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Threaded fasteners - nuts and bolts - are integral components in any mechanical assembly and design. And they continue to be integral because they maintain the required clamp load for keeping the machine parts together as well as allow for opening those parts easily for service and maintenance purposes when required.

However, the very design gap between the nut and bolt that allows them to be opened on demand also becomes the reason for the self-loosening of nuts and bolts under vibration and external forces, threatening the overall reliability of the machine. To prevent this, we use many mechanical locking methods - washers, locking bolts, wire retainers - which somewhat diminish the degree of failure, but they can’t eliminate the threat of loosening entirely as they don’t eliminate the gap

LOCTITE offers a more effective alternative - chemical thread-locking adhesives that act as liquid washers - to deal with fastener loosening inexpensively. LOCTITE’s thread lockers work on anaerobic technology which when applied between nut and bolt solidify within minutes into a thermoset plastic bonding the nut & bolt. This keeps the nut-bolt united under the impact of any vibrations and they don’t loosen by themselves.

While LOCTITE Threadockers are reliable they are removable as well. So the nut-bolt will not come off by themselves but will come off when you want them to. Read on to find out.

How Can You Remove Threadlockers?

Since LOCTITE threadlockers solidify into a thermoset plastic, it is easy to break this plastic by applying the right amount of external force using the classic wrench and the right technique. The external force depends on the strength of the threadlocker that has been used for locking the nut & bolt.

These can be opened up easily using your regular hand wrench. Just apply 25 to 30% more torque than the original tightening torque and the thread-locked nut will open up.

Apply heat to the head of the fastener. Warm it up for 3-4 minutes while simultaneously using the wrench to slacken the fastener. The heat will soften the thermoset plastic of the threadlocker. If the fastener begins to loosen up, apply more heat and keep working the wrench side-by-side. Keep the gloves and safety glasses on at all times when working with the flame.

If applying heat doesn’t work, switch to the chemical release method for better results. Methylene Chloride or WD 40 will offer optimum results.

Though LOCTITE’s threadlockers feature some impressive bond strengths, you can easily break your fasteners free when the need arises using proper tools and correct techniques. For persistent durability and reliability, you can also reapply LOCTITE’s industry-leading threadlockers during reassembly.

Disclaimer: This is a company press release. No HT journalist is involved in the creation of this content.

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