8 Types of Fasteners and Their Uses

Fasteners are used to join various objects together. They have the ability to hold the parts together or in place, helping to prevent pressure and vibrations.

If you are inclined to learn about the different types of fasteners and their uses, you can go through this guide below.

What is a Fastener?

Fasteners involve various tools, which include nuts, washers, bolts, screws, rivets, etc. These tools have the purpose of holding the objects together.

Fasteners are made using different materials, such as wood, plastic, and metal. When they are used, the concept is to make the components tolerate the stress. The basic fasteners have their own types.

8 Different Types of Fasteners

The eight different types of fasteners are discussed here in detail.

Screws

Screws are very commonly used, and they are a highly popular type of fasteners. They offer durability as well as versatility.

Screws have threads that allow them to span through their entire length when inserted into the objects and hold the two objects together. The different types of screws are as follows:

Machine screws: The machine screws are meant to fasten together metallic parts; they are inserted into holes that are already threaded and hence fixed perfectly.

Deck screws: Deck screws are also known as wood screws and are used mostly in wooden objects like outdoor decks. They have tapered heads and coarse threads over them.

Sheet metal screw: This type of screw can join metal with other types of objects and has threads with a sharp cut. They have the ability to cut plastic, wood, and sheet metals with the help of the notched point they have.

Drywall screw: These screws have tapered heads and coarse thread, which allows insertion into drywall with the help of their fine tips.

Hex lag screw: The screws are larger in size and are wooden screws which can be inserted with the help of a wrench. They are mostly used in applications that are heavy-duty, and have a grinding point in a hexagonal shape, which allows the creation of an enhanced torque.

Bolts

Bolts are also very commonly used, and they hold the non-threaded components together.

They have a shank that is straight and threaded, and consists of a head that has a nut to clamp the components together. Some of the types of bolts are as follows:

Carriage bolts: These bolts are composed of heads and square necks. They have threads over them, which allow the fastening of wooden parts together.

Allen bolts: These bolts have a socket in the shape of a hexagon in their head, and they can be fixed with the help of an Allen wrench.

Plow bolts: These bolts are known as heavy-duty bolts and are composed of a head with a flat square layout followed by a square neck and have threads unified through the length.

Flange bolts: It is a bolt in a U shape and works like a washer to help with the distribution of load.

Anchor bolts: These help to join through structured and unstructured components with strength.

Double End Bolts: These bolts have sharp threads on the two sides and can help hold two flanges with one another.

Nuts

Nuts are a very important type of fastener as they work with a build and fit within it so that grip and torque are improved. There are different types of nuts, and some of these are as follows:

Wheel nuts: Wheel nuts are used in vehicles to secure their wheels.

Cap nuts: These nuts have the ability to protect the threaded anchors of fasteners from the internal part.

Flange nuts: Flange nuts are common in assembly lines, and they have a wide flange on one of their ends, which helps in distributing the pressure and securing the part in place.

Coupling nuts: It is a jam nut with a long length and is used to join the threaded rods together so that the rods can be extended.

Rivets

Rivets are permanent fasteners, and they can secure the materials by providing them support against a high force. It is lightweight and has a head at its ends.

The installation process of rivets requires using rivet guns. Some common types of rivets are as follows:

Pop rivets: These rivets are tubular and consist of a mandrel and hat; they can have closed or open ends and can also have a countersunk.

Multi-grip rivets: These are used for materials that have different thicknesses, and they can expand accordingly to hold the parts in place.

Tri-fold rivets: These rivets are composed of three cuts in their head. The head that folds on the other side of that handling power can improve.

Large flange rivets: These rivets have large washers on their head and offer quick material connection.

Washers

Washers are bolts and nuts. They are used in joints and axle bearings. They can help to improve friction among parts and also opt to deal with leakage issues and create a barrier between different components. Some of the types of washers are as follows:

Plain washers: They are used to separate the components from bolts or nuts and protect the surfaces so that they do not lose the coating or increase the surface area for better load disruption.

Spring washers: These are circular-shaped washers with some modifications and work like a spring.

Locking washers: These washers, as the name suggests, lock the nuts and bolts together despite vibration and friction.

Dock Washers: These washers are heavy-duty washers that can be used for bundling docks and are used in applications that need thick washers.

Nails

Nails are self-tapping screws and do not have any sort of threads over them. It offers an enhanced shearing property and is used in various applications. Some of the types of nails are as follows:

Common nails have a body shank that is thick, and it allows the creation of a very firm joint between different objects.

Box nails have a top that can be either in the shape of a head or diamond and is used in steel construction.

Finishing nails are screws that have a flat and square-shaped head; it creates a lock when used in the process of doing components and offers a very neat joint.

Flooring nails are types of nails that are used in flooring applications.

Roofing nails offer corrosion resistance and consist of a wider head.

Framing nails offer ease of movement and offer usage in flush installation.

Anchors

Anchors are used to connect concrete and drywall. These are embedded into the materials and hold the components in place. The common types of anchors are as follows:

Hollow wall anchors: They are light-duty metal cavity fixings used for plasterboards and other board materials.

Drive anchors: They are light-duty and are used to fasten concretes or other construction components.

Screw anchors: They are used to pin lightweight items like picture frames or light fixtures to the wall.

Externally threaded anchors: They are used for medium to heavy duty concrete materials.

Pin anchors: They are light duty and used for bricks and concretes.

Internally threaded anchors: Their screwing patterns are on the inside and they are used to secure fastening of components.

Sleeve anchors: They can be used for light to heavy duty concrete materials.

Inserts

Inserts are used to create joints for sheet metals, and they are threaded fasteners. The common types of inserts are as follows:

Press-fit inserts: These are pressed into the holes that are already drilled and offer to fasten sheet metal with strength.

Self-clinch inserts: These inserts are used for sheet metals where they are pressed and lock themselves when deformed due to pressure.

Threaded inserts: They are used for thin and soft materials and have threads.

Floating inserts: They are used to resolve the issue of misalignment between components, which are already fastened and allow little movement.

How to Choose the Right Fastener for Your Project?

It is very crucial to choose the right fastener for your project, as the right selection will always help you create better and firmer connections between components. Some of the aspects you must consider when choosing the fasteners are as follows:

Know About Your Application

The fastener type selected is totally dependent on the application requirement. You have to keep in mind the design of the fastener and the way it will fit so that it can hold the components together.

Sometimes, you will come to access multiple types of fasteners working with applications, but you need to choose the best option.

Choose Adequate Thread

When choosing a fastener, the selection of thread is a crucial concern. There are different types of threads– coarse threads offer quick assembly, while fine threads take a long time.

However, a coarse thread offers engagement and creates a secure connection, but based on your requirements, you have to choose the one that handles the load well.

Consider Fastener’s Material

There are different materials that make the mechanical fastener– the most common is carbon steel. There are other materials, like stainless steel and alloy steel.

However, based on the properties of each material, you have to choose the fasteners. Your focus should be on the workability and strength of the fasteners, followed by corrosion resistance.

Fastener’s Exposure

The surroundings and environment the fastener will be exposed to are a consideration before choosing it. The extremely high temperature may lead to the duration of joints due to the expansion and contraction.

Hence, a connection may get loose, and therefore, you need to choose a fastener that is made with a material that can withstand the environment it is exposed to.

Conclusion

Fasteners prove to be a very crucial type of tool used in applications for joining components together.

Hence, choosing them perfectly is very important, and you can get in touch with us at DEK. We will help you make the right selection for your applications.