Threaded fastener loosening is one of the most common issues in machinery manufacturing and operations. Keeping fasteners tight appears like a simple task, but the moving nature of the machines they are used on is what makes it problematic. While the working principle of nails and rivets is fairly well known, the physics of the threaded fastener is not as well understood and seems to cause some major problems. Thankfully, the invention of a threadlocker helps relieve much of the concern involving the issue of loosening threaded fasteners.
The main cause of this problem is the side-sliding or shifting of the threads. It is through the gap between the threads of nuts and bolts that causes movement which results in self-loosing as well as a loss of clamping force. Every this occurs, the bold can unwind by itself until the loosening problem happens. This is where a threadlocker comes in rescue to minimize or prevent the loss of clamp load in threaded fasteners.
The earliest form of threadlocking involves the use of lock wires and split pins but this comes with serious disadvantages such as inefficiency for long use and difficulty. As fastener manufacturing skills improved, more elaborate methods of threadlocking were developed such as liquid or chemical threadlockers. This kind of threadlocker effectively addressed all the design faults and shortcomings of threaded fasteners.
Chemical threadlockers are anaerobic liquid threadlocking agents that cure to a tough, solid-state when activated by a combination of contact with metal and, of course, lack of air. The cured material is a thermoset plastic that is very durable and can resist most solvents. The key purpose of this threadlocker is to lock and even seal threaded components without changing fastener characteristics or affecting their torque-tension relationships. Overall, chemical threadlockers offer a lot of advantages over mechanical tightening methods.
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