Types of Fasteners and their uses | GajSupply.com industrial products blog

A fastener is a hardware component used universally for affixing joints with two or more objects non-permanently. In general fasteners are temporary in nature where they can be fastened or unfastened repeatedly without causing damage to the piece work. Fastener holds the joints of fixtures form holding the chairs and tables to automobile parts. Applications of fasteners are very diverse ranging from daily use items like boxes, envelope where fasteners are used for closing them to hi- tech gazebos and special purpose closing devices like the bread clip etc. This article discusses about the different types of fasteners and their applications.

Types of Joints

The head portion of the fastener is available in different sizes and shapes based on the area of application of the fastener. Here are the commonly used materials in making a fastener

• Carbon steel, Alloy Steel, Inconel Stainless steel, Stainless Steel are the most commonly used material for fasteners.
• Titanium: it is used in manufacturing fasteners that are used in air crafts
• Aluminium: It is manufacturing fasteners which find its application in fastening light load or where reduction in weight load is quintessential.

Coatings

Fasteners also vary accordingly with the kind of coating provided to the fasteners which enhances the performance attributes of the fastener. The key objective of coating a fastener is to enhance property of corrosion resistance in the fasteners. Some of the widely used coatings in fasteners are:

• Zinc  plating
• Phosphate plating
• Chromium plating
• Cadmium plating which is ideal for applications in aerospace industry
• Black oxidising
• Silver plating
• Nickel plating

Fastener – Types

1.  Nails

One of the easiest fasteners used to affix pieces of wood intact

2.  Screws

Screws are stronger than nails wherein ease of removing these fasteners is good. Hence, screws are one of the excellent ways of fastening.

3.  Bolts

Bolts come with components like nuts and washers (being a support) enable better bonding while the objects are fastened

4.  Clamps

Clamps are the best fasteners available for fastening objects only for a limited period of time without causing damage to the object while it is unfastened.

5.  Tapping screws

These are fasteners that enable quick installation which create a mating thread when fastened into a performed hole of the object. This process is known as thread forming. The installation is quick tapping screws does not employ buts for fastening.

6.  Set Screws

Set screws are used hold intact pulleys, collars, gears with a shaft. This semi – permanent fasteners are available in various heads and points styles.

7.  Studs

Studs are headless fasteners which are threaded externally. In this, one end of the fastener connects with a tapped part while the other end meets with a standard nut. The forms of bolt and screw heads vary with the usage of the fastener. Some of the different forms in terms of shape include:

• Bolt Heads – square, eye-shaped, hexagonal etc.,
• Screw heads – Fillister, button head, counter sunk, hexagonal, Phillips type etc.,