Many industries, ranging from automotive and engineering to construction and furniture, rely on fasteners to hold together assembled parts and products. As a result, the uses of industrial fasteners are nearly limitless. For example, they are essential components for gadgets like computers, electric motors, vehicles, and medical adhesives. If your industry needs industrial fasteners, this article will introduce you to several types available. This information will help you choose suitable fasteners for your particular applications.

Types of Industrial Fasteners

Most industries use these fasteners:

1. Bolts

Industries use bolts to join components non-permanently. These fasteners are often categorized according to their materials, size, diameter, shape of the head, and direction of the thread. Some of the bolt types available today include hex-headed bolts, machine bolts, timber bolts, flange bolts, and anchor bolts.

2. Nuts and Washers

Bolts come with counterparts known as nuts. Nuts are what professionals consider the female components that complement bolts. These components come with a hollow threaded center to fit onto bolts for more secure joints. Moreover, during the installation of components and products, professionals use washers together with bolts and nuts to prevent loosening.

3. Screws

Some people fail to differentiate screws from bolts. The two are different in that a bolt is not tapered and needs a nut and washer for effective fastening, but a screw has a tapered and fully or partially threaded shank that cuts and fits into any parts that need joining. There are several different types of screws, including machine screws, wood screws, lag screws, and sheet metal screws for joining different materials.

4. Rivets

Rivets are used in many manufacturing industries to permanently fasten components used in various applications like assembling aircraft parts and joining together metal sheets. If you want fasteners that are waterproof and can support shear and tensile stress, go with rivets. Some rivets to choose from include split rivets, blind rivets, shoulder rivets, and tubular rivets, each for a specific joinery application depending on the material and access to joined components.

5. Studs

Studs are threaded bars that resemble headless machine screws. In most cases, you can permanently attach a stud to one part of a product and then use a nut to join it to another part. These fasteners are used in pipelines and drilling applications in the petrochemical industry. They also come in handy during the installation of equipment like mechanical seals and deceleration frames.

The Bottom Line

There are many different types of fasteners available that work in different ways. The key to choosing suitable fasteners is, first, understanding the industrial component to be joined. A particular application and its requirements will determine which type of fastener is ideal for your industry. In addition, ensure you buy quality fasteners from reputable manufacturers and suppliers.