Lakshmi Precision Screws Ltd.

(Hereinafter referred as “The Company”) is a high tensile

manufacturing unit which was established in the year 1972. The Company is a pioneer in

providing fastening technology globally having Joint Ventures, License Agreements, and

Alliances with different fastening companies globally. It is also catering the needs of various

sectors such as Wind Energy, Oil & Gas, Locomotives, Automobiles, Agriculture Equipments

(Tractors), Machine Building and different Industrial and its sub-con items. The endeavor of the

Company is to provide high level customer satisfaction.

The Company is located in Rohtak (Haryana) which has a close proximity being just sixty Kms.

from the National Capital, New Delhi and falls in the northern region of India. With sheer hard

work and sincerity The Company had set up another plant in the year 1993 keeping in view the

growing global demand. In the recent past the company had set operational two more units, one

in Rohtak and another in Industrial Modal Town, Manesar where leading manufacturers such as

Hero Honda, Honda Motors Scooters India, Maruti Suzuki etc. are also established. The said

manufacturers are also the customers of the Company.

However, collectively all the four units of this Company are spread over an area of 1, 00,000

square meters and have a total production capacity of 25,000 metric tons (MT) per annum. The

Company expects that its production capacity will be rising 10% every year. The companies

manufacturing units and warehouses were built keeping in view the close proximity of its

Ancillaries, Raw Material providers and National Highways.

The Company looks upon while upholding the needs of its clients for providing most favorable

blend of quality and cost effectiveness. The core competency of this Group lies in its ability to

resource quality material and manufacture complete custom design solution. The Global vision
and providing fastener solutions for more than three decades has now made The Company one of

the Global Leaders for manufacturing high tensile precision fasteners and cold forged

components.

The Company is one of the largest exporters of fasteners in India. Whereas 35% of the total sales

is contributed from the products exported to a range of countries such as The United States of

America (USA), Australia, Canada, Denmark, Dubai, France, Germany, Hong-Kong, Indonesia,

Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Sweden etc. The Company is a partner of

the Global Fastener Alliance (GFA).

The Company is constantly researching to enhance its quality of the products keeping in mind

the increasing expectations of the customers and the Company’s brand. The Company is

delighted and thankful to all its customers for regular support and its guidance.

OUR VISION

 Be a Growth orientated professional organization promoting high standards of

business ethics.

 Establish strong R&D Facility and innovate continuously.

 Make each member of the organization feel proud and empowered.

 Strive to achieve 6σ (Six Sigma) Quality levels.

 Maximize shareholder’s wealth.

OUR MISSION

 Continue to retain market leadership in Indian marketplace and establish LPS as a

 Global brand by creating value for customer through Technology, Quality, Cost

Competitiveness and Innovation.

 Be recognized by our customers as their best and preferred supplier of fasteners

and components.

 Exceeding customer expectations and striving for excellence.

OUR VALUES

 Customer Obsession.

 Continuous Improvement.

 Respect for People.

LPS has vertical integrated manufacturing plant with a production capacity of more than

25,000 metric tonnes per year.

All manufacturing processes are carried out in-house with latest technology and most suitable

machines with best in class Quality Management System.

 Wire Rod Processing:- The process of Wire Rod Processing comes after detailed &

thorough inspection of 100% raw material received for chemical compositions and

forgeability. We have well-established NABL certified lab to verify the chemical

composition and do have thorough verification in respect to inclusion rating and grains

flow.
  Wire Drawing :- Wire Drawing is carried out to get the required wire size for cold

forging the parts depending upon the size of fasteners to be manufactured. Generally, the

percent reduction in area is maintained between 7% to 15% so that there is not much

resistance for deformation during cold forging wherever high percentage of reduction in

area is required during wire drawing. Spheroidized Annealing of wire rod is carried out

and its spheroidization value is maintained at greater than 90%. All wires are drawn from

wire rod which is spheroidized annealed so that after spheroidized annealing, the wire rod

is acid pickled and zinc phosphate which will act as lubricant during a skin passing in the

wire drawing machine. This wire is now ready for cold- forging

Lakshmi Precision Screws is a ISO-9002, QS-9000, ISO-14001 & TS-16949 OHSAS

18001 and AS9100B certified company . Quality is very essential for our company and we

are committed to produce Quality High Tensile Precision Fasteners. We ascertain that we

procure and import our products from established and well reputed manufacturers and

suppliers. Moreover, these products are checked at the manufacturer’s premises in the

presence of our quality auditors. Further these are tested again at our end to become

completely sure of their quality. The most important criterion of Quality is the satisfaction of

customer, both National & International.

