6 Types of Bolt Failure and How to Prevent It

Designing fasteners into your application requires a complete analysis of the joints to make sure nothing was missed. Understanding the types of failures that can occur will help with this analysis. Read on to see how to prevent bolt failure.

Failure	Type of Failure	Solution
	Overloading (stretching)	– Make sure that the appropriate material and grade was used – Make sure your design is well understood and that the bolts are not overstressed
	Fatigue	– Make sure that the appropriate material and grade was used – Make sure your design is well understood and that the bolts are not overstressed – Make sure that the fasteners are well-tightened
	Galling	– Use a lubricant – Avoid fastener misalignment – Avoid high speed installation – keep installation speeds low – Avoid rough surface – smooth finishes
^[1]	Shearing	– Make sure to re-evaluate tightening strategy – Threaded section in shear plane – use shank instead
^[2]	Galvanic corrosion	– Avoid use of dissimilar metals – Prevent moisture entrapment – The fastener should be the cathode (more noble)
	Hydrogen Embrittlement	– Eliminate susceptible alloys, hydrogen, stress (service or residual) – Use non-electrolytic platings – Increase bake times – Risk is never eliminated