Industrial Fasteners: 6 Types and Benefits For Your Business

Fasteners are important when making different objects that need to be joined in your business. Industrial fasteners help you get your job done by holding other parts in place while preventing excess pressure or vibration.

The basic role of a fastener is to join two or more components mechanically. Although there are many ways to bind components, industrial fasteners create a non-permanent joint. Fasteners are ubiquitous, and you can use different ones every day. The following is a detailed explanation of the types and benefits of industrial fasteners for your business.

Types

Given the many types of fasteners available in the market, you may be tempted to either get all kinds or just stick to the ones you’re familiar with. Fasteners come with a high level of variability depending on what you need, so you might want to check your options to get the desired outcome.

1. Clevis Pin

This is a cylindrical fastener. It has a formed head on one end, and its shank diameter has one or more cross holes. You can use it threaded or unthreaded as a standalone piece or as part of clevis fasteners.

It’s the perfect choice if you’re using it on parts that need a flexible connection. They’re handy in projects where you need the shank to rotate. You can also pair the threaded ones with a U-shaped fastener system and use it for lifting and pulling projects.

Clevis pins have different types as well, so you have to know which is applicable for a specific situation. There are grooved, bent, headless, and standard clevis pins. You can find more at Reidsupply.com, which has numerous guides on the applications and types of fasteners.

2. Bolt

This is the most common fastener, and you’ve probably encountered it. A bolt has an external thread on one end and a hexagonal head on the other. It works with a nut to fasten your pieces together. Bolts are used hold two unthreaded parts. The different types of bolts are listed below along with their appearance and/or function:

■ Hex head: helps secure spots that are difficult to reach

■ Eye: has a loop on one end

■ U bolt: great for holding pipes and tubes without making holes

■ Carriage: helps in fastening wood materials

■ Double end: threaded on both ends; a nut can be used on either end

■ Socket head: also called as Allen bolt; a wrench can be used to fasten it

3. Screw

Although it has a similar structure with a bolt, a screw is self-threading and can thread the component during installation. With screws, you don’t need tapping. Here are some types of screw:

■ Self-drilling: creates internal threads during installation

■ Wood screws: easily slides through wood and pulls the board together

■ Hex lag: can be used for heavy-duty wood and machinery applications

■ Deck: has a square bulge head that eliminates stripping effects

■ Sheet metal: has sharp threads perfect for cutting into sheet plastics, metals, or wood.

■ Machine: used in most machinery works

Screws are particularly known for their efficiency and security in the exposed fastener system used by homeowners on metal roofs.

4. Nut

It comes with internal threads that help it work with bolts of the same size. You can use nuts to improve the grip and torque of your projects. The different types of nuts are:

■ Hex nuts

■ Cap

■ Weld

■ Castle

Like other types of fasteners, nuts come in different designs depending on what you need them for. Hex is the most common and cheapest type. You can quickly assemble it with just a torque wrench.

5. Washer

This fastener is used with bolts and nuts. You place washers under nuts, joints, and axle bearings to help with alleviating friction, separating components, and eliminating leakages. The following are the types of washers:

■ Spring washers

■ Plain

■ Dock 

■ Locking 

Washers are an excellent choice for projects where you need to secure components firmly and safely from vibration.

6. Rivet 

This is the most popular permanent fastener. It helps with support against shearing force and securing various materials despite being lightweight. You can use rivet guns for installation. Listed below are the types of rivets available:

■ POP 

■ Large flange

■ Tri-fold

■ Multigrip 

Rivets are easy to inspect and are perfect if you’re handling a job that needs inspection.

Benefits

Your choice of fasteners may differ depending on the project you’re handling, the materials you’re using, and other specifications you need. Some benefits of using industrial fasteners in your business are as follows:

■ They differ in shape and type, and the designs hold objects in different ways.

■ You can use them to make things rigid and long lasting and presentable.

■ Compared with other fasteners, industrial fasteners are more durable.

■ Stainless steel fasteners are corrosion and temperature resistant.

■ They’re readily available in your nearest hardware.

Conclusion

Industrial fasteners come in various sizes and shapes. You can use them either permanently or temporarily in all sorts of situations, including in your business, like furniture making. Although they’re primarily mechanical, you can handle them on your own for the most part. However, if you need to learn how to use fasteners for a complicated task, you can get help from a professional, read the manual, or watch tutorials online. 

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