To keep pace with ever-increasing quality rate of change, Management at LPS

established QMS which act as a strategic tool in its own right. Which will :

• Respond to change stakeholder's requirements

• Provide control of processes with skilled manpower

• Measures performance efficiency & cost

• Drives continual improvement & integrates environmental, health & safety, functional &

quality management

Each lot that moves out of our production facilities undergoes mechanical, Chemical and

metallurgical inspection at over 20 inspection nodes, beginning from raw material receipt

to packaging.

A2LA, USA and NABL, India have accredited LPS test facilities. The ‘Advanced

Product Quality (APQP), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) and Failure Mode

Effect Analysis (FMEA) have already been implemented. Strict on- line visual SPC

techniques to monitor product quality on a real time basis have also been incorporated.

To ensure the best quality, we source raw materials, like wires and wire rods, from the best

steel plants in South East Asia. With the latest advances in machinery automation, LPS has

in-house capability to carry out all the operations for fasteners manufacturing. Cold forging

with multi-station bolt makers of National, USA, Sakamura, Japan and Asahi Sunac. LPS is

equipped with sixth generation machines where rolling can be done after heat treatment to
 ensure perfect lap free threading. Machining is done with CNC machines to form intricate

shapes for specific applications. Continuous heat treatment improves product quality and the

finish of the product is determined by application's specifications. All under the eagle eyes of

an experienced quality assurance team.

It is a process utilized to change certain characteristics of metals and alloys in order to make

them more suitable for a particular kind application Heat Treatment can greatly influence

mechanical properties such as strength, hardness, ductility, toughness, and wear resitence of the

alloys.

Heat Treatment of Carbon Steels and Carbon Alloy Steels:

Heat Treatment on both type of the steel is done for improving mechanical properties such as

tensile and yield strength. This is accomplished by altering the molecular structure of steel in

order to produce more durable microstructure. The structure of steel is composed of two

variables:

Grain Structure: The arrangement of atoms in a metal.

Grain Size: The size of the individual crystals of metal. Large grain size is

generally associated with low strength, hardness, and ductility.

During the alloy process elements such as carbon are introduced to the metal. These added

elements interrupt the flow of the individual grains, increasing strength. Thus, control of the

metal crystal structure is a key element in successful heat treating.

A Metal can also exist in various phases: Ferrite, austenite and cementite. To better understand

these phases, look at the Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram. The Y-axis (vertical) is a measurement of

temperature while the X-Axis (Horizontal) is a measurement of the carbon content of the steel.

The far left hand side of the X-axis represents the Ferrite phase of steel (low carbon content)

while the far right hand. Side represents the cementite phase of steel (high carbon content),

which is also known as iron carbide. The curved horizontal line that occurs just above 1333 ºF

represents the austenite phase of steel.

The following phases are involved in the transformation, occurring with iron-carbon alloys:

1. L –L represents a liquid solution of carbon in iron.

2. δ-ferrite – δ-ferrite is a solid solution of carbon in iron. Maximum concentration of

carbon in δ-ferrite is 0.09% at 2719 ºF (1493ºC) – temperature of the peritectic

transformation. The crystal structure of δ-ferrite is BCC (cubic body centered).

3. Austenite –Austenite is an interstitial solid solution of carbon in γ-iron. Austenite has

FCC (cubic face centered) crystal structure, permitting high solubility of carbon – up to
 2.06% at 2097 ºF (1147 ºC). Austenite does not exist below 1333 ºF (733ºC) and

maximum carbon concentration at this temperature is 0.83%.

4. α-ferrite – α-ferrite is a solid solution of carbon in α-iron. α-ferrite has BCC crystal

structure and low solubility of carbon – up to 0.25% at 1333 ºF (733ºC). It exists at room

temperature.

