Threaded rods are the fastener of choice when joining large parts of an aircraft together. That’s because of their impeccable fastening performance and tensile strength. Aerospace Manufacturing produces custom aerospace threaded rods as well as one of the most common aerospace threaded rod series, NAS1454, for industry leading aerospace and defense companies and large OEMs.
NAS1454 Aerospace Threaded Rod Characteristics
NAS1454 threaded rods are available in Carbon steel (cadmium plated), Brass (no plating) and corrosion resistant steel (passivated) with many different lengths and threading options available. Common applications of NAS1454 threaded rods include aviation, both civil and military, and commercial electronics. Naturally, to achieve the desired toughness and strength characteristics, our fasteners must be heat-treated.
Procure Aerospace Threaded Rods from Aerospace Manufacturing
With forging presses, thread rolling machines, warm heading machines, as well as a 6,000 square foot facility dedicated exclusively to electroplating for cadmium, we can significantly reduce lead times and control quality. We also perform aging in-house to achieve the desired toughness and strength characteristics for our aerospace threaded rods.
Unlike other kinds of aerospace fasteners, aerospace pins are meant to function as pivots, axles and fulcrums. One of the most common aerospace pins we manufacture is the MS20392 series.
Common MS20392 Series
MS20392 pins are also called “Clevis Pins” or “Mil-Spec Clevis Pins.” MS20392 pins are part of a three-piece fastener system that includes a drilled hole in the shank through which a split pin (cotter pin) in placed. They are commonly used to secure control surfaces, often in military applications.
– MS20392-1P9
– MS20392-1R31
– MS20392-2P19
– MS20392-2P21
– MS20392-2R33
Characteristics of MS20392 Aerospace Pins
MS20392 aerospace pins are available in steel alloy, corrosion resistant steel (stainless steel), and titanium alloy with finishes ranging from passivated steel to cadmium or chrome. Lengths range from 4.281 inches to .219 inches. Diameters range from .125 inches to 1 inch.
Procure Aerospace Pins from Aerospace Manufacturing
Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer that create high strength, close tolerance fasteners, including screws, bolts, pins, and studs.
Before we explain what aerospace studs are (and are not), we must cover a few terms. First: fasteners. Fasteners include bolts, screws, studs, nuts and rivets. The one and only purpose of any fastener is to clamp parts together. They are not meant to position aircraft parts relative to one another, or to function as axles, pivots or fulcrums. Aerospace fasteners clamp two parts together. Period.
Fasteners are differentiated not so much as by what they do but by how they function. While screws are headed, externally threaded fasteners that are threaded into the material they will hold, bolts are headed fasteners are made to meet an exact thread specification so they can accept a non-tapered nut.
Aerospace studs are a combination — a hybrid — between a bolt and a screw. One end of a stud functions as a bolt and the other functions as a screw.
When are Aerospace Studs Used?
Aerospace studs are the preferred fastener in many heavy-duty applications, from propulsion systems to helicopters. Because they do not rotate during tightening — the nut is tightened instead — studs make it easier to achieve highly accurate torque values and reduce the chance of the main cap walking. For the same reason, studs also cause less wear and tear to the block’s threads and thereby extend its serviceable life.
Types of Aerospace Studs
Four general types of aerospace studs are used in structural applications in aircraft: coarse thread (NAS183, for example), fine thread (NAS184, for example), lockring studs (MS51551, for example), and stepped studs. Stepped studs have a different thread on each end of the stud. Fine thread, lockring, and coarse thread studs have identical threads on each end.
Studs are either drilled or undrilled at the nut end. Both fine thread studs and coarse studs are made from alloy steel and must be heat treated. The AS7481, for example, is used primarily in aerospace propulsion system applications thanks to its excellent creep resistance and resistance to stress rupture. It is heat treated after the threads are rolled. Lockring studs include a lockring that prevent it from failing due to stress, extreme vibration or drastic variations in temperature.
Procure Aerospace Studs from Aerospace Manufacturing
Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance fasteners made to all standards. We also create custom specials made to print.
