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, aluminum, 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.
Screws provide a mechanical advantage. Driving in a screw takes less force expended over a greater period of time than driving a nail into the same material. For builders using hand tools, this can make a construction project far easier when screws are involved. With power tools, screws require less force and place less strain on the tool's motor.
Screws are very strong. Whereas nails may come loose once the materials they connect begin to expand and shrink over time, screws resist this problem and continue to create a strong bond. Because screws are stronger, a construction project can use fewer screws and place them farther apart, thereby reducing the cost of the project and speeding up the process.
The strong, tight bond of screws also makes them resistant to rust by preventing moisture and contaminants from coming into contact with the metal of the screw's shaft. Even if the head of a screw begins to rust, the shaft will remain intact and continue to hold. This is another reason that screws are a better long-term solution than nails or staples.
Screws of different sizes and with varying thread patterns are specifically designed for use on wood, drywall, sheet metal and concrete, among other materials. Using the proper screw type enhances the other advantages like long-term strength.
Screws also feature many different types of heads, from the conventional Phillips-head and slot-head screws to rounded, pan-head, Torx-head and countersunk designs. This variety of screws makes them suitable for use with different types of tools.
Screws are easier to remove than other fastener types. While nails or staples may require a special tool to pry them loose, screws back out of their slots with the same tool that drove them in. Screws can also be re-used since they seldom bend during removal, and they can even be reinserted into the same holes without sacrificing strength.
The cap nut, also known as the acorn nut, gets its name from its shape. The nut has a domed top to prevent contact with the external thread.
Used with cotter pins to prevent loosening, a castellated nut, also called a castle or slotted nut, is a not with slots cut into the top. Used in low-torque applications such as holding a wheel bearing in place.
A coupling nut is a threaded fastener used for joining two male threads, most commonly threaded rod. The outside of the fastener is a hex so it can be driven with a wrench.
A flange nut is a nut that has a wide flange at one end which acts as an integrated washer that does not move or spin. The serrated flange distributes the pressure of the nut over the part being secured and creates a locking action to prevent loosening.
Hex finish nuts are used for fastening to a hex cap screw, socket cap screw or bolt. The most common nuts, hex finish nuts are hex shaped with internal threads and driven with a wrench.
A jam nut is often used when a nut needs to be locked in place without clamping to another object. Hex jam nuts are hex shaped with internal threads, but they are thinner than hex finish nuts.
Larger, heavier, and thicker than a standard hex nut. Heavy hex nuts are hex shaped, internally threaded, and driven with a wrench. Often used with hex cap screws and carriage bolts.
A machine nut is hex shaped with internal threads. Smaller than a hex jam or hex finish nut, they are used with machine screws under 1/4" diameter.
A machine nut is hex shaped with internal threads. Smaller than a hex jam or hex finish nut, they are used with machine screws under 1/4" diameter.
Also known as a keps nut, a k-nut or a washer nut, a keps-k lock nut has an attached free spinning lock washer. Keps nuts are designed to make assembly more convenient.
A knurled head thumb nut or thumb nut has a knurled outside surface rather than a hex, which facilitates tightening by hand. Often used in decorative finishes or applications.
A low-profile lock nut is hex shaped, internally threaded with a nylon insert. The nylon material prevents loosening from vibration and cross threads to stop the nut from backing off of the fastener.
A nylon insert lock nut is hex shaped, internally threaded with a nylon insert. The nylon material prevents loosening from vibration and cross threads to stop the nut from backing off of the fastener.
Commonly known as stover nuts, prevailing torque lock nuts have chamfered corners and a conical top. The distortion in the top threads resists loosening from vibration. Also called one-way nuts, they can only be installed one way and are often used in high temperature application because they are all metal with no nylon insert.
Slotted hex nuts are nuts with portions cut out designed to be used with a cotter ping to create a locking mechanism. These nuts are similar to a castle nut but have a lower profile which sometimes makes them a better option.
A four-sided nut that may be flat or beveled on top. Square nuts provide a greater surface contact area which provides more resistance to loosening. Typically mated with square head bolts.
Structural hex nuts are comparable to finish nuts but are made to be thicker and much stronger. They are typically used in steel to steel structural connections.
A t-nut or tee nut is used to fasten wood, particle or composite board leaving a flush surface. A long thin body with a flange at one end resembles a T in profile. T-nuts often have 3 or 4 prongs that sink into the surface providing better retention.