Fasteners in Aerospace

Aerospace Fasteners

Fastener supply to the Aerospace industry proves a special challenge to both the fastener manufacturer and supplier; only fastener companies that meet the task advertise here. 

Aerospace fastener specialists supply fastener components for aircraft engines, airframe and hydraulic systems.  

The quality level for Aerospace fasteners exceed most other industries, the failure of a vehicle in the air would be catastrophic.    

Aerospace Quality Standards 

AS9100 and AS9120 are the USA and international quality management standards specifically written by the Aerospace industry to control quality and assure the integrity of supplies to the Aerospace industry. They have been published in Europe as EN9100/9120,  and in the Far East as SJAC9100/9120.

AS9100 BS9100 and EN9100 

For organisations that design and manufacture products for the Aerospace industry including parts, components and assemblies. 

AS9120 BS9120 and EN9120 

For stockists and distributors of parts to manufacturers that supply the Aerospace industry. These standards address the chain of custody, traceability, stock control and availability of records.

Fasteners in the aerospace engineering have evolved in synchronicity with the aerospace industry. Development of aircraft for commercial, shipping, military and business use, along with ballistic missiles and rockets, exerts significant performance pressure on aircraft fasteners producers. Fasteners are required to be highly durable to withstand extreme gravitational stresses. Even though fasteners account for less than three per cent of aircraft manufacturing cost, they represent important components that influence the overall safety and efficiency of an aircraft. The aerospace sector uses a variety of fasteners for example bolts, nuts, washers, rivets, collars, screws, spacers and pins. All these fasteners are required to be certified to rigorous standards managing their production and use.

Fasteners for Aircraft

Fasteners are critical components fixing or holding together two openings of a part. Advances in the aerospace fastening technology have enabled these components to be extremely resilient, providing high levels secure and safe connections or joints for aviation. Advances in precision engineering have enabled manufacturers to develop custom fastening products based on national and international requirements. Furthermore, improvement in technology enables focus on quality and function of fasteners in order to comply with the rising focus on safety and security of aircraft components. Robotic fastening processes offering benefits such as low cost of airframe assembly labour, reduced variability in assembly, as well as improved assembly throughput, are growing in popularity.

Demand for aerospace fasteners is greatly influenced by the type of aircraft in addition to the number of airplanes delivered. For example, an Airbus A380 requires about eight times the volume of fasteners required by an A320; while an A350 require up to five times the number of fasteners required by single-aisle jetliners like the A320. Consequently, the mix of aeroplanes in the fleet is also a crucial factor determining the demand for aerospace fasteners. The market for aerospace fasteners is influenced by the metals and materials used to manufacture the fasteners. The volume of fasteners used in modern aircraft has been declining over time. Innovation in the field of fastening technology is driving growth in the aerospace market, as companies race to offer high-tech, high-performance fasteners.

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