How Are Aircraft Parts and Fasteners Safetied?
For the construction of a standard aircraft, a plethora of fasteners may be used to create robust assemblies that are capable of withstanding all the forces and weathering typically faced during standard flight operations. Although aviation bolts, nuts, pins, and other fasteners are all designed to be rigid and have high integrity, engineers will often utilize a number of safetying methods in order to ensure that they never become loose or fail due to high vibration. As a necessary step of maintenance and inspection procedures, understanding how to implement safetying for aircraft parts is crucial for guaranteeing an airworthy assembly. In this blog, we will provide an overview of the primary aircraft parts that are used to fasten assemblies, as well as how to provide safetying for them.
Pins are one of the primary types of aircraft fasteners used for assembly, and they may be installed to secure controls, gears, pulleys, and other light loads. Regarding aviation pins in particular, such fasteners may commonly come in the form of taper, flathead, and cotter pins. With a taper pin, the shear loads of joints can be accommodated, and a wire may be used for safetying. With a flathead pin, or clevis pin, secondary control components and tie rod terminals may be secured. Roll pins are often implemented with the use of hand tools and compression, and safetying is achieved through the pressure used for installation.
Bolts, nuts, and screws are fasteners that may be used in a variety of areas on an aircraft, allowing for assemblies to be secured in a permanent or non-permanent fashion. While screws may bore their way into a material to create their own threading, bolts are paired with nuts to secure components together through tightening on both sides of the assembly. With all three aircraft fastener types, safetying is often achieved through the use of safety wiring. Wiring is usually the primary safety equipment choice for securing installations due to its ability to tighten as fasteners loosen. If there are a series or group of aviation bolts, nuts, and screws in a given area, safety wiring may be connected to each component rather than individually. Despite this, safety wiring can never exceed 24 inches in length when being used to secure a series of aviation bolts. When wiring fasteners, one should always check to ensure that the fastener in question is sufficiently tightened with an optimal amount of torque before implementing the safety wiring.
Wiring can also serve as useful safety equipment for a number of other aircraft assemblies as well. With oil caps, drain cocks, and valves, wiring may be attached to a fillister head screw that is adjacent to the component. For such parts, wiring is typically implemented for each individual component, rather than being secured in a series. Generally, an anchorage lip may be available for wiring to be attached, through adjacent sections of the assembly may be used as well.
As electrical connector components are critical for the operation of electronics and many flight instruments, safetying may be used to secure coupling nuts that undergo high amounts of vibration. If the coupling nut becomes loose, there is a chance that the connector could disconnect and cause the cable to open. As such, the wire should be short and attached in such a way that it causes the nut to be drawn tighter to the plug when the wire is tugged.
Turnbuckles are also aircraft parts that benefit from safety equipment, and they should be secured after they have been sufficiently adjusted within the assembly. In older aircraft, wire wrapping may be used in a similar way to the securing of other aircraft parts. For such assemblies, the safety wiring is typically installed through the double wrap method with two separate lengths of wire. In more modern aircraft, however, clip locking may be used instead and is often the most preferred method.
By safetying aircraft parts and fasteners, assemblies can be better protected from vibration that may cause parts to loosen. At Internet of Components, customers can find a multitude of available aircraft parts and safety equipment that have been sourced from a variety of top global manufacturers that we trust. As you explore our expansive part catalogues, you may request a personalized quote at any time by filling out and submitting an Instant RFQ form as provided through our website. Begin the purchasing process today for the parts that you are interested in and experience how Internet of Components can fulfill all of your operational needs with ease.
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