Welding vs. Fastening – Vibration-Resistant, Direct-Tension Lockbolts Change the Equation

For years, welding was seen as the only way to ensure the integrity of joints in demanding load-bearing or high-vibration structures. So, companies manufacturing heavy-duty equipment or fabricating large, metal structures continued to employ the universally accepted process of welding joints together.

However, today there are alternatives to welding, one of the foremost being direct-tension installed, swaged lockbolts, such as the HuckBolts currently offered by Alcoa Fastening Systems. These unique engineered fasteners, proven in such demanding applications as truck suspensions and chassis, railroad track crossings, and heavy defense vehicles, are now being used in a number of products and structures where welding was once the only option.