5. Cementite – Cementite is an iron carbide, intermetallic compound, having fixed

composition Fe3C. Cementite is a hard and brittle substance, influencing on the

properties of steels and cast irons.

When ferrite (low carbon steel) is at room temperature, it has a body-centered-cubic structure,

which can only absorb a low amount of carbon. Because Ferrite can only absorb a very low

amount of carbon at room temperature, the un-absorbed carbon separates out of the body-

centered-cubic structure to form carbides which join together to create small packets of an

extremely hard crystal structure within the ferrite called cementic. However, when ferrite is

heated to a temperature above the transformation line( austenite line) the body-centered-cubic

structure changes to a face-centered-cubic structure, thus allowing for absorption of the carbon

into the crystal structure.

Once the steel enters the austenitic phase all of the cementite dissolves into austenite. If the steel

is allowed to cool slowly, the carbon will separate out of the ferrite as a cubic-structure reverts

from face-centered back to body-centered. The islands of cementite will reform within the

ferrite, and the steel will have the same properties that it did before it was heated. However,

when the steel is rapidly cooles, or quenched, in a quenching medium (such as oil, water or cold

air) the carbon does not have time to exit the cubic structure of the ferrite and it becomes trapped
within it. This leads to the information of martensitic; microstructure that produces the most

sought after mechanical properties in steel fasteners.

During quenching, it is impossible to cool the specimen at a uniform rate throughout. The

surface will always cool more rapidly than the interior of the specimen. Therefore, the austenite

will transform over a range of temperatures, yielding a possible variation of microstructure and

properties depending on the position within the material.

The successful heat treatment of steels to produce a predominantly martensitic micro structure

throughout the cross section depends mainly on three factors:

1. The composition of the alloy.

2. The type and character of the quenching medium.

3. The size and shape of the specimen.

Hardenability : It is the ability of steel to transform into martensite with a particular quenching

treatment. This is directly affected by the alloy composition of the steel. For every different steel

alloy there is a specific relationship between its mectanical properties and its cooling rate. It is

not “hardness” which is a resistance to indentation; rather, hardness measurements are utilized to

determine the extent of a martensitic transformation in the interior of the material.

Tempering : It involves heating the steel to a specific temperature below that of ausenite and

allowing it to cool slowly. This cause the crystal structure to relax, thereby increasing the

ductility and decreasing the hardness to specified levels. The specific tempering temperature will

vary based on the desired result for the steel.

The following example will demonstrate the effectiveness of the tempering:

ASTM A193 Grade B7 , SAE J429 Grade and ASTM A574 Socket Head cap Screws are all

made from alloy steels. In fact some alloy steel grades can be used to manufacture any of the

three final products. Such as 4140 and 4142 alloy steel. The final mechanical properties apper in

the table.

Fasteners Produced From AISI 4140& 4142 Steel

Fastener ASTM A193 B7 SAE J429 Gr. 8 ASTM A574 SHCS

Tempering 1150◦F 800◦F 650◦F

Temp.

Tensile 125,000 PSI min (2 150,000 PSI min 180,000 PSI min

strength 1\2in and under) ( through ½ in ) 170,000

PSI min

( above ½ in)

Yield 105,000 PSI min 130,000 PSI min 153,000 PSI min

Strength (2 1/2in and under)

Proof N/A 120,000 PSI 140,000 PSI min

Strength ( through ½ in ) 135,000

PSI min

( above ½ in )

Hardness HRC 35 max. HRC 33-39 HRC 39-45

 ( through ½ in ) HRC 37-45

( above ½ in )

The initial heat treating process is relatively the same for the entire three products. The parts are

heat treated until fully austenitized and then are quenched and tempered in the oil. This

tempering temperature dictates the final product. A lower tempering temperature will produce a

harder and higher tensile strength part for these alloys steels. However, the lower tempering

temperatures will also mean lower ductility, impact strength, and possibly lower fatigue life.

Annealing

It is the heat treating process used to soften previously cold-worked metal by allowing it to re-

crystallize.The term annealing refers to a heat treatment in which a material is exposed to an

elevated tempertature for an extended period and then slowly cooled. Ordinarily, annealing is

carried out to, (1) Relieve stress (often introduced when cold-working the part.) ;(2) Increase

softness, ductility and toughness; and (3) Produce a desired microstructure.