Stratolaunch Systems, the company founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2011, is one step closer to reaching it’s goal: making access to space more convenient, reliable, and routine. That’s because they just tested all 6 engines on the world’s largest aircraft, the Stratolaunch, which will serve as an airborne launch platform for rockets headed to space.
Meet the World’s Largest Aircraft
The Stratolaunch is capable of carrying payloads up to 550,000 pounds. It’s 117 meter (385 foot) wingspan is wider than a football field. It gets its power from no less than six 747 engines and has 28 wheels. It will have a maximum takeoff weight of 1.3 million pounds. It weighs 500,000 pounds without fuel.
When will the Stratolaunch become Operational?
After unveiling the aircraft in May, the company has been taking it slow. Over the next several months they will continue testing Stratolaunch’s engines and will start taxiing on the ground. It’s first mission will be to help launch Orbital ATK’s Pegasus XL rocket, a relatively small rocket capable of carrying satellites of up to 1,000 pounds in weight.
Aerospace Manufacturing was founded in 1986. We are AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer that creates high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners including standards such as AN, MIL, MS, NA, NAS, as well as custom specials made to print.
We are a trusted source for numerous world-class OEM leaders including, but not limited to Sikorsky, NAVICP, NASA and Lockheed Martin.
Ever heard the expression “failure is not an option”? It is twice as true in aerospace. That’s why heat treated bolts are necessary.
Aerospace bolts are one of the most critical components in any aircraft, rotorcraft or spacecraft. They must meet incredibly demanding requirements in order to perform in such extreme environments.We create aerospace bolts from many superalloys and exotic materials. To further enhance the performance characteristics of some bolts, we must heat treat them.
Here’s an introduction to heat treated bolts in aerospace and the heat treatment process.
Kinds of Heat Treatment
While aerospace bolts are made of a plethora of exotic materials (superalloys like Waspaloy and Inconel 718; nickel alloys like Monel and K-Monel, titanium, etc.), many are made of aluminum and its alloys. Though there’s nothing exotic about aluminum, it makes up 50% of the aerospace materials market. Numerous aluminum alloys exist, and some like aluminum 7075 are nearly as strong as steel. All aluminum alloys are classified as either heat treatable or not heat treatable. Heat treated bolts are put through one of the following processes to achieve optimal performance in their given applications:
Quenching – Quenching can be called the most essential step in heat treatment. It is designed to create a super-saturated solid solution at room temperature. Various quenching mediums are used, but water is the most common and most effective. Some heat treated bolts, particularly those made of superalloys, must be quenched using gas quenching. Most heat treatable aluminum alloys are artificially aged following quenching.
Annealing – Annealing is a process used to relieve stresses, to stabilize properties and dimensions, to increase ductility, and to soften strain-hardened and heat treated superalloys — but at a loss of strength. Many kinds of annealing exist, and different processes are used depending on the alloy.
Solution heat treatments – Solution heat treatment is achieved by heating and holding aluminum and alloys to a temperature just below their eutectic melting temperature. This causes the alloy to become a homogenous solid solution. Solution heat treatment is a complicated process. Overheating and underheating can cause a loss in tensile strength, fracture toughness, and ductility.
Precipitation heat treatments – Precipitation heat treatments provide hardening by precipitation constituents from solid solution. Precipitation heat treatment involves a complicated system of time and temperature dependant changes to achieve the desired results.
Age hardening – Age hardening can be achieved in two ways: naturally and artificially. Natural age hardening refers to the hardening that occurs naturally after quenching. The degree of hardening depends on the alloy. Artificial age hardening refers to the process of reheating quenched materials to around 212 degrees Fahrenheit and 424 degrees Fahrenheit.
Procure Heat Treated Bolts from Aerospace Manufacturing
Aerospace Manufacturing creates high strength, close tolerance heat treated bolts to AN, MIL, MS, NA, NAS standards of the finest super alloys such as Inconel, A-286, Waspaloy, Titanium, and other exotic materials.
