Weather-Stable Friction Control Coating for High-Stress Fastener Systems in Heavy Construction Equipment

• A manufacturer of heavy construction components was experiencing a high failure rate in a critical fastening system. Because the assemblies were large, complex, and installed in the field, fastener replacement was both difficult and expensive.

• The fastener system used low-stretch components where clamp load consistency is essential, making any variation in the coefficient of friction across fasteners a direct driver of joint failure.

• Unlike in-plant assembly environments, these assemblies are installed and operated across a wide range of outdoor temperatures and global weather conditions, requiring friction performance that remains stable regardless of environmental exposure at the point of installation and throughout the service life of the joint.

• Standard friction control coatings under consideration could not simultaneously satisfy the full combination of environmental stability, transport durability, adhesion, and surface finish requirements demanded by this application.

• Consistent Friction Performance: Achieve a precise, repeatable coefficient of friction to minimize tension variation and ensure reliable clamp load in low-stretch fastener assemblies.

• Environmental Stability: Maintain consistent friction performance across a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions encountered during global transportation, installation, and long-term outdoor service.

• Coating Durability: Resist damage from handling, storage, shipping, and field installation while maintaining coating integrity prior to assembly.

• Surface Compatibility: Provide strong adhesion to the fastener surface while remaining compatible with subsequent paint application.

• Customized Appearance: Incorporate customer-specified coloration to enhance the appearance of the finished assembly.

• Tectorius R&D evaluated the full performance envelope required by the application, including friction consistency, outdoor environmental exposure, transport handling, long-term stability, and paintability, and developed a new coating formulation purpose-built to meet all specified criteria simultaneously. During competitive evaluation, the new formulation proved to be the only candidate capable of satisfying the complete set of requirements.

• The coating delivers a consistent, repeatable coefficient of friction on high-stress fastener surfaces, directly addressing the tension variation responsible for the customer's field failure rate. Its performance remains stable across the wide temperature ranges and outdoor weather conditions encountered in global field installation and service environments.

• The formulation provides superior adhesion to fastener surfaces and resistance to transport-related coating damage, ensuring that friction performance is preserved from the point of application through delivery and installation. Its stability over time eliminates the need for reapplication in field-exposed assemblies.

• The coating accepts paint application without loss of adhesion or friction performance, and was formulated with customer-specified coloration to meet the appearance requirements of the finished assembly. This new grade has since been added to the Tec-Slip® line of dry film lubricants, extending the product family to serve demanding outdoor and heavy-duty fastener applications.