Any annealing process consists of the three stages:

1. Heating to the desired temperature

2. Holding or “soaking” at that temperature

3. Slowly cooling, usually to room temperature

Time is the important parameters in these procedures. It is used to negate the effects of cold work

that is to be soften and increase the ductility of a previous strain-hardened metal.

Stress relieving

It is a process that is utilized when internal residual stress develop in metal pieces in response to

such thing as cold working.Failure to remove these internal stress may result in distottion and

warping. A stress relief anneaing heat treatment removes these stress heating the piece to a

recommended temperature, held there long enough to attain a uniform temperature, and finally

cooled to a room temperature in air.

Normalizing

It is an annealing heat treatment used to refine the grains and produce a more uniform and

desirable size distribution. Medium and high carbon steels having microstructure containing

pearlite may still be too hard to conveniently machine or plastically deform. These steels (and in

fact,any steel) may be annealted to develop the spheroidite structure . Spheroidized steels have a

maximum softness and ducility and are easlly machined or deformed.

Mechanical Properties

Hardness is a measure of a material’s ability to resist abrasion and indentation. For carbon

steels Brinell & Rockwell hardness testing can be used to estimate tensile strength.

Toughness is a material’s ability to absord impact or shock loading, and is rarely a

specification requirement.

Ductility is the measurement of a material to deform before it fails and fractures.

Elongation is the extension of a material in a tension test at any point and is probably the
 characteristic that renders the most complications in fasteners. A material that exhibits little

or no plastic deformity at its fracture point is considered brittle.

Tensile Strength

It is the ultimate strength of a given alloy or product that determines how much load it can

withstand before breaking, or being pulled apart. It is calculated by performing a tension test and

determining at what tensile strength maximum load is reached. i.e. how much force is needed in

psi, pounds per square inch, to break it. Tensile strength figures in PSI are used as a common

standard in comparing different metals.

Proof Load

It is applied tensile load that fastener must support without permanent deformation and

represents the usable strength of a certain standards.

Thread Strength
It should be taken into

consideration as the threaded

section is the weakest part of the

fastener so it remains a critical

aspect of strength and clamping

force. The proper assembly should

always have fasteners of equal

grade working to meet their

ultimate tensile strength.

This diagram shows the strain on a

fastener being stretched to the point

of failure (fracture). The initial

slope shows how the stress being

applied to the fastener is straining

and stretching it. Here the fastener

is still in the elastic range, and will

return to its normal shape once the

stress in removed. At the yield

point the fastener gives and begins

to elongate throughout the plastic

range, where it will no longer return

to its shape prior to being stretched

if the load is removed. As the

fastener passes its ultimate tensile

strength it will no longer be able to

carry an applied load, and will

eventually fail at its fracture point.

Creep

At ordinary temperatures metals under load normally change their dimensions only when the

load they are under is changed. At elevated temperatures, however, dimensional changes take

place even under constant load. Metals, and other materials creep. For example, a bolt under a

constant tensile load at high temperatures will elongate continuously. The higher the temperature

the fastener will elongate, i.e., the higher the creep rate.

Fatigue Strength

It is subjected to repeated cyclic loads can suddenly and unexpectedly break, even if the loads

are well beneath the strength of the material. Fatigue strength is the maximum stress it can

withstand for a specified number of repeated load cycles prior to its failure.

Shear Strength

Shear Strength is the maximum load that can be supported prior to fracture when applied at a

right angle to the fastener’s axis. It is opposite from tensile strength in that tensile strength is a

measured longitudinal pull, while shear strength is caused by a push or pull 90’ from the

longitudinal axis. A single shear joint occurs when there is a load occurring in one transverse

plane and if the shear strength was exceeded the fastener would be broken into two pieces.
Double shear is a load applied in two planes where the fastener could be broken into three

pieces.

Torque

It is a twisting force that causes the rotation of a shaft or will set up a twist in a stationary shaft

and is generally expressed in foot-pounds (ft-lbs) or inch-pounds. Properly threaded products

achieve their clamping load from the tension or torque that is derived from the mating of the

external and internal threads.

Torsional Strength is a load usually expressed in terms of torque, at which the fastener fails by

being twisted off its axis. Tapping screws and sockets set screws require a torsional test.

