Fasteners play very important roles in making several objects. Suppose you do regular DIY projects. In that case, there&#;s every possibility that you used fasteners to get your job done. They help hold parts in place while preventing excess vibration and pressure. There are many different types of fasteners. The different types also come with a reasonably high level of variability.
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In this article, we&#;ll discuss the different types of fasteners as well as their subtypes. We&#;ll also give you the important tips to help you select the right fastener for your work. Before we dive into the details, let&#;s start by defining fasteners.
The term &#;fastener&#; is an encompassing term that describes a broad range of tools. These tools include screws, bolts, nuts, etc., and they share a common aim. The aim is to enable the mechanical adherence of objects. In simple terms, fasteners help to hold objects in place or together mechanically.
You may argue that glue can perform this function effectively. If the glue is not an example of fasteners, then what is a fastener? This will prompt us to expand on the initial definition. Hardware fasteners are those that help to hold objects together mechanically.
There is a broad classification of fasteners. It classifies them into Permanent and Non-Permanent fasteners. Generally, fasteners are considered to form non-permanent joints. That is, you should be able to separate two components connected with a fastener. While the pieces come apart, they must not suffer any form of damage. An exception to this rule is the rivet, which is a permanent fastener.
The fact that most fasteners form non-permanent joints does not mean that the joint is weak. Using the fasteners with properly formed threads will give you a reliable hold on your objects. That way, you can be sure that your object can be subject to a high level of stress. They are highly versatile, making them useful for various types of joints.
Mechanical fasteners come in different types. Each of those types also has many subtypes that you can choose from. Among the different types of fasteners, here are the most common ones:
There are many types of fasteners out there. Every one of them works for specific types of applications. You must understand the unique uses of each of the types of fasteners. This will help you know which fastener to use for your application.
Bolts are the most common fasteners used to hold unthreaded parts together. A bolt comes with external (male) threads on one of its ends. On the other end, it comes with a hexagonal head. A bold work together with a nut to fasten the required parts together.
In some cases, one part comes with a threaded hole that replaces the nut. This will minimize the components used. Bolds are among the most used types of fasteners. There are several types of bolts for various applications. Here are some of the most popular ones:
This bolt has its head shaped like a hexagon. The purpose of the bolts&#; six sides is to give a good granularity of angles that you can approach the bolt. This is usually important when you need to fasten the bolt to a spot that&#;s difficult to reach. These bolts are used extensively in machining because they easily assemble and dissemble.
This bolt looks like a simple threaded rod. However, a double-ended bolt comes with a thread at both ends. Therefore, they can work with a nut at one or both of their ends.
An eye bolt has a loop at one end and a thread at the other. The work of the loop depends on the machine size and design.
These bolts come with convex metal heads and square necks, and threads. They help in the fastening of wood materials. It easily fits into a square neck into wood pieces by applying pressure. Therefore, they have self-locking potential.
You may find some people referring to these as Allen bolts. They have cylindrical heads and hexagonal holes. An Allen wrench can help fasten this bolt to components.
These types of bolts are shaped like horseshoes. The bent section does not have threads. However, there are threads on the straight ends all the way. U-bolts are great for holding tubes and pipes in position without making holes.
Screws and bolts have similar structures. Their male threads start from the tip. Also, their heads can come in various shapes. However, there are a few differences between bolts and screws. A screw often needs internal threads to hold objects together. On the other hand, bolts can maintain grip between unthreaded parts along with nuts.
Screws are commonly self-threading. That is, they can make thread into the component during installation. This eliminates the need for the previous tapping. There are many available designs for these mechanical fasteners. Each one of them has its specific usefulness. They include:
Also known as self-tapping screws, they create internal threads during installation. They have fully threaded shafts from tip to the head. These screws easily create spaces for themselves in the component during turning.
These screws have sharp cutting threads. This helps them to cut into sheet metals, wood, or plastics. Their shank is fully threaded with a notched point to enable chip removal.
They are screws used in most machinery works. Their structure is similar to sheet metal screws. They are installed into pre-drilled holes. Therefore, there&#;s no need to create a hole while installing.
These are large wood screws. They help during heavy-duty applications in machinery and wood operations.
These types of screws allow for easy installation into deck and wood materials. The square drive and bugle head help eliminate stripping effects.
Wood screws have partial threading with smooth shanks. They easily slide through pieces of wood and pull the boards together.
