Following a rigorous testing programme, as a result of enquiries from wind turbine manufacturers seeking cost-effective, maintenance-free alternatives to nut and bolt fastening solutions, the Huck® BobTail® lockbolt fastener from Alcoa Fastening Systems (AFS) has earned the prestigious German national technical approval, otherwise known as, allgemeine bauaufsichtliche Zulassungen (abZ). The accreditation was awarded by internationally recognised approval body Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (DIBt).
Declared by DIBt as 'maintenance free', the 12, 14, 16, 20mm and 1inch diameter BobTail is now approved to be used in both static and dynamic civil engineering applications. The test results met DIN EN 1993 (EURO Code 3 – Design of Steel Structures), and DIN 18800-1 (Steel Structures – Design and Construction) and BSEN 1090 (Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures) standards. The coating; resistant to ISO 12944 standard and chrome 6 free; was also found to retain its integrity as there is no exposed area after the fastener is installed.
An Allgemeine bauaufsichtliche Zulassungen (national technical approval) is granted to products and types of construction for which there are either no generally acknowledged rules of technology or DIN (Deutsches Institut Fur Normang e.V.) standards. While DIBt’s abZ accreditation holds legal status in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only, it is widely recognised as a pan-European industrial quality standard. However, based on the DIBt approval AFS is currently in the process of securing an ETA (European Technical Approval) licence with plans for it to be in place by 2013.
Commenting on the outcome of the BobTail testing and in particular the potential effect this may have on the European windfarm construction industry Hans-Albert Stadler, customer engineering director Europe at Alcoa Fastening Systems, said: “The DIBt test confirmed that a BobTail is maintenance-free during the lifetime of the joint it is fastening, which is not the case when using traditional nut and bolt products. As a result, it can be integrated into a range of applications, and in particular wind turbine towers, with complete confidence by civil engineering designers. Our next step is to seek DIBt approval for larger BobTail sizes M27, M30 and M36, as well as other fasteners such as the Magna-Bulb® and Magna-Lok®.”
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world's leading producer of primary and fabricated aluminum, as well as the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 10 consecutive years and approximately 75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 31 countries across the world.
About Alcoa Fastening Systems
Alcoa Fastening Systems, a business unit of Alcoa, is a leading worldwide designer and manufacturer of fastening systems including specialty fasteners, fluid fittings, assembly components, and installation systems for aerospace and industrial applications. Headquartered in Torrance, California, the company has more than 6,000 employees at 32 manufacturing and distribution/logistics locations, in 11 countries.
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