Strength-to-Weight-Ratio

In application where load supporting parts are to be lifted or moved against the pull of gravity

the strength-to-weight ratio (SWR) becomes an important figure. SWR is defined as the ratio of

the tensile strength to the density of the material, the density being the weight per unit volume.

Temperature Effects: Elevated and Cryogenic

Each come with a set of static and dynamic strengths that are determined by their manufacturing

process, composition, and size. In application, a range of factors including temperature variation

affects the availability of these strengths. Every bolting material has a temperature above which

it would be unsafe to use; this is often times referred to as the high temperature service limit.

Although a fastener loses strength as the temperature increases, the service limit is usually

determined by an occurrence known as stress relaxation. A fastener is bolted into a joint, which

places it under significant stress. When the temperature rises the bolts begins to relieve itself of a
significant amount of stress. Science stress and preload are related, the clamping force that the

bolt is exerting to hold the joint together will be greatly reduced.

At very cold temperatures these same molecular bonds lose their ability to expand and flex,

which is needed to relieve fastening stress under application load. As a result, it can become

brittle at low temperature and also provides less than room temperature fastening performance.

Fastener Materials

Almost 90% of all fasteners are made of carbon steel. A plain carbon steel is one in which

carbon is the only alloying element added to the iron base. The amount of carbon in the steel

controls its hardness, strength, and ductility.

Low Carbon Steel

Low carbon steel generally contains less than 0.25% carbon and cannot be strengthened by heat-

treating; strengthening may only be accomplished through cold working and case hardening. The

low carbon material is relatively soft and week, but has outstanding ductility and toughness; in

addition, it is machinable, weldable and is relatively inexpensive to produce. The most

commonly used chemical analyses include AISI 1006, 1008, 1016, 1018, 1021, and 1022.

Medium Carbon Steel

Medium carbon steel have carbon concentrations between about 0.25% and 0.60%. these steels

may be heat treated by austenizing, quenching and then tempering to improve their mechanical

properties. The plain medium carbon steels have low hardenabilities and can be successfully heat

treated only in thin sections and with rapid quenching rates. Notices on the SAE J429, ASTM

A325, and ASTM A449 specifications that their strength properties “step down” as the diameters

increase. The popular chemical analyses include AISI 1030, 1035, 1038, and 1541 Alloy Steel.
High and Very High Carbon Steel

Steels with a carbon range of 0.45% to0.75% are classified as high-carbon and those with 0.75%

to 1.7% carbon as very-high-carbon steels. Both of these steels respond well to heat treatment.

As a rule, steels up to 0.65% carbon can be welded with special electrodes, although preheating

and stress relieving techniques must often be used after the welding is completed. This form of

steel has the best hardness, strength and ductility. The areas best suited for this steel are in tools,

drills, saws, knife blades, and bearing. High carbon content reduces the wear and deformation of

the steel.

Alloy Steel

Carbon steel is classed as an alloy steel when it contains more than 1.65% manganses, 0.60%

silicon, or 0.60% copper, or when chromium content is less than 4%. Dozens of different carbon

alloy steels are used for fasteners: AISI 1335(Mg), 4037(Mo), 4140(Cr, Mo) M 4340(Ni,Cr,

Mo), 8637(Ni, Cr, Mo), and 8740(Ni, Cr, Mo), for examples.

Manganese (Mn) contributes strength, moderately improves hardenability, and is beneficial

to surface quality.

Nickel (Ni) provides strength, improves toughness at low temperature, benefits corrosion

resistance, and adds to the heat treat process, which assure more consistent results.

Chromium(Cr) increases hardenability, reduces susceptibility to temper brittleness, and

has a powerful positive effect on temperature, tensile and creep strengths.

Sulphur(S) increases machinability, but causes lower strength at elevated temperatures.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a family of iron-based alloys that must contain at least 10.5% chromium. The

presence of chromium creates an invisible surface film that resists oxidation and makes the

materials “passive” or corrosion resistance. Other elements, such as nickel or molybdenum are

added to increase corrosion resistance, strength or heat resistance. Stainless steels can be simply

and logically divided into three classes on the basis of their microstructure; martensitic, ferritic

or austenitic. Each of these classes has specific properties and basic grade or “type”.

