Fasteners for the Rail Industry
In short: Rail equipment runs under constant vibration, heavy loads and changing temperatures, so fasteners must stay tight for years. Vibration-proof lockbolts are widely used on rolling stock, wagons and rail structures.
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Behind the locomotives, signalling and track that keep a railway running, thousands of fasteners hold everything together. In rail, a single failed fastener can mean a safety risk, unplanned maintenance or a vehicle out of service.
Where fasteners are used in rail
- Rolling stock: wagon bodies, underframes, bogies and fittings.
- Track and infrastructure: securing rails, switches and signalling equipment.
- Structures: bridges, platforms, gantries and depots.
What rail fasteners must withstand
- Safety-critical loads. Fasteners must resist the forces from moving trains, braking and thermal expansion. A failure can lead to track deformation or worse.
- Constant vibration. Conventional nuts and bolts can work loose under vibration, which means regular inspection and retightening.
- Long service life. Heavy freight and high-speed traffic stress every joint, so fasteners must keep their integrity for years with minimal maintenance.
- The environment. Fasteners must cope with moisture, temperature changes and corrosion, on different track and vehicle designs.
Why lockbolts are used on rolling stock
For wagon and coach construction, lockbolts are the standard choice. A lockbolt’s collar is swaged permanently onto the pin, so it cannot vibrate loose, and every fastener is installed to the same clamp force. That means safer joints and far less maintenance than threaded fasteners. See Lockbolt Fasteners: How They Work and Why They Last.
Larger lockbolts are installed with hydraulic tooling, which gives fast, consistent installation in production and in the depot.
Investing in the right fastening system is not just an operational choice in rail: it is a safety decision. Avlock’s technical team can help select the fastener and tooling for each application.