Amorphous Metal Fastener for Vibration Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional fasteners used in industries like aviation face issues such as multiple production and installation steps, susceptibility to corrosion and fatigue, inconsistent clamp-up force, and vulnerability to vibrations and shock, due to their material properties and requirements.
Innovation Solution
An amorphous metal permanent fastener with a headed pin and a retaining collar made of amorphous metal alloy, where the collar is heated into a thermoplastic region and radially compressed to engage with locking grooves on the pin, reducing installation time and steps, and providing improved material properties and gripping strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional plastically deformed metal fasteners are used, then grain boundary control can be achieved through multiple production steps, but installation time and cost increase due to multiple production and post-processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material state parameter by heating the amorphous metal collar into its thermoplastic region, allowing it to deform and engage with the pin without requiring traditional grain boundary control processes. This eliminates multiple production steps while maintaining fastener integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The amorphous metal collar undergoes a phase transition when heated into the thermoplastic region, changing from a rigid state to a deformable state. This allows the collar to be swaged onto the pin in a single installation step without requiring subsequent machining or inspection steps
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional metal fasteners with grain boundaries are used, then material can be formed through plastic deformation, but susceptibility to corrosion and fatigue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an amorphous metal alloy for the collar that lacks traditional grain boundaries found in crystalline metals. This amorphous structure provides both formability through thermoplastic deformation and superior resistance to corrosion and fatigue, eliminating the trade-off between manufacturability and reliability
3Ease of operation
If threaded fasteners are used, then installation does not require plastic deformation, but clamp-up force consistency decreases and vulnerability to vibration and shock increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into two functional segments: a headed pin that provides structural support and an amorphous metal collar that provides locking functionality. The collar is heated into a thermoplastic region and radially compressed to engage with locking grooves on the pin, creating a permanent bond that maintains consistent clamp-up force and resistance to vibration and shock
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The amorphous metal fastener offers reduced installation time, enhanced material properties, consistent clamping force, and resistance to vibrations and shock, while minimizing the risk of corrosion and fatigue, making it suitable for high-fatigue environments like aircraft structures.
Implementation Method 1
the collar is heated into a thermoplastic region
Implementation Method 2
radially compressed such that the collar deforms to engage with the locking grooves
Data Source
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AI summary
A permanent faster is disclosed that utilizes an amorphous metal alloy for a retaining collar that is thermoplastically formed on install. The fastener includes a headed pin with locking grooves disposed thereon and a collar having a cylindrical inner wall. Head geometry may be any suitable shape; countersunk, counter bore, flat, etc., and may also be non-rotationally symmetric. The pin is disposed into aligned holes through the work pieces to be secured, and the collar is disposed about the pin over the locking grooves. The collar is heated into a thermoplastic region, something only allowed because of the amorphous metal material properties. The cylindrical wall of the collar is then radically compressed into the locking grooves to affix the collar on the pin. The amorphous metal properties allow use of a smaller fastener, and the thermoplastic region is reached at a temperature which does not damage composite work pieces.