A nut comes with an internal thread that helps it work together with a bolt of the same size. These types of fasteners provide improved grip and increased torque to users. They come in various types and designs that help them fit into various bolt shapes. The different nut types include the following:
They have closed ends that look like a dome. This helps to ensure that the bolt-nut connection remains protected. It also ensures there&#;s a nice finish to your work.
These nuts have notches at one of their ends. Their design allows the insertion of pins through their notches. They are best used where there are low torque requirements.
Weld nuts help to fasten components in hard-to-reach areas. They require welding onto the part surface.
Hex nuts are the most common types. They are cheap, and you can easily assemble them using a wrench.
Washers are a type of fasteners used along with nuts and bolts. They are usually placed under joints, nuts, and axle bearings. Washers serve several functions, which include alleviation of friction. They also help to eliminate leakages and isolate different components. Using a washer will help prevent the loosening of components due to vibration.
These types of washers help to isolate components from nuts or bolts. They help protect surfaces from losing their coatings. They also increase the surface area, thus distributing the load on the material.
Their circular shape comes with a bit of modification. They act like springs, and their flexibility makes joints more elastic.
They lock nuts and bolts in place even when there&#;s friction or vibration. Most users prefer them to spring washers.
These are heavy-duty washers that help to build docks. They are also useful in heavy-duty construction where there is a need for thick washers.
Rivets are the most popular types of permanent fasteners. They help to secure a wide range of materials and provide support against shearing force. A rivet is lightweight. It also comes with a head at each of its ends to support axial loads. Rivet guns are used to install rivets into components. For rivet installation, there is no need for threads. They are easy to inspect, making them preferred in the aerospace industry. The common types of rivets are:
These are tubular rivets with a hat and a mandrel. They can be open-end, closed-end, or countersunk.
Multi-grip rivets are best used where there&#;s a variation in the thickness of installed materials. The rivets can expand to the required size and hold the components together.
These are exploding rivets with three cuts in their hats. The hat folds outwards and offers better strength and handling power.
These rivets have larger washers on their hats. They help with the efficient and quick connection of materials.
There is an extensive array of mechanical fasteners available. However, it is important that you choose the right one for your application. Choosing the right fastener is not only important for productivity purposes. It is also crucial for the safety of the process and the plant workers. Let&#;s look at how to choose the right fastener at all times.
The types of fasteners you use will always depend on the requirements of your application. You have to consider if your fastener will fit. The design of the fastener can be vital in knowing the amount of torque it can take. You may need a very long flange bolt to hold several components of your parts.
Also, you need to consider leaving some threads of the fastener out. This is to ensure the safety of the material and personnel. Sometimes, you may find more than one type of fastener working. In that case, you need to seek the experience of experts to decide the right one for the work.
Thread selection is another important factor when choosing a fastener. Threads are crucial parts of an application. They may be fine (UNF), coarse (UNC), or eight-thread.
Coarse threads ensure the quicker assembly of components. On the other hand, fine threads may take longer to assemble. This is due to the number of revolutions they need to travel the distance.
The advantage of fine over coarse threads is that they offer better thread engagement. They also ensure a more secure connection for accommodating greater tension in the connection. Regardless of your option, either can be very beneficial. All you need to do is choose the thread to offer the best load-handling capabilities.
Several different materials are used in making mechanical fasteners. The most used material is carbon steel. This is due to its wide range of strength and workability properties. Other materials include alloy steel and stainless steel. Alloy steel bolts don&#;t usually come plated.
They are very strong but quite brittle. On the other hand, stainless steel can have specific properties for special use. They are perfect in high moisture areas, e.g., water plants. They are also good for use in areas where there may be chemical exposure. Bronze, brass, and aluminum are also used occasionally. They are highly corrosion resistant.
The best types of fasteners come with hard materials to eliminate the danger of thread stripping or galling. Pressure may build up between thread surfaces in contact. This increases friction and may cause the fusion or seizing of the fastener.
You must also consider the temperature you will expose the fastener to before selection. Extreme temperature changes can lead to the expansion and contraction of fastened joints. This can lead to a loose connection. Hence, the need for a fastener that can meet the temperature requirements. The level of vibration is another important consideration. A prevailing torque locknut may be the right option in areas of high vibrations. This will prevent the fasteners from loose vibration.
Choosing the right fastener becomes very easy when you have the best hands with you. RapidDirect boasts of experts who have the expertise and broad knowledge of fasteners to assist you. Contact us today for support!
