Preload Control Method of Threaded Fasteners:A Review

Threaded fasteners are one of the most commonly used connection methods for mechanical structures.Its primary function is to generate appropriate clamping forces and fasten the connected parts.An inappropriate preload can cause loosening,fatigue fracture,and other problems.This will affect the safety and reliability of mechanical equipment.The precise control of the preload has become a critical issue in mechanical assembly processes.Over the past few decades,various tightening measures and methods have been proposed to address this issue.However,many problems continue to exist with practical applications that have not been reviewed comprehensively and systematically.First,various control methods were summarized systematically,and their advantages and disadvantages in engineering applications were analyzed.Torque control is the most widely used tightening method owing to its simple operation and low cost.Therefore,the research on the torque control method was summarized systematically from three aspects:the torque-preload correlation formula,effective friction radius,and friction characteristics during tightening.In addition,the special circumstances that may increase preload uncertainty were discussed.Finally,based on a summary of the current research status,the prospects for future research were discussed.This study would aid researchers in extensively understanding the problems in preload control.

Review of research on loosening of threaded fasteners

Loosening of threaded fasteners is a key failure mode,which is mainly caused by the slippage and friction behaviors on the thread and bearing surfaces,and will affect the integrity and reliability of products.Numerous scholars have conducted research on the loosening of threaded fasteners;however,comprehensive reviews on the loosening of threaded fasteners have been scarce.In this review article,we define loosening as a loss of preload and divide it into non-rotational and rotational loosening.The causes and mechanisms of non-rotational and rotational loosening are summarised.Some essential topics regarding loosening under transverse vibration have also attracted significant attention and have been investigated widely,including the loosening curve,critical condition of loosening,and influencing factors of loosening.The research carried out on these three topics is also summarised in this review.It is believed that our work will not only help new researchers quickly understand the state-of-the-art research on loosening,but also increase the knowledge of engineers on this critical subject.In the future,it is important to conduct more quantitative research on local slippage accumulation,and the relationship between local slippage accumulation and rotational loosening,which will have the potential to comprehensively unravel the loosening mechanism,and effectively guide the anti-loosening design of threaded fasteners.