Adhesive bonded nutplates for airframe structures

Adhesive bonded nutplates represent a new technology for structural attachment in metal and composite airframe structures. These nutplates reduce installation costs compared to riveted nutplates and provide structural advantages resulting from the elimination of two-thirds of the holes in the airframe structure. Adhesive bonded nutplates strengthen the structure at the point of attachment by providing a reinforcing doubler. The nutplate baseplate acts as a laminated reinforcement. Since the nutplate baseplate is clamped to the airframe structure by the bolt and nut, the nutplate is not dependent upon the adhesive for attachment strength during flight, but only during maintenance operations when the bolt is removed from the nut.; The objective of this thesis is to test the attachment strength of adhesive bonded nutplates. The nutplates pass the MIL-N-25027 requirement for attachment strength to metallic and composite materials. Aerospace companies have accepted this testing as a design verification for adhesive bonded nutplates.