Month: September 2024

Pagani Huayra Bolts Cost as Much as a Porsche 911

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Tsamouris, the Fastener Specialists©

Pagani’s flagship hypercar, the Huayra, is a true marvel of engineering, boasting a powerful AMG-sourced
V12 engine and stunning design. But it’s the car’s 1,400 unique titanium bolts that truly showcase the
brand’s obsessive attention to detail.

Each bolt, made from grade 7 Titanium with added palladium for enhanced corrosion resistance, is
individually engraved with the Pagani logo. This level of craftsmanship comes at a price: a single bolt costs
around USD 95 (EUR 88), meaning the Huayra’s bolts alone are worth a staggering USD 133,000 (EUR
123,000) – enough to buy a brand new Porsche 911.

Pagani’s choice of high-quality, lightweight materials like Titanium ensures the Huayra can withstand the
rigors of high-performance driving while maintaining its impeccable aesthetics. The engraved bolts serve as
a subtle yet powerful reminder of the brand’s uncompromising commitment to excellence.

At Tsamouris, we share Pagani’s dedication to providing customers with fasteners that meet the highest
standards of strength, durability, and reliability. Discover our range of top-quality fasteners, the go-to choice
for Greece’s leading construction and industrial groups.

Bolt Problems at London’s US Embassy

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Tsamouris, the Fastener Specialists©

In 2015, thousands of bolts on the new US embassy in Vauxhall, London, needed replacement after some of
them were found faulty.

The GBP 800 million (USD 1 billion or EUR 940 million) cube-shaped embassy, America’s largest in the
Western world, was shrouded in secrecy due to its highly sensitive nature. While details remained scarce, it
was understood that the issues involved bolts on the building’s upper floors.

The steel company tasked with replacing the bolts was the same contractor that had to spend over 6 million
GBP (7.6 million USD or 7.5 million EUR) in 2014, when two of its bolts, each the size of a human arm, broke
on the 738 feet tall (225 meters) “Cheesegrater” skyscraper.

The steel company tasked with replacing the bolts at the embassy was the same one that had to spend over
6 million GBP (7.6 million USD or 7.5 million EUR) in 2014. At that time, three of the bolts it had installed in
the 738-foot (225-meter) “Cheesegrater” skyscraper in London, each the size of a human arm, broke, forcing
the contractor to replace all 3,000 bolts in the skyscraper. Thankfully, no one was injured.

An investigation into the “Cheesegrater” bolt failures revealed that they had fractured due to hydrogen
embrittlement, a process in which hydrogen atoms diffuse into a substance, combine, and create internal
pressure, causing the metal to weaken.

In an era where the complexity and scale of architectural projects continue to grow, the need for fastening
solutions that can withstand the test of time and the elements has never been more crucial.

Subsea Oil-Well Bolts Are Failing

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Tsamouris, the Fastener Specialists©

In 2013, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) launched an investigation into the failure of massive bolts
that secure subsea oil equipment in the Gulf of Mexico. The inquiry was triggered by a worldwide recall of
defective bolts by General Electric Co.’s oil-exploration equipment business, which reported incidents of
corrosion and snapping. These failures have led to costly shutdowns and raised serious concerns about the
safety of subsea wells.

The potential consequences of bolt failures in subsea oil equipment are severe, as they could lead to major
oil leaks with devastating environmental impacts. The 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, for example,
was linked to a record spike in marine animal deaths, particularly among bottlenose dolphins. The spill,
which occurred after the BP-owned Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, released more than four million
barrels of unprocessed oil before being sealed five months later, highlighting the difficulty and expense of
cleaning up such disasters.

The DOI’s investigation, along with two additional bolt failure incidents, has led industry officials and safety
regulators to believe that the problem extends beyond GE and its blowout preventers, which are critical
devices used to seal, monitor, and control oil and gas wells. Flaws have also been discovered in bolts
manufactured by GE’s competitors for similar equipment.

Manufacturers and regulators have identified several potential factors contributing to the bolt failures,
including the adequacy of the alloys used in the heavy steel bolts, the appropriateness of the coatings
applied to the bolts, and the practice of “over-torquing” by subcontractors, which can weaken the fasteners.
GE has acknowledged that over-torquing may have played a role in its bolt failures.

The bolt failures have been traced decades back, and while they have not yet resulted in any oil leaks,
regulators consider the issue to be of critical importance. The problem may affect more than 2,400 platforms
and oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, 23 off the coast of California, and an active rig on the outer continental
shelf in Alaska.

As an officer of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement stated: ”If your smallest component
fails, you can’t expect a sophisticated many-million-dollar piece of equipment to prevent a leak.”

