What are Fasteners?

Fasteners are devices used to join two objects together. Fasteners are not permanent and are mostly used in applications requiring modification or dismantling frequently. Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel and Alloy fasteners are commonly used types. Fasteners are normally used in a lot of applications for their properties like Accessibility, Easy installation, reusability and weight constraints.

Types of Fasteners:

Some of the most commonly used Fastener types are listed below with their purposes: –

Bolts : -Bolts are a type of threaded fasteners consisting of an external male thread. Bolts are commonly misinterpreted with screws. Both have different structures and purposes all together. Bolts are often used in making bolted-joints, for the assembly of two unthreaded components. Types of Bolts include Anchor Bolts, Arbor Bolts, Elevator Bolts, Hex Bolts, Carriage Bolts, Lag Bolt, J-Bolt, U-Bolt, Hanger Bolt, and so on.

Screws : – A screw is somewhat similar to a Bolt and is characterizes by a typical helical ridge, also known as the male thread. A screw usually has a head with a special cut that allows it to be tightened into a softer base using a tool.

Nuts : – Nuts are normally used along with a fastening bolt to fasten multiple parts together. Hexagonal nuts are popular as they provide easy access for a tool and requires only one sixth of rotation to reach the next side and obtain optimal grip.

Washers : – A washer is a thin plate of metal that is basically used to distribute the weight of any threaded fastener. Washers usually have an outer diameter twice the inner diameter.

Standards:

Standards for the production of Fasteners is governed under ASME B18 range.

Fastener applications

fasteners are all over our world, holding together everything from airplanes and door frames to cars and infrastructure. Though fasteners are found everywhere, the most common industries that use them are the aerospace, construction and automotive industries. More niche markets that have use for fasteners are the medical, marine, petrochemical, mining and nuclear industries. As a diyer, you can use fasteners to construct or assemble furniture and other projects.

How to choose the right fasteners?

When determining what type of fastener you should use for your project, consider:

Load case: it is important to know how much weight the fastener will be holding. This will determine how secure you need it to be and the type of fastener you should use.
Clamping force: take the time to calculate the clamping force the joint will be under so you can determine if you need a permanent or non-permanent fastener.
Bolt diameter: choose the smallest bolt diameter possible that will still support the load.
Securing method: the way you secure the bolt will determine how well it holds the load.
Tightening method: you should also be careful when considering how you will tighten the bolt to prevent damage but also increase security.