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As you can see in this pic, F-1 rocket engine consists of 15 main components. Now, how is it possible to keep all the components together intact in high pressure situations like when the rocket is in vertical takeoff or moving vertically above some $x$ kms above the Earth's surface?

How is it possible for the screw components to withstand such high pressure and make sure not even one component fall apart from the main body?

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  • $\begingroup$ You start with good mechanical engineers and appropriately rated (and tested) components. $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    May 8, 2020 at 16:53
  • $\begingroup$ There are main components of the F-1 engine not shown in that pic, for instance the injector for fuel and oxygen. $\endgroup$
    – Uwe
    May 8, 2020 at 17:55

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Chamber pressure of the F-1 engine was 70 bar. The helium bottles used to pressurize the fuel tank of the first stage of the Saturn V used a much higher pressue of 213 bar.

Construction materials used to built the rocket were selected for high strength at low weight. Al used materials were carefully tested for maximum acceptable loads.

All forces working on components had to be carefully calculated. The parts are designed with a certain safety factor of at least 2, so only 50 % of the maximum tolerated force was used.

Mechanical engineers use often higher safety factors of about 5, but a rocket would be too heavy to fly then, or at least the payload would be much smaller.

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