Paris 2024 Olympics — 2.5 Million Rivets Holding an Icon

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As the 2024 Paris Olympics unfold, besides the athletes, all eyes are on the Eiffel Tower. Held together by an
astounding 2.5 million rivets, this marvel of engineering shines even brighter during the Games, as it
receives a special golden paint job to commemorate the occasion.

The construction of the Eiffel Tower relied on a riveting technique that has become the monument’s
trademark. The process involved a team of four skilled riveters working in perfect harmony. One heated the
rivet, another held it in place, a third formed the head, and the final member of the team locked it in place
with a sledgehammer. This efficient method allowed for the tower to be assembled in a record-breaking time
of just two years, two months, and five days.

Many of the tower’s components were pre-assembled at a workshop in Levallois-Perret before being
transported to the site for final assembly. This approach not only streamlined the construction process but
also ensured the highest level of precision and quality control.

In total, the Eiffel Tower comprises 18,000 metal parts, held securely by 13,000 bolts and the aforementioned
2.5 million rivets. Despite the tower’s original design life of just 20 years, the use of high-quality materials
and the dedication to regular maintenance and replacement of various pieces have allowed it to stand tall for
over a century.

Here are 17 mind-blowing facts and figures about the Eiffel Tower

1⃣ Gustave Eiffel built the tower because he won a competition.

2⃣ Eiffel had to pay for much of the build himself.

3⃣ Eiffel didn’t work alone; a team of engineers, architects, and workers contributed.

4⃣ The Eiffel Tower was once the tallest structure in the world.

5⃣ It changes height due to temperature fluctuations.

6⃣ It gets a regular lick of paint, using a special “Eiffel Tower Brown” color.

7⃣ It has over 1,700 steps.

8⃣ The first guided climbing tours launched in 2017.

9⃣ The elevators travel 2.5 times around the Earth every year.

🔟 You can see beyond Paris from the top on a clear day.

1⃣1⃣ In 1909, the tower was going to be demolished but was saved by Gustave Eiffel.

1⃣2⃣ It has 7 million visitors a year.

1⃣3⃣ It was sold by a con artist in 1925.

1⃣4⃣ It “got married” to a woman named Erica in 2007.

1⃣5⃣ The tower has 20,000 lights and sparkles for five minutes every hour after dark.

1⃣6⃣ It’s eco-friendly, producing its own electricity via hidden wind turbines.

1⃣7⃣ It was almost destroyed in WWII but was saved by a general who disobeyed orders.

Paris 2024 Olympic Medals

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Each one of the Olympic and Paralympic medals will be set with a piece of original iron from the Eiffel Tower,
forging a connection between the Games and the monument that symbolizes France and Paris. This
innovative idea was born from the collaboration between the Paris 2024 Athletes’ Commission and the
renowned LVMH jeweler Chaumet, resulting in a medal that is both a work of art and a piece of history.

The design of the medals draws inspiration from three key elements: the hexagon, radiance, and gemsetting.
The hexagon, the geometrical shape of France, is formed by the original Eiffel Tower iron, stripped of
its paint and returned to its original color. This symbol represents the entire nation’s commitment to
delivering an unforgettable Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Radiating from the central hexagon are fine, embossed lines that bring relief and sparkle to the medal,
embodying the radiance of France on the global stage and the shining performances of the athletes. The
gem-setting technique, inspired by the “Clous de Paris” hobnail shape the and the Eiffel Tower rivets,
secures the iron hexagon to the medal, adding depth and dimension to the design.

In a testament to the unity of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, both medals share the same design on
one side, featuring the Eiffel Tower iron. The ribbons, too, are adorned with the Eiffel Tower lattice work, with
the Olympic ribbons in dark blue and the Paralympic ribbons in a deep red, inspired by the first two coats of
paint used on the Eiffel Tower.

The reverse side of the Olympic medal tells the story of the rebirth of the Games in Greece, with the goddess
of victory Athena Nike emerging from the Panathenaic Stadium, joined by the Acropolis of Athens and, for
the first time, the Eiffel Tower. The Paralympic medals feature a graphic representation of the Eiffel Tower
from an upward perspective, surrounded by the words “Paris” and “2024” in universal Braille, symbolizing
accessibility and honoring its French inventor, Louis Braille.

Καλή επιτυχία Ελλάδα, Go, Hellenes, Hellènes, ramenez l’or!

Blade Fell off Wind Turbine Due to Loose Bolts

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An investigation has determined what caused a blade from a One Energy wind turbine to detach and fall to
the ground in Findlay, Ohio, on January 22, 2024.

