EoW March 2007

feature

Fasteners & Spring Production The fastener is above suspicion

People who write for the general press would do well to adopt our heading as a rule of life – professional life, at least. When a news story leads off with the assertion ‘Bolts Are Blamed’ or ‘Fasteners Are Implicated,’ it is a quite safe bet that the fasteners are not implicated and the bolts are blameless. A case in point is offered by the collapse of the ceiling in the Interstate 90 connector tunnel in Boston last July, in which a motorist was killed. The initial reports all cited some variation of ‘problems with bolts.’ In fact, the ensuing probe has turned up problems with design, workmanship, engineering, maintenance, inspection, and many other elements of the so-called Big Dig project. At last report the investigation centred, not on the bolts but on the glue on the bolts removed from the tunnel roof near the accident site. It is brittle and cracked, its decayed appearance suggesting possible improper application of the two- stage epoxy and its premature ageing. In another episode last summer, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, technicians with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration successfully ‘swapped out’ two bolts securing a crucial communi- cations antenna on the space shuttle Atlantis because engineers thought they might be too short. In a two-day procedure, technicians built scaffolding on a platform six stories above the ground to get inside the shuttle’s cargo bay and reach the antenna, which transmits images and other essential data between the space shuttle and Mission Control. The bolts were found to be holding the antenna securely. Whether they were short or long, it is perhaps worth noting that Atlantis had without trouble flown 26 missions in space since the bolts were first installed two decades earlier. “[The checkup] was a precautionary measure,” said a NASA spokeswoman. “Everything went well and we’re good to go.” The fastener professionals whose products and services are featured in this section of EuroWire could have told her so.

More than 50 years’ experience with Molle Industriali Conte ▲

M olle Industriali Conte produces elastic components and is an authorised supplier for military aircraft and the aerospace industry. Founded in 1953 the firm developed and specialised in producing spring parts, especially for the automotive field. During the 1960s production moved towards new industrial sectors, like aircraft and railways, and they contributed to improving the technical capacities of the company. New management in 1977 decided to strengthen the company’s role in high-tech fields. This included the manufacture of large-size springs – a move which turned out to be successful and put the company into a position to establish itself as an appreciated springs manufacturer in even more qualified and prestigious market segments. In 1997 Mollificio Conte changed the corporate name into Molle Industriali Conte Srl. At the present time the firm occupies a total surface of around 2,500m 2 at both premises in Turin and Collegno, Italy. It is this experience, coupled with the high quality of the raw materials in production, that provide a firm guarantee of the reliability of all Molle Industriali’s products. As well as employing expert staff in the relevant fields, process monitoring, combined with final testing, ensure absolute compliance with the required specifications. Molle Industriali Conte Srl – Italy Fax : +39 01174 0172 Email : contemol@tin.it • Website : www.molleindustrialiconte.it Molle Industriali at the forefront of technology

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EuroWire – March 2007