Common Fastener Failures and How to Prevent Them
Fasteners play a crucial role in holding together countless products and structures. However, faulty or incorrectly selected and installed fasteners can lead to catastrophic joint failures. By understanding the most prevalent fastener failure modes, quality managers and engineers can take proactive steps to choose optimal fasteners and prevent issues from occurring. This in-depth guide covers common fastener failure mechanisms, root causes and best practices for prevention. Fatigue Failures One of the most common causes of premature fastener failure is fatigue. When a fastened joint or component is subjected to fluctuating or cyclic loads, the repeated variability causes metal fatigue cracks and fractures. Even when peak loads remain within design limits, the cumulative damage from load variability can initiate cracks and propagate them until sudden failure occurs. Fatigue failures typically initiate at regions of high-stress concentration, such as thread roots, followed by propagatio