Weight is money in aviation. Heavier airliners take more fuel to get from point A to point B. When you consider the fact that an average Boeing 777 in a 30-year lifetime will fly:
3,500 hours a year
At an average speed of 500 miles per hour
For a total of 30 x 3500 x 500 = 52,500,000 miles, or roughly the distance to Mars
That’s a lot of fuel! By volume, 50% of the aerospace materials market consists of the same garden variety metal you use to wrap up your dinner leftovers: aluminum. That’s because aluminum is lightweight and strong. But that’s not the whole story. The other 50% is made up of exotic materials like carbon fiber reinforced polymers and beryllium that allow airplanes to travel faster, farther and longer without refueling.
Exotic Materials, Their Properties and Uses in Aviation
Density
In aerospace design, the density of the material used is critical to maintaining the balance and weight distributions of the aircraft. The specified weight of a material per cubic inch is the preferred method of measurement because it can determine the weight of a part before it is actually manufactured. Titanium has an excellent strength-to-density ratio, which explains why Titanium bolts are commonly used in aircraft landing gears. Carbon fiber reinforced polymers also have an amazing strength-to-density ratio, which explains why they are replacing aluminum for both structural and component applications in aerospace. Use of carbon fiber can reduce an airliner’s weight by 20%. The Airbus A350 XWB’s sweeping wingtips, which are made of carbon fiber, deliver roughly 5% in fuel savings. 50% of the airframe of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which you can see being constructed in the video above, is made of carbon fiber.
Strength
Strength measures a material’s ability to resist deformation or breaking from stress. Chrome-molybdenum steel, which is steel made of a small percentage of molybdenum and chromium, is stronger than carbon steel but it remains highly ductile and malleable. For that reason it has virtually replaced carbon steel in landing gears, engine mounts, and fuselage tubing. Inconel bolts, made of Inconel 718, retain a 220ksi (kilopound per square inch) tensile strength even at temperatures of 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hardness
Related to strength, harness is the measure of a metal’s ability to withstand cutting, abrasion, penetration, or permanent distortion. Certain aluminum alloys popular in aviation are hardened like steel with heat treatment. Chromium steel is high in hardness and strength, which makes it ideal for use as the balls and rollers of antifriction bearings, as well as in H11 tool steel bolts, which have excellent resistance to stress, impact, gross cracking and thermal fatigue cracking.
Elasticity
Elasticity is the property that allows a metal to return to its original shape and size when the force that causes the change is removed. Obviously this is an incredibly important quality in aerospace manufacturing, as you wouldn’t want parts to be permanently distorted after an applied load is removed. Each metal has an elastic limit, beyond which a force will cause permanent distortion. Nickel is a common element used to increase a steel’s elastic limit, tensile strength, and hardness. Nickel steels containing between 3 to 3.75 percent nickel are used extensively for aircraft parts, such as aerospace bolts, pins, clevises, keys and terminals.
Ductility
Ductile metals are essential to aviation. Ductility refers to a metal’s ability to be permanently twisted, bent or drawn into different shapes without breaking. Ductile metals are found in many areas of an airplane because of their resistance to failure even under extreme shock loads. Aluminum alloys are both lightweight and very ductile, making them idea for use in the fuselage, as wing skin, and for ribs, spars, bulkheads and other extruded parts.
Malleability
Similar to ductility, malleability refers to a metal’s ability to be pressed, rolled or hammered into particular shapes without breaking or cracking. Copper is an example of a malleable and ductile metal, which is why it is most commonly used in wiring. In aerospace, copper and copper alloys are essential to electrical systems and instrument tubing. Bronze, a copper alloy containing tin, is used for tube fittings in aircraft. Copper aluminum alloys, called aluminum bronzes, are among the most common in aircraft, and are used in air pumps, gears, diaphragms, and condenser bolts.
Conductivity
Conductivity is the property that enables a metal to carry electricity or heat. Heat conductivity is important in aviation because of its important role in determines how much heat is necessary to weld two metals together. When designing an aircraft, it’s important to know different metals’ electrical conductivity in order to eliminate radio interference.
