Fastening Vibrating Equipment: The Challenges You Are Likely To Face

If there is one class of products that need proper fastening, it is vibrating equipment. The fact that they move around a lot means that you have to install them with high quality fasteners such as the nitronic 60 hex head cap screws and titanium hex tap bolts. If you are to have minimal problems with such equipment, you will need to be very critical of your decisions regarding not only the types of fasteners you get, but also how you use them. The only way to do this correctly is by understanding the challenges that normally face the installation of vibrating equipment. Some of the most common of these include:

The weight

When a heavy item vibrates, it generates considerably more force on everything supporting it compared to when it’s stationary. This means that when you are choosing fasteners, you should not only take into account the weight of the machine. Ideally, the fasteners you get should be able to handle a lot more weight compared to the machine’s net weight. This way, you can be sure that even if the machine vibrates at a very high frequency, the fasteners will be able to withstand this.
In connection with the same, you might also want to consider using light weight fasteners to install the machine. Reducing the weight of the vibrating machine as much as possible will limit the force exerted on the fasteners and other items when in operation, and will make it last longer as well.

 

Corrosion

Corrosion is a problem that will always affect fasteners that are subjected to too much vibration. If they are made of a material that can easily corrode, chances are that you will have them coated to protect them. However, too much vibration could lead to stripping of this coat, and this means that they will definitely start rusting soon. This is made worse by the fact that during the vibrations, a lot of heat is generated. This has the potential to accelerate any chemical reaction, with oxidation being one of them.
To prevent all these problems, it would be wise for you to consider using fasteners made of a non-corrosive material. They tend to be more expensive than the alternative, but you will benefit from them.

Too much heat

As has been intimated above, the vibration of a machine can generate a lot of heat. In addition to increasing the rate of corrosion in the fasteners, this also has the potential to make the fasteners weaker. This is especially so if they are made of a material that cannot withstand heat for too long. Once again, using a hardy metal such as titanium for the construction will help in reducing this effect.
These are just a few of the considerations you need to make when thinking of installing a vibrating machine. The fact that there is a lot at stake means that you ought to be very careful with the decisions you make regarding fastening lest you end up making losses.