The Different Types of Fasteners and Their Uses

Fasteners are used to mechanically join two or more objects together, either permanently or non-permanently. There are many different types of fastener, each with their own purpose.

Fasteners can broadly be categorised as either Permanent or Non-Permanent. Permanent Fasteners, such as rivets and nails, are single-use fasteners that are designed to permanently join two materials or parts. Removing the fastener destroys it.

Threaded Fasteners

Threaded fasteners are among the most commonly used for assembling components due to the ease in which they can be installed and uninstalled as needed. There are three main types of threaded fastener; Bolts, Screws and Studs.

Types of Threaded Fastener

Nuts

Nuts are used in conjunction with a bolt to clamp two or more parts together. The most common type of nut is a Hexagonal Nut, but there are several different types of nuts for use in different applications.

Washers

Washers are commonly used between the head of a bolt, screw or nut and the material they are clamping. Their primary function is to increase the bearing area of the head whilst also protecting the material underneath from damage. There are several different types of Washer, each with their own uses.

Rivets

Rivets are a permanent fastener, in that once removed, they cannot be re-used. Rivets are used in a number of industries and applications but are most commonly used to join metal sheets and plates.

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