One Energy, whose CEO Jereme Kent had emphasized the rarity of such an occurrence in his nearly 20-year
career in the wind industry, had immediately shut down its entire fleet of wind turbines pending a thorough
investigation.

The probe revealed that an abnormality in the bolted flange assembly, which connects the blade to the hub,
led to higher than intended load transfer to the blade bolts. This caused the bolts to fatigue much faster than
designed, eventually leading to a cascading failure of multiple bolts and the detachment of the blade.

In response to the findings, One Energy inspected every major bolted flange in each turbine and rechecked
the torque of each “field-installed” bolt before restarting the turbines. The company has also developed new
monitoring and testing programs, in collaboration with independent engineers and research institutions.

At Tsamouris, we believe that by working together as an industry to improve safety and maintenance
practices in fasteners, we can ensure the continued growth and success of renewable energy projects while
prioritizing the well-being of communities.

Tourist Finds Loose Screws on Cliff Trail Hundreds of Meters above Ground

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A tourist’s heart-stopping discovery of loose screws on a cable fixture while climbing a cliff trail in May 2024,
in Zhejiang province, eastern China, sparked concerns about the safety of adventure tourism. The incident,
captured on video, shows the tourist navigating a nerve-wracking path hundreds of meters above the ground
when he noticed the unsettling find.

The trail, which is equipped with steel cable fixtures every three meters, is designed to ensure the safety of
climbers. However, the presence of loose screws raises questions about the maintenance and inspection
procedures in place.

According to the trail manager, the steel cable undergoes regular maintenance and inspections. They also
assured that even if ten screws were missing, the cable would remain secure.

The trail, which is particularly crowded during China’s Golden Week holiday, has seen tourists stranded on
the cliff for more than an hour due to the high volume of visitors. In case of emergencies, a pickup service is
available at a cost of CNY 300 (USD 41 or EUR 38).

At Tsamouris, our commitment to providing reliable and durable bolts, nuts, screws, and other fasteners is
driven by the knowledge that even a single loose screw can pose a significant threat to human life.

Surgical Light Crashed Down in Hong Kong Operating Room Due to Broken Screws

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In February 2023, a surgical light came crashing down in an operating room at United Christian Hospital in
Hong Kong, narrowly missing patient but injuring an anesthetic assistant. The incident, which the health
minister in office at the time called “absolutely unacceptable,” prompted an investigation by the Hospital
Authority of Hong Kong and an inspection of surgical lights in public hospitals.

The investigation revealed that the six screws securing the light to the ceiling fixture had broken due to
metal fatigue caused by prolonged vibration. At least four of the screws showed signs of “beach marks,” a
typical indication of metal fatigue.

Inspections of 471 surgical lights across Hong Kong’s public hospitals found that 23 lights, all supplied by
the same contractor, had “potential risks.” Eleven lights were repaired, four were replaced, and eight were
scheduled for repair, with affected operating theaters remaining closed until the work was completed.

One of the screws was found to be rusted, indicating a lack of proper maintenance in the humidity-controlled
operating theatre. In addition, stripped screws were shown to be the result of forceful tightening when not
positioned correctly, suggesting a lack of diligence and qualified technicians during maintenance.

The contractor was ordered to replace the screws in all the lights it supplied to public hospitals, with
inspections to be carried out every one to two weeks until the process was finished.

At Tsamouris, we value the critical importance of proper maintenance and the use of reliable and durable
fasteners in medical equipment, ensuring the safety of patients and medical staff alike.

1,000 Screws — How China Built Its Space Station

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Tsamouris, the Fastener Specialists©

In the summer of 2021, China’s ambitious Tiangong space station project was well underway, with the core
module, Tianhe, already in orbit and astronauts busy configuring the station for future crews. The project,
which had been in planning since the late 1990s, is a testament to China’s growing space capabilities and its
commitment to long-term human presence in Earth’s orbit.

The construction of the Tiangong space station was a complex undertaking, requiring precision — the
astronauts had over 1,000 screws to remove in the core module alone, highlighting the complexity of the
assembly process.

Tianhe, which weighs 22.5 tons, was launched on a Long March-5B rocket and served as the foundation for
the station. It contained all the necessary life support systems, living quarters, and docking ports for future
modules and spacecraft.

The Tiangong space station is just one of many notable achievements by the Chinese space program in
recent years, including successful lunar sample-return and Mars rover missions. With the operation of the
Mengtian and Wentian laboratory modules, the station serves as a crucial platform for scientific research
and a stepping stone for China’s future lunar and Martian exploration efforts.

At Tsamouris, we understand the critical role that precision fasteners play in pushing the boundaries of
human exploration and scientific discovery.