Webasto heaters

[journey on]

In response to Sea Wolf on the disparate costs for a stainless bolt purchased from the hardware and from NASA. A little late.

Joe, that 65 cent bolt at the hardware is from China and meets the form function of the bolt. No statement as to the material or the bolt strength. I have asked a Grattan rep what was the tensile strength of their bolt, and they said they couldn't give me a number, but they did laugh.

That aircraft bolt is warranted by the manufacturer/supplier to be of a certain material and to have minimum properties. In other words it's truly the type of stainless specified, it'll actually fit and you can count on its strength. That's important if you're flying it.

NASA has one chance at that bolt and wants the supplier to back up it's claims with tests and paperwork. This includes the process used to make that bolt (actually for other stuff, but the bolt is simple enough for illustration,) as well as material and manufacturing. And they want that paperwork delivered including the inspection reports. If they buy enough of that bolt, they'll do lot tests, but spacecraft aren't built by the 100s.

You get what you pay for and sometimes what you need costs a lot. Sometimes it seems insane, but the spacecraft I built worked.

Boris