When selecting either a mechanical or adhesive thread locking solution, there are several factors to consider:
Temperature
Excessively high or low temperature can restrict the options available. For example temperatures in excess of 150-200 degrees seen in industries such as power generation, transport and aerospace would limit the use of any thread locking method that involves plastics such as nylon-insert lock nuts or liquid thread lockers.
Chemical & Corrosion Resistance
Chemical and corrosion resistance can also affect the most suitable method of mechanical thread locking. Looking at the automotive or chemical processing industries for example, we can see that certain materials like oils can hinder or completely stop thread locking adhesives from curing anaerobically. Likewise, industries that have oxygen-rich environments, such as medical equipment and aerospace, liquid thread locking solutions are not an option.
Reusability & Disassembly
Some applications require that an assembly is dismantled and the thread lock is removable and reusable. For example, the plant and machinery market often stipulates that thread locks needs to be removed and reused for ongoing servicing and maintenance on machines ruling out the solutions that can only be used once and disregarded.
Where reusability is a requirement, removal tools also have to be considered which can bring additional cost and resource implications. In motorsport for example, quick and efficient disassembly is integral to the decision of which thread locking solution to use.
There are many thread locking solutions in the marketplace that each have their own merits and drawbacks. The market has seen various developments in some of the key solutions including formulation changes to anaerobic liquids, mechanical split pins, torque prevailing nuts and nylon-insert lock nuts. Advanex, for example, has used its spring technology expertise to develop LOCKONE, a special spring device that prevents nut and joint bolts from loosening though vibration. LOCKONE is suitable for M5 to M24 and is applied using a normal spanner or socket wrench. When the nut is tightened onto a bolt, it grips the bolt thread to prevent the nut from loosening.
