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Why do we keep torquing the bolt when the real load is carried by friction between the plates?
Discover How Bolts Rivets and Welds Actually Hold Structures Together — Bolts generate clamping force through controlled preload, locking parts by friction and tensile stress so the joint resists shear without the bolt itself carrying the primary load. Rivets are permanent fasteners driven or upset into place; once deformed they work almost entirely in shear and cannot be removed without destruction. Welds fuse base metals into a continuous joint by melting and solidifying, transferring load through the weld metal and heat-affected zone with strength governed by throat thickness and residual…
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