An article entitled “Verifying Quality and Reliability with Fastener Testing” by an LTI associate was published in the January/February 2016 edition of American Fastener Journal magazine. The article discusses the importance of testing both the raw materials used to manufacture industrial fasteners and the finished fasteners themselves, in order to ensure their safety and reliability. A wide range of test methods and the information obtained from the tests are presented.
Value of Raw Material and Finished Fastener Testing
Most industrial fasteners are covered by standards for materials, dimensions and tolerances. These standards stipulate the types of tests to be completed, which can be either destructive and/or non-destructive testing, and are available to perform the following:
- assess material composition
- evaluate mechanical properties and corrosion resistance
- verify feature dimensions
- identify flaws or discontinuities
In the article, the author writes about the most common types of fastener testing and how these services are used throughout the product life cycle by fastener manufacturers on through to the end user. Fastener testing helps ensure the dependability of fasteners, especially those that will be subjected to extreme wear, but can also be crucial in meeting supply chain requirements or resolving customer complaints. They can play an important role in selecting materials and evaluating production processes, as well as performing regular quality control checks on finished fasteners and researching problems.
Full Capabilities to Support the Fastener Industry
Laboratory Testing is an independent materials testing lab specializing in destructive and nondestructive testing services. The Lab offers full-service capabilities for testing metals, but also provides some services for polymers. LTI’s engineers, chemists and technicians perform fastener testing according to a broad range of ASTM, SAE, ISO and NASM standards. Test results are documented in Certified Test Reports, which are oftentimes needed to meet quality requirements.
Learn more about the fastener testing services at LTI or ask us to quote your next order.
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