My lead told me to torque those new composite panel fasteners to 35 inch-pounds, not foot-pounds. Saved a hangar queen from getting a crack.

4 comments

4 Comments

Wait, is that a common mix-up with composites? I read an article last year about how over-torquing on carbon fiber structures can cause delamination you can't even see. They said the clamp load is totally different than on metal.

sean8542mo ago

Exactly, people treat everything like it's steel.

angelarivera2mo ago

Yeah, that invisible delamination is the scary part.

lily_torres311mo ago

Honestly feels like folks are making a bigger deal out of this than it is. Over-torquing by a few inch-pounds ain't gonna crack a panel that's properly bonded and cured. People act like one mistake turns everything into a disaster, but most parts have a safety margin built in.