Welding is not the only way to ensure the integrity of joints in demanding load-bearing or high-vibration structures. One alternative is direct-tension installed, swaged lockbolts, such as HuckBolts from Howmet Fastening Systems. These uniquely engineered fasteners are now being increasingly incorporated in a number of products and structures where welding was once the only option.

Installed with a single trigger press to deliver high, consistent preload, these fasteners have been proven inSource: Howmet Fastening Systems demanding applications, such as truck suspensions and chassis, railroad track crossings and heavy defense vehicles. The two-piece fastener consists of a hardened metal pin and a metal collar that swages into the grooves of the pin, forming a specific, measured clamp force to hold assembled parts together. They are installed using a direct tension technique, in which the pin is pulled and the collar is simultaneously swaged into the locking grooves of the pin, deforming the collar into the grooves.

HuckBolts can be effectively used with virtually any metal, and dissimilar metals with dissimilar coefficients of thermal expansion present no problems. Varying piece sizes in a joint are readily accommodated, and surface finishes are not impacted by the use of these durable components that deliver a consistent clamp for a strong, stable and vibration-resistant joint.