What is a Fastener?
A Fastener is a tool or a mechanical device that joins two surfaces together. You can classify them into two categories: Permanent fasteners and Temporary fasteners. The permanent fasteners, once fixed, can only be removed after leaving a mark at the joint place. Nails and Rivets are examples of Permanent fasteners. Temporary fasteners, as the name suggests, hold the surfaces together temporarily. Nuts and Screws hold the fastened objects temporarily and may need occasional tightening. There are many different fasteners classified under the following categories. Let us look at them one by one in detail.
1. Screws
Screws are the most commonly used fasteners in the indoor as well as outdoor surfaces. You can use them for joining wooden boards to secure electrical components. Screws require internal threading to be fixed in the surface securely. They are available in various shapes and sizes. So, let us take a deep dive into different types of screws and know what they are their uses.
- Wood Screws:- Wood Screws, as the name suggests, are used as a tapping fastener for fixing and joining two wooden surfaces together. As they have a tapered head, they sink into the applicable material easily. They are also known as Deck Screws.
- Machine Screws:- Machine Screws are sturdier than wood screws as they are used to fix two machinery parts together. They have a cylindrical head and require nuts and bolts along with additional threading to keep them in place. They do not damage the surface as they are installed into pre-drilled holes. They are also known as threaded fasteners, as they get threaded into metallic surfaces. Various types of machine screws include locking screws, captive screws, thumb screws, pan heads, vented screws, and hex washer heads.
- Socket Screws:- Socket screws are a type of permanent fastener. They are useful in fastening wood and metallic surfaces. Even though they are permanent fasteners, they do not damage the surface; they are drilled themselves into already drilled holes. They are superior in strength and deliver a high-quality finish. They hold the surfaces together for a very long time and provide single-use convenience. Different types of socket screws include button heads, flat heads, locking screws, shoulder bolts, and socket heads. In short, they are a commonly useful, reliable, and durable fastener type.
- Self-Tapping Screws:- Self-tapping screws, as the name suggests, can be used in places where drilling holes is not an option. They are unique in shape having either a pointed tip or a threaded body. Even though they are lightweight, they have strong resistance to shock and vibration. You can classify them easily under the permanent fastener category due to their versatility and durability. They are generally used in automobile and construction places and have varying shapes from round heads to flat heads. Types of self-tapping screws include sheet metal, drive screws, thread-cutting screws, and self-drilling screws.
- Hex Lag Screws:- Hex Lag Screws also known as hex cap screws are hexagonal head-shaped screws. They are the strongest screw type and fastener kind among all the fasteners. They are drilled into heavy-duty appliances with a wrench instead of a screwdriver. As they are huge, they drill themselves permanently in appliances, especially wooden appliances. They are sturdy and durable and are also known as wood screws.
- Sheet Metal Screws:- They are permanent screw types that have sharp cutting threads for joining metals. as they are short-edged, they tend to damage sheet metals, plastics, and wooden surfaces. They are usually inserted in tapped holes or nut-threaded holes. The body of the screw is fully threaded enabling easy chip removal.
2. Nuts and Bolts
Nuts are a commonly used fastener that is used together with bolts. You need to insert the bolt inside the surface and secure it with a nut at the end. The nut and bolt must be of the same size to fit the surface accurately. Let us take a look at the different types of nuts and bolts and how they are different from each other.
- Hex Nuts:- Hex Nuts, as the name suggests, is a hexagonal nut i.e. it has a six-sided shape. They are one of the most famous fasteners as they are used with all kinds of screws and bolts. They are made from internal threading and are used in various wood, metals, and industrial appliances. They require a wrench for installation instead of a screwdriver. They are also very cost-effective and affordable to find.
- Castle Nuts:- Castle nuts are the type of nuts that cannot be removed without removing the pin from the surface. They have a unique design that separates them from the rest of the fasteners. They have notches at the end which include the pins to encompass within them. They are the best for projects that require lower torque and at places where single-hand fasteners are used.
- Weld Nuts:- Weld Nuts are the type of fasteners used on surfaces that are tough to reach. They are the kind of permanent fasteners that require partial welding on the surface of the equipment. They are versatile and durable as we use them in various wooden and metal industries. There are many different types of weld nuts like round base, slab base, tab base, and tube end nuts. They are unique in structure with a slap shape or rounded heads as they are internally threaded.
- Other Types:- There are also various other types of nuts like wheel nuts, cap nuts, flange nuts, coupling nuts, lock nuts, sheer nuts, and wing nuts. Cap nuts look like a dome as they are closed from both ends. They are internally threaded so that they can avoid protrusion. The flange nuts have a flange at one end which helps to distribute the pressure equally on all parts. Nylon insert nuts popularly known as Nyloc nuts prevent the nuts from falling off due to vibration. Hex Bolts, Carriage bolts, Eye bolts, Allen bolts, Plow bolts, double-end bolts, and Fastening Anchor Bolts are different bolts.
3. Nails
- Nails are one of the most ancient used fasteners. They look a lot like screws but still, it is easy to differentiate them from screws. Nails do not require internal threading, whereas screws require internal threading. Even though a screw is better and stronger, nails prove to be better fasteners at the shearing surfaces. Let us look briefly at the five categories of nails.
- Common Nails:- As the common nails have a thicker body, they are visible between the joints of the surfaces. It damages the aesthetics of the furniture and the joint surface.
- Box Nails and Fishing Nails:- Box Nails are found in steel constructions and have pointed tips or head-shaped tips. Fishing Nails have better-locking mechanisms as they are flat square head screws. The rounded heads give a smooth and clean finish, which is why we use them in detailed design works.
- Flooring and Roofing Nails:- As the name suggests, we use them in the flooring and roofing surfaces. They have vast heads and are also corrosion-free.
4. Washers
- Washers are the type of fasteners that are placed under the nuts and joints to reduce friction and stop the components from losing due to vibration. They consist of various materials like metal, plastic, rubber, and fiberglass. They also help to prevent any leakage that may occur from the surfaces. Let us look at the three main types of washers and their uses.
- Flat Washers:- Flat Washers are the type of fasteners used to distribute the load of the nut, bolt, and screw. They are often used with machine screws, self-tapping screws, and wood screws. You can also use them with internal threads or rounded hexagonal head designs.
- Spring Washers:- Spring washers are useful in reducing the tension from the nuts and bolts and preventing them from loosening. They have a circular shape and a modified split on one side. The split serves as a spring and adds to the flexibility and resilience of the fasteners to vibration. They are commonly found in the automotive, hardware, and installation industry. They also provide additional security against loosening nuts and bolts.
- Ribbed and Toothed Washers:- As the name suggests, these fasteners have teeth or raised ridges built to keep a grip of the joint in place. You can use them with all the fasteners, such as nuts, screws, and nails which require extra strength and durability.
Conclusion
Screws, Nuts, Bolts, Nails, Washers, and Rivets are the different types of fasteners that we use in the automobile, construction, and industrial industries. Rivets are permanent fasteners that can not be reused or removed after installation. Pop rivets, solid rivets, and semi-tubular rivets are the types of rivets. All these fasteners together constitute an essential part of the industry.