Aircraft fasteners assemble aerostructures such as fuselages, wings, empennage, pylons, nacelles, and flight control surfaces.

These fasteners must be robust enough to withstand heavy gravity pressures to ensure aircraft safety and efficiency.

They must also meet stringent quality standards to ensure high precision. Please continue reading to discover more about aviation fasteners and their performance characteristics.

Types of Fasteners

Fasteners are pieces of hardware that are used to join two or more components. They are a crucial part of product design and assembly.

There are many different fastener types, each suited for a particular application. However, a few key things to consider when choosing a suitable fastener from top fastener distributors for your project are.

Bolts are one of the most common types of fasteners. They feature a solid head on one end, with threads on the other secured by a washer and nut.

Screws are another popular type of fastener. They have a solid head on one end, with a thread on the other secured by a hex or hexagonal nut.

They are durable fastener that has very high holding power. They are also very versatile, as they can create non-permanent joints.

Cables

Cables are stranded wires used in various applications, including harnesses, tie-downs, stabilizers, safety fasteners, and more. In addition, these cables are used on airplanes and in other commercial, military, and industrial uses.

Aircraft cable manufacturers stock several different types of aircraft cables. Some of the most common are stainless steel, galvanized steel, and various other alloys.

Most of these cables have normal breaking strength ranging from 480 lbs to 14,400 lbs. In addition, they are available in various diameters and styles, including die-cast zinc, swaged aluminum, and swaged copper.

These cables are also available in a specialized control cable called lock clad. This type of cable has an aluminum tube swaged over it to offer benefits like dampened vibration, reduced creep stretch, and improved seals through pressure walls.

Cotter Pins

Cotter pins are a type of fastener that can be used for several different applications. First, they are often used to lock a nut on a bolt in a machine, especially in situations where vibrations may cause the nut to loosen.

Cotter pins can be found in a wide range of sizes and materials.

The most common cotter pins are barrel-shaped. These types look like cylinders and can connect threaded hoses or pipes.

Another standard cotter pin is the split cotter. These are similar to the traditional cotter pin but have a pronounced loop at their closed end.

They can be installed into pre-drilled parts and secured with a deformable tine. They can also be used as shear pins, preventing a clevis pin from moving around when a nut is inserted.

Nuts

Several types of nuts are available in the aerospace market, and they all serve a particular purpose. For example, some are used with bolts and have slots machined into them to accommodate cotter pins for safety purposes.

Others are self-locking nuts, which resist turning and coming loose without relying on pre-load or friction against the surface metal. These are available in both elastic and all-metal versions.

Another type is a stop nut, which has a nylon insert to prevent it from loosening after installation. It is readily available in several sizes to match standard AN bolts.

Castle nuts are another common airframe hardware item used with drilled shank bolts, clevis bolts, and eye bolts. They are usually used with shear load applications and have slots that accommodate a cotter pin for safety purposes.