Thermal Expansion
Referring to the contraction and expansion of metals as a result of heating or cooling. A metal’s thermal expansion is an especially important consideration when designing castings, welding jigs, and when working with hot rolled material. Waspaloy, a truly exotic material, is a nickel-based superalloy that contains everything from cobalt and chromium to titanium. It is uniquely reliable at high temperatures, making Waspaloy bolts ideal for the hottest areas of an aircraft: as turbine blades, shafts, rings, seals and turbine disks.
Toughness and Brittleness
One of the most desirable qualities of aircraft metal, toughness determines how much a metal can be stretched or deformed without breaking. Brittleness, on the other hand, is a metal’s ability to withstand deformation and bending without shattering. Hardened steels, cast aluminum and cast iron are all examples of very brittle metals that are not suitable for structural applications on an aircraft.
See What We Create at Aerospace Manufacturing
Aerospace Manufacturing uses exotic materials to create high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners that meet the expectations of clients ranging from the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin to Sikorsky and NASA.
In the world of aviation, there is a never ending need for greater thrust output and improved fuel efficiency. That means gas turbine engines creating higher stresses and more extreme environments for aircraft bolts. Answering the call have been so-called superalloys that can withstand unthinkable, other-worldly environments and still perform optimally.
At Aerospace Manufacturing, we work with these superalloys to create high strength, close tolerance bolts trusted by the likes of the US Navy, NASA, Sikorsky and others, including MP35N bolts, Titanium bolts, Waspaloy bolts, H11 tool steel bolts, Inconel bolts, and more.
Benefits of MP35N Bolts in Aerospace
In terms of exotic materials, MP35N bolts are certainly unique. MP35N is a nonmagnetic, nickel-cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy that provides extreme tensile strength (up to 300 ksi), excellent ductility, and superb corrosion resistance. MP35N is generally 35% Nickel, 35% Cobalt, 20% Chromium, and 10% Molybdenum. It has the highest fatigue strength of corrosion resistant fastener materials.
– It is highly corrosion resistant, especially to saltwater, hydrogen sulphide and chloride solutions
– Extremely resistant to stress corrosion cracking and crevice cracking even under extreme pressure.
– At room temperature, has a tensile strength of 227-294 ksi
– It maintains strength in maximum operating temperature of 800°F, but more typically used between 700°F and 750°F.
– Can be cold and hot worked and formed by several different processes
– Machinability similar to but slightly better than that of Waspaloy.
MP35N Bolts are used for…
– Structural components on the Space Shuttle
– Airframes
– Tie rods
– Petrochemical equipment
– Submersibles
– Marine equipment
– Leading edge strips
– Any other situation where high strength and good corrosion resistance are the most extreme demands.
Procure MP35N Bolts from Aerospace Manufacturing
Aerospace Manufacturing is AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved and a Phillips Screw licensee. To find exactly the bolt or bolts you need, search our extensive inventory. Getting a quote has never been easier!
Inconel bolts are trusted to perform in some of the most punishing applications in aviation. So, what exactly is it about this exotic material makes it so strong and reliable?
We’re glad you asked.
What is Inconel?
Inconel is an austenitic nickel-chromium superalloy that is remarkable for its performance in such demanding environments as nuclear facilities and in aircraft exhaust systems. Its excellent balance of corrosion resistance, high thermal stability, toughness and strength make it a particularly desirable exotic material for aerospace bolts.
As an alloy, Inconel is a mixture of several different kinds of metals. Different kinds of Inconel sport different ingredients and are treated differently to change their ductility, strength, hardness, etc. The most common kind of Inconel used in aerospace is Inconel 718 (UNS N07718).
Inconel 718 fasteners contain iron, molybdenum, niobium as well as smaller amounts of titanium and aluminum. These give Inconel 718 fasteners the exceptional properties – thermal stability and corrosion resistance – that Inconel is known for.
Wondering how anything could possibly cut one of the strongest metals in existence? Check out the video below.
The large block of metal is Inconel, and the thing cutting it is a superhard ceramic head rotating at an extremely high speed.
