Bolt, mechanical fastener that is usually used with a nut for connecting two or more parts. A bolted joint can be readily disassembled and reassembled; for this reason bolts or screw fasteners are used to a greater extent than any other type of mechanical fastener and have played an important part in the development of mass-produced articles and steel structures.
If you are getting ready for a huge industrial contracting job, you want to use nuts and bolts to get the job done right. Since contractors have to work with heavy machinery, there are instances where you will need to replace old nuts with new ones. This means you will have to know which ones are most cost effective, durable, and simple to use.
In such a situation, you will have to weigh the value of the different fasteners and decide which one best suits your needs. With that in mind, here are some notable advantages of using nuts & bolts as reliable fasteners.
Besides being reliable, nuts & bolts have a vast array of uses. Their design makes them easy to assemble and disassemble, with little to no effort. Due to their strength, these types of fasteners can hold high loads. In the event that they become loose over time, tightening them can return them to their original strength.
In most industries, nuts & bolts are made from steel, aluminium, or plastic. These materials are strong, long lasting, resistant to corrosion, and 100% recyclable, making them environmentally friendly.
Nuts & bolts do not require any special heat treatment during installation or removal. Heat treatment, like any other heating process, can alter the grain structure and properties of a material. This is a great benefit and confirmation of versatility of these fastening materials.
Using the appropriate bolts and nuts will help you avoid costly problems in the future.
Also known as a “coach” bolt, has a domed or countersunk head. The square section under the head grips into the part being fastened preventing the bolt from turning when the nut is tightened.
Hex tap bolts, hex cap screws, trim head hex cap screws, and hex serrated flange bolts fall under this category. They share a hexagonal head and are driven with a wrench. Referred to as both bolts and screws.
A machine screw is a screw or bolt with a flat point. Available in a variety of drive types and heads, they fit a wide variety of applications. Often driven into tapped holes. Used with nuts and washers, also known as “stove bolts” or “stovers”.
Shoulder bolts (also known as shoulder screws or stripper bolts) are machine screws with a shoulder between the thread of the screw and the head of the part. Once installed, the non-threaded portion extends out of the surface of the application site, allowing the bolts to act as dowels or shafts for moving parts. They can be installed by hand or with a socket (Allen) driver.
Socket cap screws are available in button socket, button flange socket head, flat socket, and socket cap. Driven with a socket wrench or a hex Allen key. The term socket head cap screw typically refers to a type of threaded fastener whose head diameter is nominally 1.5 times or more than that of the screw shank diameter.
Set screws are most often headless (aka blind), meaning that the screw is fully threaded and has no head. A blind set screw, known in UK as a grub screw, is almost always driven with an internal wrenching drive, such as a hex Allen key. Socket set screws are installed in threaded holes or inserts.
Square Head Bolts are similar to hex cap screws but with a 4-sided head. This head style allows for a wrench to grip more easily onto the head of the bolt. The head also provides a larger gripping area as compared to a standard 6-sided hexagonal head.