provide a
pivot for a joint where the pin is unlikely to be
removed.
A roll pin is normally made from flat spring steel that
is rolled into an incomplete cylindrical shape that
allows the pin to compress when it is pressed into the
hole, and creates a spring action that holds the pin
tight within the bore of the hole. To remove a roll pin it
must be driven from the hole with a correct-sized
punch.
Clevis Pins
- used for hinge pins in some aircraft control
systems. They are made of cadmium-plated steel and
have grip lengths in 1/16-inch increments. When a
clevis pin is installed, a plain washer is usually placed
over the end of the shank and a cotter (split) pin is
inserted, through the pre-drilled hole in the clevis pin,
to lock it in place.
LOCKING DEVICES
Shake-Proof Washers
-are manufactured from steel or phosphor bronze
and are used in place of spring washers. In some
circumstances conical shake-proof washers are used
for locking countersunk screws.
Either the internal or the external diameters can be
serrated, the serration being designed to bite into the
component and nut to prevent rotation.
All shake-proof washers should be used ONLY ONCE.
It is rare for these washers to be specified in
assemblies where an anti-corrosion treatment of the
components has been specified, as this could
damage the treatment.
Tab Washers
-are normally used on plain nuts. The
washers are manufactured from thin metallic
sheet material and have two or more tabs
projecting from the external diameter. They
can also be designed for locking two or more
nuts.
Once the washer is installed, one tab is bent
against the component or inserted into a hole
provided, whilst a second tab is bent against
the flat (or flats) of the nut, after it has been
torque down correctly. Multi-tab washers can
be re-used until all tabs have been used
once.
Lock Plates
-are used where positive retention of a nut is
required. The nut is torque loaded and then if
necessary, turned a small amount, (< 1/12
revolution) until its flats align with the hole in the
lock plate . The lock plate is used where the nut is
frequently removed the plate can be used
indefinitely providing it retains a good fit with the
nut.
LOCKING WIRE
- Wire-locking (or Safetying as it is
known in the USA), is the commonest
form of locking in use throughout the
aircraft industry.
- a positive method of securing
items such as bolts, pipe unions,
turnbuckles and nuts. Components
designed to be wire-locked have holes
in the appropriate positions to enable
the lock wire to pass through.
QUICK-RELEASE FASTENERS
(QRF)
Special fasteners have been
designed to hold fairings,
cowlings and inspection panels
in position and to allow their
rapid removal and replacement
during servicing.
Dzus Fasteners
- Cowling and other inspection access doors will
usually be found with Dzus fasteners, that can be
locked and unlocked by a quarter turn of the stud.
Oddie Fasteners
-have a central stud, which is held in
position in the panel with a rubber washer or
a coiled spring. A two-legged clip is fastened
to the fixed component (usually with rivets).
The stud is bullet-shaped and has two
recesses opposite each other at the joint end.
Camloc Fasteners
- consist of a spring-loaded stud assembly
and a receptacle. The stud assembly is
fastened to the removable panel whilst the
receptacle is fastened to the airframe.
Airloc Fasteners
- consist of a stud with a cross-pin in the
removable cowling or door, and a sheet springsteel receptacle in the structure. The fastener
is locked by turning the stud through a quarter
turn. The pin drops into an indentation in the
receptacle and holds the fastener locked.
Locking Indications
Most quick release fasteners utilise a simple
method to indicate when they are in a locked
or unlocked position. This indication is
normally two painted or etched lines on
either side of the fastener head. The fastener
is locked when the marks align with the
screwdriver recess in the head
Pip-Pins
-are used in assemblies where it is
necessary to rapidly remove or reposition
components. They usually take the place of
more permanent bolts.
ADVANTAGES:
-materials being joined may or may not be similar
and the joints can be made proof against the leakage
of gases and liquids.
- normally good electrical insulators, which can
greatly reduce dissimilar corrosion on metal joints,
and are not normally affected by temperature
changes.
- not only saves the weight (and costs) associated
with threaded fasteners (and rivets), but also
eliminates the need to make holes in the structure,
for those fasteners, which avoids the possibility of
potential stress raisers.
-The absence of fasteners in an aircrafts skin
results in a smoother airflow around the aircraft, and
thus contributes to its aerodynamic efficiency.
- Adhesive bonded joints also provide greater
stiffening to the structure, compared to that achieved
DISADVANTAGES:
- the items to be stuck together
(the adherends), must be free from
grease, oil or dust,
- the type of adhesive must be
suitable for the conditions or
environment in which it is intended
to be placed.
- Fumes from adhesives can be
narcotic, toxic and extremely
flammable, so that great care must
be taken when applying adhesives.
Locking by Adhesives
- such as Shellac or Araldite to DTD 900
specification, may be used to lock many small
components, particularly those in
instruments, valves, and switches. Adhesive is
applied to the outside of the nut face and the
protruding screw thread, or to the component
and screw head, after tightening, and
prevents movement between relevant parts.