With several types of fasteners available today, choosing the right one for your application becomes challenging. We have covered the different types of fasteners and their uses in this article. We also gave important tips to help you choose the best fastener for your components.
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At RapidDirect, our experts will offer you guidance that will help you find the right fastener for any application. With us, you can be sure of excellent services and fast turnaround at competitive prices. Contact us today for an immediate quote.
Goto yiyuan to know more.
(Mechanical)
(OP)
15 Jul 05 02:16On a lighter side, do any of you mechanical types have a copy, or a reference to, the old non-standard fasteners?
I had a chart many years ago for screwholes that were mislocated, so an offset screw was needed, hole tapered large at the bottom, so reverse tapered screw needed, countersink on the wrong side, so taper on screwhead on top, etc.
Mine was probably from 30 or more years ago. Youngsters might not think it funny, then again, with an engineering mind, they just might.
Kind of on the line of "Herman" and "The Bull of the Woods".
If you have a lead, please reply. If you have a copy, please post a link.
My background is Machine Repair, Westinghouse type. Fix the machines that make machines. Precision, precision, precision. Unlike my present "Get the friggin' thing running, an inch out of line is OK till we get a down turn."
Cheers,
George
Replies continue below
(Mechanical)
15 Jul 05 15:35This is a joke, right? "Reverse Tapered Screw", "Offset Screw", "Taper Screwhead"?
Kenneth J Hueston, PEng
Principal
Sturni-Hueston Engineering Inc
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
(Mechanical)
15 Jul 05 16:20I've seen it, but I don't have a copy.I too would like a copy.
"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."
"Fixed in the next release" should replace "Product First" as the PTC slogan.
Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand
2
Strider17(Mechanical)
15 Jul 05 16:59Yes a Joke...I have a copy I got a year ago havinglost my first one....It came as humorous catalog page from a legitimatefastener supplier. Go to this site and go 3-4 pagesinto their catalog...Metric Screw & Tool Co9 Lake St.Wakefield, MA, -800-METRIC-1
The more you know, the more you
know you don't know....
(Industrial)
15 Jul 05 17:27I have really needed a source for those special screws from time to time. Since they are made from unobtainium they probably cost too much to stock but it is nice to have a source.
Barry
(Mechanical)
(OP)
15 Jul 05 22:16Strider,
Thanks for the link, but the original was a pagefull,probably 20 special fasteners.
I've asked elsewhere and gotten either "Huh?"s or no reply.
I'm really looking for the original or a reasonable facsimile.
Cockroach, yeah, reverse tapered, you know, a flathead screw, say for attaching a wear plate. Countersink the wrong side, special fasteners needed. (Joke.)
Sure hope someone has a copy and can send it.
Thanks.
Cheers,
George
(Mechanical)
16 Jul 05 01:20gmatov
You Bet! I've seen this in most shops where I've been. It's a Standard Poster. Xerox Edition x22 +. Still funny and to the point. A jab back at the engineer, designer or whom ever.
If we cannot laugh at ourselves who can we laugh at...
Theres another (old) joke out there about a swing, and is viewed from various perpectives. Some of you have seen it and most will get it when viewed, I'm sure. I whished I had it and could post it.
Best Regards
pennpoint
(Mechanical)
(OP)
16 Jul 05 02:23Pennpoint,
Thanks.Is the Xerox Edition x22+ where I can get it or do I have to beg you to scan and post. I'm a relatively old guy, as you seem to be, as the youngsters don't even seem to think such could be. I quote, "Is this a joke?"
You probably even remember Herman and the Bull o' the Woods cartoons.
Ah, well,
Cheers,
George
(Mechanical)
16 Jul 05 08:32I have seen the fasterner poster too, but have it to find it on web. However, here is the swing pennpoint mentioned
(Mechanical)
16 Jul 05 16:24Thanks "byrdj"
That IS the one.
"gmatov"
What! are you saying I'm old at 61?
Well I guess I am..
and sorry I do not have that "fastener poster"
People do have a better idea of what your talking about thanks to the link "Strider17" posted.
best regards
pennpoint
(Automotive)
16 Jul 05 16:35 http://www.metricscrew-toolco.com/pg4.htmlfor a better link
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
(Mechanical)
16 Jul 05 18:52I hade one to add to the list. however a drawing wough not due them justice. It was a double thread, ie 8 & 7 tpi, thus could be used with either threaded nut.
They were made when the new contract milwright was given the job of stud cleaning.