Austenitic : 18-8 ( the commercial grade) or 300 series (303 & 304 are common). This

chromium-nickel type contains about 18% chromium and 8% nickel, is not hardenable by

heat treatment, non magnetic ( in it’s annealed condition-it will become more so due to

cold-working), and offers the greatest degree of corrosion resistance. 316 has a higher

nickel content and offers higher corrosion resistance in certain chemical and seawater

environments. About 80% of all stainless steel fasteners are produced from this type of

steel.

Martensitic : Contains from 12-20% chromium, is magnetic, and because they are heat-

treated they are high-strength. Type 410 and 416 are of this group and common fastening

alloys. Suitable for industrial and medical applications, 400 series martensitic steel is much

more corrosion-resistant than carbon steel and can be sharpened to equally-keen edge

sharpness.

Ferritic : These are also chromium stainless alloys that can be case hardened. Type 430

falls into this class. This type of stainless steel is magnetic, non-hardenable by heat

treatment and has very poor weld characteristics. They should not be used in situations of
 high corrosion resistance requirements, such as marine use or on building exteriors .The

most common places to use Stainless Steel are in areas of corrosion and tempering, or were

strength is required. Because of its corrosion resistant qualities and ability to attain a mirror-

like finish, it is one of the most versatile of all metals.

Sulphur(S) increases machinability, but causes lower strength at elevated temperatures.

Radial Head Markings

There are six things that can be told by looking at the head of a bolt :the type of fastener or drive

type ,the grade of the fastener, the manufacture, the material ,the plating or coating and if it is a

fractional or metric fastener. These are broken down into groups called grades that classify them

according to rank, quality ,degree, and the other facets. According to SAE specifications ,as the

grade of the fasteners increases, so does the bolt’s strength. The grade of a bolt and its

manufacturer are identified on the head .Lines of varying number and position on the head show

grade .The basic rule of thumb for determining grade is to count the number of lines on the head

and add 2; that’s the grade.fig show the detail.

Grade 2 bolts are the soften A Grade 5 bolts can be Grade 8 can be identified by

grade of steel bolts. There are identified by the three lines. the six lines. It consists of

no marking on the head(0 + Grade 5 is head treated. It is medium carbon alloy steel,

2=Grade 2). made of medium carbon steel, heat-treated, quenched and

 quenched and tempered. tempered. It is a hardened

bolt.

Non-radical head Markings:

Some head marking don’t follow the “Number of lines”. It is important to know the different

grade markings or property class marking to prevent error in identifying bolts as the kind of steel

that bolts are made from and treatment they receive during manufacture determine their strength

and their strength and their ability to do their job.

A 307 A bolt can be identified by the self –identifying stamp. 307A bolts

are a Grade 1 equivalent that is used in low-strength application. It has

lower hardness and tensile requirement than grade 2 bolts. It is generally

used in low-pressure, standard or normal temperature applications and is

made of low carbon steel.

A Grade 9 has no industry standard specification for its head

marking, and therefore the design is up to the manufacturer

.However, the head usually have nine dots or lines .These

bolts are designed for use in high-stress and high-strength

applications.

Example of our Manufacturer Symbol

 Lakshmi Precision Screws

Corrosion

Is the wearing away or alteration of metal by Galvanic (electro-Chemical) reaction, or by a direct

chemical attack, such as the rusting of Iron & Steel. Corrosion can be thought of as an electro

chemical reaction in which one metal is changed into a chemical, or simply eaten away.

Galvanic Corrosion

Is the combination of two dissimilar metals with an electrolyte is all that is needed to form a

corrosive reaction. The use of dissimilar metals in structural design is common, especially where

the fastener is a different material from the structures being joined. The necessary ingredient to

induce corrosion, the electrolyte, may be present in the form of rain, snow dew, high humidity,

ocean salt spray or even air pollution. Cell corrosion and pitting are similar types of corrosion

because each requires only one metal and electrolyte to set up a corrosive attack system.

Stress Corrosion

A term representing particular condition where cracks are induced and propagated in a fastener

under combined effects of stress and corrosive environments .The initial corrosion may occur at

a point of high stress that contributes to crack initiation, which can be either intergranular or

transgranular. Continued exposure to the corrosion environment will propagate the crack and can

result in serious, and possibly catastrophic, failure.

