With the holidays upon us and the winter season approaching, it’s time to begin thinking about the colder weather. In our business, that means evaluating how fasteners will withstand the cold temperatures while maintaining their strength. Take, for example, Santa’s sleigh—all of the sleigh’s components need to handle the low temperatures, cold winds, and snow-covered roofs that they will be facing. What exactly needs to go into the design and development of these components?
When it comes to producing fasteners for low temperature applications, we focus on the alloys of the parts. Typically, the materials meet ASTM A320 specifications, meaning they are usually alloy steel or stainless steel and conform to a certain chemical composition. This enables them to maintain specific characteristics they need to work in the cold, including corrosion resistance, tensile strength, and ductility.
Maintaining certain strength is essential in low temperature applications. Santa’s sleigh needs to stay aloft, pipeline uses need to remain intact, ski lifts or ski towers need to remain standing. Whatever the application, structures that are exposed to low and harsh temperatures need to be ductile and secure. For these applications, strong alloys, such as steel or stainless steel, are usually options that stand strong.