Structural Fasteners and Their Applications
In short: Structural fasteners carry significant loads in joints that must stay tight under vibration. Structural breakstem fasteners and lockbolts are fast alternatives to welding and nuts and bolts.
See: Light Engineering, Heavy EngineeringTalk to our technical team
A structural fastener is any fastener designed to carry significant loads in a joint that matters to the strength of the whole assembly.
Why use structural fasteners?
- High shear and tensile strength, with consistent clamp force.
- Vibration resistance: locked designs that do not work loose.
- An alternative to welding: no heat distortion, no damage to coatings, and no specialist welders needed.
- Speed: fast installation with the right tooling.
- Easy inspection: many types have a visible lock.
Main types
- Structural breakstem fasteners such as Monobolt®, Hemlok®, Maxlok®, Avtainer® and Avbolt®. Installed from one side, for medium-load joints. See Structural Breakstem Fasteners.
- Lockbolts (pin and collar): for the heaviest structural joints. See Lockbolt Fasteners.
- High-strength bolts: where joints must be removable.
Applications
- Truck, trailer and bus bodies
- Rail rolling stock
- Mining and earth-moving equipment
- Solar mounting structures and steel buildings
- Agricultural and industrial machinery
- Containers, racking and cabinets
Avlock manufactures and supplies structural fasteners through its Light Engineering and Heavy Engineering divisions, with the tools to install them.