Hydrogen Embrittlement

It is associated with fasteners made of carbon and alloys steels. It is a type of deterioration that

can be linked to corrosion –control process. There are three main ways to fight to fight hydrogen

embrittlement:

Use the proper plating procedures and bake fasteners correctly.

Use fastener coatings that do not involve electroplating.

Use a softer bolt material. As with stress corrosion, harder, stronger materials are more

susceptible to this type of failure than weaker, softer ones.

Methods for Fighting Hydrogen Embrittlement:

There are three methods used to fight hydrogen embrittlement, Hardness is a major contributor to

hydrogen embrittlement. Harder, stronger materials are more susceptible to failure than weaker,

softer ones. If the hardness is less than 35 HRC, there will probably be difficulty with hydrogen

embrittlement and if the hardness is above 40 HRC, problems are more likely to occurs.

While coating process can also induce hydrogen embrittlement. Use a coating process that does

not introduce hydrogen into material. If electroplating is still desired, ensure that plater uses the

proper procedures and bakes the fasteners correctly based on its hardness. ASTM F 1941 has a

hydrogen embrittlement relief requirement for coated fasteners made from steel heat treated to a

hardness of HRC 40 or above, case- hardened

Fasteners made from hardened steel .The extract time and temperature of the bake is not

specified ,but times is between 2 and 24 hours at temperature between 350 to 450 F are listed as

suitable depending on type, size, geometry etc.

The proper selection of the material for the services environment can reduce the risk of

embrittlement. The potential for hydrogen embrittlement cracking is accelerated if the fasteners

is acting as the cathode in a galvanic couple . Caustic or sour environments may require much

lower hardness levels to lower the susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement.

Platings and Coatings:

Platings are the deposition of an adherent metal onto the surface of a base metal .Hot Dip

Galvanizing, metal spray, vacuum, sherardizing , or mechanical plating accomplishes practically

all deposition.

Hot Dip Galvanizing:

Hot Dip Galvanizing produce a coating that thoroughly covers the work, including edges ,seams,

and welds. Because of heavy coating buildup ,galvanizing requires special processes for small or

fine threads and hot-dipped galvanized bolts must be used with galvanized nuts whose threads

are oversized to compensate for the thick coating. It is widely used and inexpensive means of

protecting fasteners .This process actually produces a thicker coating than electroplating and

provides more projection against corrosion. The typical coating thickness is approx 0.0015 in., or

about 10 times the thickness of the zinc electroplating. Hot dipping a fastener will dramatically

alter the thread fit because of the thickness of the plating.

 Hot Dip Galvanizing

Electroplating:

Is the deposition of a metallic coating onto an object by putting a negative charge onto the object

and immersing it into a solution which contains a salt of the metal to be deposited.The metallic

ions of the salt carry a positive charge and are attracted to the part. when they reach it, the

negatively charged part provides the electrons to reduce the positively charged ions to metallic

form. Plating by electrolysis, or electroplating , is commonly because it permits the control of the

thickness of the plating.

Metal Spray (Metallizing):

It refers to the various process of applying zinc,as well as other plating materials, to the fastener

surface by mean of the spray or blast of molten or semi molten metallic particles.

Vacuum Plating:

A metallizing processes that is mainly used for decorative purposes, and can include several

steps in addition to the actual evaporation of the thin metallic coating. Since the metallic vapor

travels from heated source through a vacuum to the substrate in molecular form, a thin coating is

deposited one molecular at a time. The coating therefore reproduces the exact contour or

roughness of whatever it is coating.

Sherardizing :

A cementation process where zinc dust is heated to a temperature near its molten point and its

brought into intimate contact with the steel surface to form an iron and zinc coating on the steel

by diffusion.

Mechanical Plating: A process where coating is applied by impacting particles of the plating

material against the parts and cold-welding them to the surface.

Chromating :

Chromate films are the chemical conversion coatings .The substrate metal participates in the

coating reaction, becoming a component of the coating and has a profound influence on the

properties of the coating. Chromate coating improve corrosion resistance, appearance of metal,

and adhesion of organic topcoats.