The friction coefficient of a specific material combination is often assumed to be invariant in manufacturing processes such as during the tightening of threaded fastener joints. This paper considers the impact of storage conditions on threaded fastener friction. Fasteners were stored in hot humid and sub-zero temperature conditions to study friction in the thread and under-head contacts. Four Zn-flake coatings, commonly used in the automotive industry were considered. Consequent tightening of these fasteners at room temperature revealed that storage history had a significant impact on their friction coefficients, halving under-head friction in some cases. This varied behavior was considered to be a response to coating nano-hardness and structure and differences in adsorption/absorption of water and zinc-oxide formation during storage.

The assembly of threaded fasteners may seem straightforward. However, there are many factors to consider to achieve quality tightened joints, including the joint material, threaded fastener, and coatings. Additionally, there are many assembly tool types and torque application strategies to choose from. This investigation studies the tightening speed dynamics when using torque as a control method. The clamp force obtained in the joint changes when tightening at high speed or when the speed varies greatly during tightening. This type of tightening is called highly dynamic. Highly dynamic torque control tightening strategies are studied, such as impact, pulse, and inertia-controlled methods, and compared with the continuous drive strategy, which is a standard dynamic torque tightening method. The clamp force and its scatter caused by the torque accuracy in the assembly tool type are investigated for the abovementioned torque application strategies. The study also focuses on the different results obtained from the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) 16047:2005 (Fasteners-Torque/clamp force testing) standard compared to a production-like setup.

This study reports on the effect of cutting fluids on friction behavior of the threaded fasteners. Underhead and thread friction are measured during tightening process of the hex-head threaded fasteners coated with different zinc-based coatings: electroplated zinc, zinc flake, and electroplated zinc nickel, commonly used in the automotive industry. The tests and data analysis are conducted considering ISO 16047 as a baseline. Test conditions are set close to the actual production conditions found in the motor vehicle industry. Water-based and ester-based cutting fluids are selected to unveil their impact on the reliability of the threaded fastener joints. It is shown that a change in the underhead interface conditions from dry to lubricated drastically reduces friction for the electroplated zinc and zinc nickel coatings.