What Are The Benefits Of Using Lock Washers?

The use of locking gaskets can greatly improve the reliability, safety and durability of threaded connections, especially under vibration, impact or dynamic loads. Its core benefits and specific application scenarios are detailed below:
I. Core Benefits
1.Effective prevention of loosening, accidental shedding;
Mechanical interlocking mechanism: Lock gaskets (such as single ear lock gaskets and double ear lock gaskets) use curved ears suitable for nut or bolt head groove to form a physical barrier that directly prevents nut rotation from loosening.
Comparative Effect: compared with the friction andloosening mechanism of spring gasket, the loosening ability of locking gasket is several times that of spring gasket gasket, especially in high frequency vibration environment such as engine and transmission, completely eliminating the risk of nut falling off naturally.
Application example: using locking gasket in automobile drive bolt connection can prevent nut loosening and transmission failure even in long term AC torque.
2.Vibration and shock resistance, excellent stability;
Dynamic load adaptation: In the field of wind and electric rail transportation, equipment must be able to withstand the violent vibration and impact caused by wind loads and track irregularities. Lock the gasket and attach the nut mechanically to the connecting member to absorb vibration energy effectively.
Data support: In vibration tests, bolt connections using locking gaskets took more than 10 times longer to loosen than traditional connections.
Application Case: The the flange connection of the wind turbine tower adopts the locking gasket, which can withstand dynamic load in extreme wind condition and ensure the safety of the tower structure.
3.Bridging gaps and maintaining Long-Term Preload
Material Fatigue Resilience: After long use, the metal material may be slightly deformed due to fatigue, leading to the expansion of the thread connection gap. Lock the gasket and fill the gap with bent ears to prevent the nut from loosening due to the gap.
Adapt to Temperature Fluctuations: In hot environments (e.g. engine exhaust manifolds) or cold environments (e.g. Arctic wind turbine equipment), the expansion and contraction of materials can cause loose connections. The rigid fixation provided by the gasket compensates for gap changes caused by temperature fluctuations. Purpose: The locking gasket are bolts that attach to turbine disk in aircraft engines and maintain a a preset load even after thousands of hot and cold cycles, preventing air leaks or parts from falling off.
4.Simplified Installation and maintenance to reduce costs
Easy to use: just tighten the nuts and bend the lugs to install locking gaskets, no complicated tools or extra steps (such as applying threaded locks).
Reusable: Lock gaskets can be removed multiple times to reduce long-term maintenance costs, as long as the gaskets are not overly deformed.
Comparative advantage: compared to double-fold or wedge lock washers, lock washers are cheap and do not require specialized materials or processes.
Adapt to bad environment, strong corrosion resistance.
Material Selection: Lock gaskets is usually made of stainless steel, galvanized steel or weatherproof steel. It has the characteristics of salt mist, chemical corrosion and high-temperature oxidation.
Sealing Protection: Composite sealing gaskets with sealing ring can prevent corrosive media from intruding into threaded connections and prolong the service life of the equipment. Application example: Stainless steel lock washers for pipeline connection on offshore platform can resist seawater corrosion and reduce connection failures caused by rust.
ii. Typical Application Scenarios
1. High-Vibration Equipment
Automotive industry: Bolted connections to engine crankshafts, transmission shafts and suspension systems are affected by long-term high frequency vibration. Locking the gasket prevents nuts from loosening, causing components to sink or make unusual noises.
Construction Machinery: locking gaskets to ensure stable connections between hydraulic cylinders and other power components, and rotary support for excavators and cranes.
2. Dynamically Loaded Structures
Rail transit: Bolted connections between train bogies and wheels must withstand alternating stresses and vibrations. Lock gaskets and maintain it sealed for a long time to prevent fatigue from breaking.
Wind Turbine Equipment: Bolts connections tower flanges and blade roots must be able to withstand bending and torsion caused by wind loads. Locking the gasket can make up for gap variations and prevent loosening.
3. Safety-Critical Components
Aerospace: Bolt connection between landing gear and engine turbine disk requires absolute reliability. In extreme cases, the gasket is mechanically locked to ensure that the connection does not fail. Nuclear Power Equipment: connection of reactor pressure vessels, pipe flanges and other parts must prevent leakage. The locking gasket provides dual protection (mechanical fixation + sealing).
4. Corrosive Environments
Marine Engineering: Threaded joints on ships and offshore platforms must be resistant to salt spray corrosion. Stainless steel lock washers can extend the service life of equipment.
Chemical Equipment: the connection of pipes, valves and other parts must prevent chemical leakage. Corrosion-resistant lock washers ensure tight connection.
III. Selection and Installation Recommendations
Selection based on Vibration Frequency
Two-earlock gaskets are better suited for high-frequency vibration applications, such as aerospace, because their dual fixation provides higher reliability.
Single-ear locking gaskets can be used in low-frequency vibration applications, such as construction machinery, to balance cost and performance.
Load Type
Dynamic loads,such as alternating stresses, require high ear strength for gaskets to prevent breakage after bending.
Static loads (such as mounting brackets) can be reduced using standard lock gaskets.
Installation Precautions
The ear bend angle should be fully embedded in the groove of the nut or bolt head to avoid any gaps. Preload control: Fasten nut to the preset torque to prevent locking failure due to insufficient preload.
Mating surface inspection: make sure nut and joints are smooth and free of oil, dirt or impurities, otherwise the locking effect will be affected.