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Lockbolt Fastener System Offers Vibration Resistance, Structural Strength with No Pin Break

POP Avdel’s new NeoBolt lockbolt fastener system.
Photo courtesy of Stanley Engineered Fastening.
DANBURY, Conn.—POP® Avdel®, a prominent supplier of blind rivets, recently announced that it is introducing NeoBolt, a non-breakstem lockbolt fastening system for heavy-duty structural applications. The two-piece NeoBolt fastener features a collar and a pin with fine pitch locking grooves that, when installed, provides “unmatched vibration resistance and fatigue performance,” according to the manufacturer.

Unlike traditional lockbolt fasteners, there is no pin break and, therefore, no metal waste. In addition, NeoBolt is said to offer reduced noise, no installation shock, no risk of pintails being dropped into the application or work area, and no corrosion at a pin break surface. With no shock loads, tool life is extended and operator fatigue reduced.

Apart from the elimination of metal waste, the reduced pin weight and size versus normal lockbolts offers the environmental benefits of using fewer raw materials and less energy throughout manufacturing, shipping, and storage. Designed for industries ranging from rail, truck, and trailer to mining, construction, commercial vehicles, and alternative energy applications, NeoBolt fasteners are reported to withstand the stresses of the toughest applications and environments.

NeoBolt fasteners are quickly and easily installed in seconds to provide what the manufacturer calls a secure, maintenance-free, long lasting joint compared to traditional nut and bolt assemblies. NeoBolt is said to offer a permanent joint with far greater vibration resistance that avoids loosening by unscrewing.

To install the NeoBolt fastener, the pin is placed through the materials to be joined and the collar screwed onto the pin thread with just a single turn. This collar “fit-up” feature enables easy pre-assembly in joints and avoids the need to support the pin during the subsequent swaging operation. A tool with an open collet is placed over the pin tail end, and, when actuated, the collet closes and pulls the pin. The anvil moves onto the collar, closes any joint gaps, and swages the collar wall down into the pin locking grooves. Once full swaging load is reached, the tool travel stops and returns to release the pin.

Radial bars on the collar flange, standard on all sizes, further enable quick visual verification of full swage during installation or inspection. NeoBolt lockbolts are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from 3/16-inch to 1-inch (4.8mm to 25.4mm) diameter, with a grip range from 0.520 inch to 6.23 inches (1.3 to 158mm).

POP® Avdel ® is a registered trademark of STANLEY Engineered Fastening, a Stanley Black & Decker Inc. Company.