Welds or Fasteners?
Welding is a common practice that
creates a physical and (what is considered to be) permanent connection.
Fasteners (for our discussion bolts) create a joint which is considered to be a
temporary connection.
But, which is better? Is there a
definitive answer to this question? The answer is: It depends. There are always
situations in which one of them (welds or Fasteners) works better. The harder
part is trying to decide which of them needs to be used when. Today we are
going to study when to use fasteners over welds.
Why Welds Are Great (And Why They Are Not)
Welding is an excellent way to make a
permanent joint between two materials. It is one of those set it and forgets it
types of connections, but what happens over time as that weld is put under
stress? How to check if the joint is still as strong as on day one?
The answer is welding are often
harder to check and maintain than fasteners. Some special equipment is required
for weld testing which costs excessive amounts of money. Welds require some
intensive tests such as x-rays to check integrity throughout the weld. It is
harder to remove welds than to replace Fasteners. They can also be inconsistent
in strength along a joint.
What May Make Fasteners a Better Decision?
Fasteners are used for
creating temporary joints. Fasteners, installed at equal distances, will
provide the same strength at each joint without significant change. This makes
them a better choice for weight distribution. They are also simple to check for
corrosion or other weakening factors.
By far the best part about using a
fastener over a weld is that if a fastener is bad, it is simple to remove it
and replace it with a new one. They can also be adjusted over time to
compensate for changes in the materials such as swelling or shrinking with
minimal effort.
Welds and Fasteners
To truly determine if a weld or
fastener is right It really depends on the application. Ultimately, we think in
the majority of situations that can use both fasteners should be used because
it just makes maintenance easier.
