ATI's Design and Analysis of Bolted Joints for Aerospace Engineers (DABJ) course

Summary: Just about everyone involved in developing hardware for space missions (or any other purpose, for that matter) has been affected by problems with mechanical joints. Common problems include structural failure, fatigue, unwanted and unpredicted loss of stiffness, joint slipping or loss of alignment, fastener loosening, material mismatch, incompatibility with the space environment, misdrilled holes, time-consuming and costly assembly, and inability to disassemble when needed. The objectives of this course are to: Build an understanding of how bolted joints behave and how they fail Impart effective processes, methods, and standards for design and analysis, drawing on a mix of theory, empirical data, and practical experience Share guidelines, rules of thumb, and valuable references Help you understand the analysis criteria for threaded fastening systems in a new NASA standard, which is presently in draft form. The course includes many examples and class problems; calculators are required. Instructor: Tom Sarafin has worked full time in the space industry since 1979. He spent over 13 years at Martin Marietta Astronautics, where he contributed to and led activities in structural analysis, design, and test, mostly for large spacecraft. Since founding Instar in 1993, he’s consulted for NASA, Space Imaging, DigitalGlobe, AeroAstro, Design_Net Engineering, and other organizations. He’s helped the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) design, develop, and verify a series of small satellites and has been an advisor to DARPA. He is the editor and principal author of Spacecraft Structures and Mechanisms: From Concept to Launch and is a contributing author to Space Mission Analysis and Design (all three editions). Since 1995, he’s taught over 150 courses to more than 3000 engineers and managers in the space industry. Contact this instructor (please mention course name in the subject line) Who Should Attend: The target audience for this course includes mechanical design engineers, structural analysts,and others interested in or involved with bolted joints. Course Outline: Overview of Designing Fastened Joints Common problems with structural joints A process for designing a structural joint Identifying functional requirements Selecting the method of attachment Strength analysis for sizing and assessment Establishing design standards and criteria Introduction to Threaded Fasteners Brief history of screw threads Terminology and specification Tensile-stress area Are fine threads better than coarse threads? Developing a Concept for the Joint Selecting the type of fastener Configuring the joint Designing a stiff joint Shear clips and tension clips Guidelines for using tapped holes and inserts Calculating Fastener Loads How a preloaded joint carries load Temporarily ignoring preload Other common assumptions and their limitations An effective process for calculating bolt loads in a compact joint Examples: tension, shear, moment Calculating fastener loads for skins and panels Failure Modes, Assessment Methods, and Design Guidelines Typical strength criteria for space-mission structures An effective process for strength analysis Bolt tension, shear, and interaction Tension joints Shear joints Identifying potential failure modes Riveted joints Fastening composite materials Thread Shear and Pull-out Strength How threads fail Computing theoretical shear engagement areas Including a knock-down factor Results of testing #10 screws installed in tapped holes and inserts Selecting Hardware and Detailing the Design Considerations in selecting hardware Selecting compatible materials Guidelines for simplifying assembly Establishing bolt preload Locking features Recommendations for controlling preload Mechanics of a Preloaded Joint Mechanics of a preloaded bolt under applied tension Estimating bolt stiffness and clamp stiffness Understanding the loading-plane factor Key conclusions regarding load sharing Effects of bolt ductility How temperature change affects preload Analysis Criteria in the Draft New NASA Standard for Threaded Fastening Systems Calculating maximum and minimum preloads Tensile loading: ultimate-strength analysis Gapping analysis Tensile loading: yield-strength analysis Shear loading: joint slip analysis and ultimate-strength analysis Interaction of tension, shear, and bending Bolt fatigue analysis Testimonials “It was a fantastic course—one of the most useful short courses I have ever taken.” “Interaction between instructor and experienced designers (in the class) was priceless.” “(The) examples (and) stories from industry were invaluable.” “Everyone at NASA should take this course!” “Your presentation skills are excellent, with patient attention paid to class questions.” “(This class) should be mandatory for design engineers at (our company).” “Wonderful course.” “(What I found most useful:) strong emphasis on understanding physical principles vs. blindly applying textbook formulas.” “Great course! Lots of lessons learned. The examples made it that much better.” “Excellent instructor. Great lessons learned on failure modes shown from testing.” “A must course for structural/mechanical engineers and anyone who has ever questioned the assumptions in bolt analysis” “The course clearly demonstrates … the shortcomings of analytical approaches that are often favored over testing.” “Well-researched, well-designed course.” “Kudos to you for spreading knowledge!” Tuition: Tuition for this three-day course is $1,690 per person at one of our scheduled public courses. Onsite pricing is available. Please call us at 410-956-8805 or send an email to ATI@ATIcourses.com. Register Now Without Obligation