How are the steps of stepladders and the rungs of ladders attached to the sidewalls?

Stepladder treads and ladder rungs are attached to the side members (also called bowstrings) in various ways, depending on the design, material and purpose of the ladder. Let's look at the main methods of attaching steps to the side members of ladders:

1. Fastening by mortise (into grooves)

This method is used in wooden and metal ladders:

Grooves of the appropriate size are made in the side members (bowstrings).

Steps or rungs are inserted into the grooves and fixed with glue, screws or nails.

Dowel connections (wooden pins) can also be used for reinforcement.

2. Bolt fastening

Often used in metal stepladders and ladders:

Holes are drilled in the side members and rungs.

Steps are connected to the side members with bolts and nuts, sometimes with additional washers.

This method of fastening allows, if necessary, to disassemble the ladder structure for compact transportation or storage.

3. Riveted connection

Used in the manufacture of aluminum and steel ladders and stepladders:

The rungs are inserted into special holes and fixed with rivets.

This is a strong, but non-separable connection.

4. Pressing or riveting (for metal ladders)

The rungs are pressed into the holes in the sidewalls under high pressure, providing reliable adhesion and strength of the structure as a whole.

This method is used in the production of industrial aluminum and steel ladders.

5. Welding (for metal ladders)

The steps or rungs are welded to the sidewalls.

The connection is very strong, but non-separable, allowing you to get a monolithic structure.

Sometimes after welding, the seams are cleaned and an anti-corrosion coating is applied.

6. Fastening to corners or brackets

Corners are mounted on the sidewalls, to which the steps are attached.

Used in modular and folding ladders.

The choice of the method of fastening the steps/rungs depends on the load, operating conditions and design of the ladder or stepladder.

If you are interested in the topic of manufacturing ladders and stepladders, we recommend that you read our thematic article from the blog "Advantages of aluminum as a material for manufacturing stepladders".

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