In the aerospace sector, fasteners, as key connecting and supporting elements, are essential for the operational safety and stability of mechanical equipment. This paper will introduce the special properties and manufacturing process requirements of aerospace fasteners in detail.
First, special performance
High strength: Aerospace equipment usually operates in extreme environments such as high temperature, high speed, and high load, so fasteners must have high strength to ensure stable work under various circumstances. For example, a special fastener for aircraft landing gear needs to withstand up to 20,000 pounds of pulling force to keep the plane safe when it lands.
High precision: aerospace equipment has high precision requirements, and the accuracy of fasteners directly affects the performance and safety of the equipment. For example, the diameter error of the screws on the aircraft needs to be controlled in the micron level to ensure the smoothness of the aircraft wing and reduce air resistance.
Corrosion protection: Aerospace equipment operates in a complex environment, and fasteners must have excellent corrosion resistance to ensure long-term stable operation of the equipment. For example, for aerospace equipment working in the Marine environment, its fasteners need to have excellent corrosion resistance to cope with environmental factors such as salt spray and moisture.
Second, manufacturing process requirements
Material selection: Aerospace fasteners have strict requirements for material selection, and it is necessary to consider the strength, corrosion resistance, processing performance and other factors. For example, high-strength alloy steel, titanium alloy, superalloy, etc., are commonly used fastener materials.
Heat treatment: Heat treatment is a key process to improve the strength and hardness of fasteners. Aerospace fasteners need to undergo special heat treatment processes to obtain higher strength and corrosion resistance. For example, a fastener used in an aeroengine is subjected to vacuum heat treatment to eliminate the effect of impurity elements on the material’s properties.
Surface treatment: Surface treatment can improve the corrosion resistance and friction properties of fasteners. Common surface treatment methods for aerospace fasteners include chrome plating, zinc plating, spraying wear-resistant coating, etc. For example, chrome plating can increase the hardness and wear resistance of fasteners, thereby improving their service life.
- Process flow
Design: According to the needs of aerospace equipment, design fasteners that meet the performance and safety requirements of equipment. Factors such as material selection, structural form and dimensional accuracy need to be considered in the design process.
Manufacturing: According to the design drawings, the use of appropriate materials and processes for fastener manufacturing. Material quality, machining accuracy and surface quality must be strictly controlled during manufacturing.
Assembly: The manufactured fasteners are assembled according to the design requirements to ensure the accuracy and firmness of the installation position of the fasteners.
- Quality control
Design quality control: Strict quality control is required during the design phase to ensure that the designed fasteners can meet the needs of aerospace equipment. Quality control measures include design review and establishment of design quality standards.
Production quality control: The quality control in the production stage is the key link to ensure the quality of fasteners. In the production process, strict material inspection, processing monitoring and finished product inspection are required to ensure that the quality of each link meets the requirements.
Assembly quality control: The quality control of the assembly stage is mainly to ensure the accuracy and firmness of the installation position of the fastener. Quality control measures include assembly process monitoring, finished product inspection, etc.
V. Conclusion
Aerospace fasteners are key connecting and supporting components, and their special properties and manufacturing process requirements directly affect the performance and safety of aerospace equipment. This paper introduces the special performance and manufacturing process requirements of high strength, high precision and anti-corrosion of aerospace fasteners, as well as the corresponding cases and data support. At the same time, the process flow and quality control measures for manufacturing aerospace fasteners are introduced in detail. With the continuous development of aerospace technology, the performance and manufacturing process requirements for fasteners will continue to improve. In the future, it is necessary to further study new materials, optimize design and manufacturing processes to improve the performance and reliability of aerospace fasteners and meet the evolving needs of the aerospace field.
