Publications Details

Effectiveness of epoxy staking of fasteners for space flight applications

The effectiveness of epoxy application for minimizing fastener loosening during service was investigated under varying conditions of vibrational and thermal loading. Statistically designed experiments were conducted to identify the best method of epoxy staking. Studies showed that epoxy application can provide satisfactory fastener locking under a variety of service conditions. In conclusion, it was found that: (i) Epon 828 epoxy provides superior fastener locking compared to 3M Scotch-Weld Epoxy 2216, (ii) Epoxy application around screw threads is more effective than application around screw head, and (iii) Abrading the plate surfaces with 180 grit SiC paper is not an effective or useful surface preparation technique.