BSI Specifies the Nuts and Bolts of the Aerospace Industry

The aerospace industry is set to benefit from a new qualification scheme launched by BSI Product Services. This new scheme will ensure that aerospace fasteners and fastening systems produced to BS standards and used by many leading UK aerospace manufacturers will uniformly comply to the standards.

Previously, specifiers have been reliant on employing their own qualification schemes resulting in lost time and duplication of effort. The new scheme developed in conjunction with and endorsed by the Technical Committee, ACE/12, clearly defines the test and certification requirements and not only qualifies the component but ensures that it is manufactured under an approved quality system.

Companies whose products are approved under this scheme will receive a Qualification Certificate valid for 3 years from date of issue and with which they can demonstrate compliance.

The scheme covers the following imperial components for aircraft:

• Clinch nuts
• Stiff nuts
• Steel double hexagon bolts
• Carbon steel worm drive clamps
• Corrosion resisting worm drive clamps

A searchable free-to-view web-based database of qualified components is planned to enable end-users to quickly ascertain who is able to supply their requirements. This will become an invaluable resource for buyers of imperial sized aerospace fastenings.

A pre-requisite for application is a valid BS EN 9100:2003 Aerospace certification or ISO 9001 quality management certification. BS EN 9100:2003 is the mandated aerospace quality management system, which specifies requirements based on the international standard, ISO 9001:2000.

BS EN 9100:2003 has been designed to promote customer satisfaction within the aerospace industry. It enables organisations to produce, and continually improve, safe, reliable products that meet or exceed customer and regulatory authority requirements.