(Mechanical)
(OP)
16 Jul 05 23:33Penn,
Yep, you've got me, oldtimer, I'm only 60 and a half.
Greg,
Linking directly to page 4 is a good idea. It's possible some one could have gone to the original link and, not being clued in that it is a gag, would try to order same for one of their own slightly off tolerance projects.
The same type who you might send for some Relative Bearing Grease, or some such. Maybe a bucket of steam.
Byrdj,
Everybody picks on millwrights, don't they? They can be useful. They did all my heavy lifting, till my company got the union to merge jobs. Then we machinery repairmen were partnered with a millwright each. Made the job take a bit longer, but when there was something tight or heavy, they WERE handy.
Cheers,
George
(Mechanical)
(OP)
17 Jul 05 01:36Sorry,Since I started this, I don't know if this is allowed or not.Description of some mechanics tools:ETER EGAN&#;S TOOL DICTIONARY DEPT....HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive car parts not far from the object we are trying to hit.MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on boxes containing convertible tops or tonneau covers.ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning steel Pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age, but it also works great for drilling rollbar mounting holes in the floor of a sports car just above the brake line that goes to the rear axle.PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads.HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.VISE-GRIPS: Used to round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting those stale garage cigarettes you keep hidden in the back of the Whitworth socket drawer (What wife would think to look in there?) because you can never remember to buy lighter fluid for the Zippo lighter you got from the PX at Fort Campbell.ZIPPO LIGHTER: See oxyacetylene torch.WHITWORTH SOCKETS: Once used for working on older British cars an motorcycles, they are now used mainly for hiding six-month old Salems from the sort of person who would throw them away for no good reason.DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, splattering it against the Snap-On Tool Calendar over the bench grinder.WIRE WHEEL: Cleans rust off old bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprint whorls and hard- earned guitar calluses in about the time it takes you to say, "Django Reinhardt."HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering a Mustang to the ground after you have installed a set of Ford Motorsports lowered road springs, trapping the jack handle firmly under the front air dam.EIGHT-FOOT LONG DOUGLAS FIR 2X4: Used for levering a car upward off a hydraulic jack.TWEEZERS: A tool for removing wood splinters.: Tool for calling your neighbor Chris to see if he has another hydraulic floor jack.SNAP-ON GASKET SCRAPER: Theoretically useful as a sandwich tool for spreading mayonnaise; used mainly for getting dog-doo off your boot.E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool that snaps off in bolt holes and is ten times harder than any known drill bit.TIMING LIGHT: A stroboscopic instrument for illuminating grease buildup on crankshaft pulleys.TWO-TON HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOIST: A handy tool for testing the tensile strength of ground straps and hydraulic clutch lines you may have forgotten to disconnect.CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 16-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A large motor mount prying tool that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end without the handle.BATTERY ELECTROLYTE TESTER: A handy tool for transferring sulfuric acid from a car battery to the inside of your toolbox after determining that your battery is dead as a doornail, just as you thought.AVIATION METAL SNIPS: See hacksaw.TROUBLE LIGHT: The mechanic's own tanning booth. Sometimes called a drop light, it is a good source of vitamin D, "the sunshine vitamin," which is not otherwise found under cars at night. Health benefits aside, its main purpose is to consume 40-watt light bulbs at about the same rate that 105-mm howitzer shells might be used during, say, the first few hours of the Battle of the Bulge. More often dark than light, its name is somewhat misleading.PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the lids of old-style paper-and- tin oil cans and splash oil on your shirt; can also be used, as the name implies, to round-out Phillips screw heads.AIR COMPRESSOR: A machine that takes energy produced in a coal-burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by hose to a Chicago Pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty suspension bolts last tightened 40 years ago by someone in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, and rounds them off.If this is off-base, sorry.Link: http://members.aol.com/funnyfirm/bits.htm You have to join, and it seems to be about 10 years old, but.....Cheers,GeorgeStill haven't found the chart.
(Mechanical)
17 Jul 05 02:10gmatov
Thanks that was fun...
pennpoint
(Mechanical)
(OP)
17 Jul 05 03:27Pennpoint,
Thanks, I think it is, too. Spent the last hour reading most of the original page, finally clicked "Home",and found that the site is still maintained, kinda up to date.
Have GOT to go to bed now.
Well, I DID buy the latest H. Potter book for myself and all the kids, delivered 3 and started my own. Probably not getting too much sleep tonight.
Go pop a fresh beer and read myself to sleep.
Cheers,
George
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