training: courses
Why is fastener training important? The Fastener Training Institute is once again offering in-person classes throughout the U.S. and has live, monthly online webinars. Review their 2022 classes at fastenertraining.org.
The significance of choosing the right assembly method might not become obvious until an application fails, and the fasteners are to blame. Granted, it’s one thing if a few books fall off of loose shelving. But when it’s a vehicle with loose tire lug nuts or a pressurized bolted flange joint assembly that begins to leak, the outcome might result in a major safety hazard. Fasteners and bolted joints are critical to the safe operation of many types of equipment in applications including power generation, manufacturing, mining, and transportation. However, fasteners are typically one of the lowest cost items in any structure and are often the most neglected or last considered. This is, perhaps, one reason fastener training is of low priority in most design and engineering programs. In some ways, this makes sense. Fastener manufacturing is a mature industry, and the majority of producers supply high-volume parts with single-digit defects. Only rarely are the fasteners at fault for failures.
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“The vast majority of fastener-related problems arise from improper selection, specification, misuse, or installation,” shares John Wachman, managing director of the Fastener Training Institute (FTI), a non-profit launched by experienced industry professionals to provide fastener product training and continuing education. “But regardless of the cause, a fastener or joint failure can cost lives at worst or simply be a costly inconvenience.” When designing, manufacturing, or installing the larger assembly, it’s important to avoid overlooking the smaller, critical components that hold it together. “Fasteners can be simple components,” says Wachman. “Their complexity relates to the vast options that design engineers have when choosing the ideal components for an assembly.” The wrong choice can lead to shorter product lifespan, poorer performance or failures, and increased labor costs for repairs or replacements. To ensure fastener reliability and integrity, there are several factors to consider, including the:
December 2021 www.fastenerengineering.com
• Material properties • Temperature (minimums and maximums) • Environmental conditions (humidity, moisture, gas, debris, etc.) • Application stressors (vibration, dynamic loads, shock, etc.). It’s advisable to choose fasteners that are made of higher quality than the parts that they will hold together. However, there are more questions to ask. For example: How many fasteners are required for a given application — and to ensure the expected product life? What size, style, and equipment or tools are needed for proper assembly? Will the application need to be serviced and how often? “There are many fastener options, such as the size, as well as the diameter and length, head style, drive, material, coatings, plus any quality requirements,” Wachman points out. “The fastener industry is also innovative and without current knowledge or training, a superior fastener solution might be missed.” DESIGN WORLD