Benefits of Inconel Bolts in Aerospace
– Exceptional corrosion resistance
– Withstands temperatures as high as 1,600 °F.
– Tensile strength of 100,000 psi annealed, 125,000 psi when hard rolled, about twice as strong as Inconel 625
– Highly resistant to salt water
– Welds easily in either annealed or aged
– Can be worked with easily, similar to other corrosion resistant steels
Inconel Bolts are used for…
– Aircraft exhaust systems
– Gas turbine engines
– Airframe parts
– Rocket motors
– Spacecraft
– Nuclear reactors, pumps and tooling
Procure Inconel Bolts from Aerospace Manufacturing
Aerospace Manufacturing is AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved and a Phillips Screw licensee.
Examples of Inconel bolts that we manufacture include MS14183L-C7, MS14181-06036L, MS14181-03006, MS14181-H12-120P and many more. To find your preferred bolt, search our extensive inventory. Getting a quote is quick and simple!
When you think of a screw, you likely picture a Phillips-head screw – the one with the slots that look like a plus sign. That’s no mistake. The Phillips Screw Company set the standard for fasteners during the era of mass production in the 1920s and quickly became ubiquitous. Phillips-head screws became ubiquitous thanks to their impeccable design and ease of manufacture. Today, Phillips Screw Company remains a leader in the design of proprietary aerospace fastener technology. It relies on a global network of licensed manufacturers, including Aerospace Manufacturing, to create Phillips screws to precise specifications.
Phillips Screws: Setting the Standard for Aerospace Fasteners
Phillips-head screw was originally designed for power tools, especially power tools operating on assembly lines. The shallow, cruciform slot in the screw allows drivers – the systems used to turn the screw – to:
-Engage fast
-Stay engaged
-Avoid sliding out from centrifugal force
These advantages revolutionized production and saved manufacturers unimaginable sums in:
-Time
-Damaged components
-Labor costs
Benefits of Phillips Aerospace Fasteners
Phillips Screw Company continues to lead the way with the industry’s most innovative and trusted aerospace fasteners. Phillips fasteners continue to outperform competitors thanks to specifications that allow for:
-Greater paint buildup
-Elevated damage tolerance
-Reduced cam-out
-Higher torque performance
Need Phillips Aerospace Fasteners?
Look no further than Aerospace Manufacturing! We are incredibly proud to manufacture fasteners under the trademarks of Phillips Screw Company, including:
Aerospace Manufacturing is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance fasteners produced to AN, MIL, MS, NA, and NAS standards. We invite you to check out our brochure, our manufacturing capabilities, our large inventory of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners, or to create your own custom quote!
Chromium tool steels, also called H series steels (H1 through H19), have a balanced alloy content and suffer minimal distortion during hardening. Tool steels get their name because they are ideally suited for use as tools. This is due to their unique toughness, abrasion resistance, and their ability to resist deformation even at extreme temperatures and under extreme stress.
H11, H12 and H13 are the most commonly used varieties. H11 tool steel bolts are made of between 4.75% and 5.25% chromium. Its machinability rate is roughly 75% that of W group tool steels.
Benefits of H11 tool steel bolts in Aerospace
-Can be readily welded, machined, forged, and cold worked with conventional methods
-Extreme resistance to stress and impact
-Good resistance to thermal fatigue cracking
-Excellent resistance to gross cracking and thermal shock
-Good tensile strength: 289,000 psi
H11 tool steel bolts are used for…
H11 tool steel bolts are ideal for use in highly stressed areas of an aircraft, such as its landing gear. Common aerospace fasteners made of H11 tool steel include the MS21297 Series.
Order High Strength, Close Tolerance H11 Tool Steel Bolts
Aerospace Manufacturing creates a diversified product line of High Strength, Close Tolerance Aerospace Fasteners for large OEM Aerospace and Defense contractors.
We are AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved and our engineers are trusted by world-class OEM leaders like Bombardier, DLA, NASA, General Electric, and Lockheed Martin to build the most challenging fasteners. Our large inventory includes bolts made from exotic materials, including Titanium bolts, Waspaloy bolts and much more!
