A Complete Guide to Fasteners

Though they are small, fasteners are integral to a vast range of construction and engineering applications. Whether one is building a house, assembling furniture, or fixing a car, these varied components work to hold countless assemblies in our world together. In this blog, we will discuss the prominent types of fasteners and each of their crucial roles in ensuring structural integrity and stability.

Nails

To start, nails are perhaps the oldest and simplest form of fastener used across industries. These slender, pointed metal rods are hammered or driven into materials like wood or masonry to create a secure bond, relying on friction and the deformation of the material they are driven into to hold them in place. This general installation method makes nails quick and easy to install with tools like hammers or nail guns.

Popular types of nails include common nails and finishing nails, common nails being used for general construction, while finishing nails are smaller and designed for trim work. In general, nails are commonly used in construction, carpentry, and woodworking projects where strength and durability are important concerns.

Screws

Aside from nails, screws are perhaps the most ubiquitous type of fastener. These threaded cylindrical rods are commonly used to join two or more materials together, creating a strong bond by digging into the material they are fastening. The installation of screws typically requires a screwdriver or power drill, with the choice depending on the screw type and application.

Screws, often featuring either slotted or Phillips heads, are versatile and come in a variety of sizes and materials. Some common variations include wood screws and self-tapping screws, with wood screws featuring coarse threads and are designed to bite into wood fibers, while self-tapping screws boast a cutting edge that enables them to create their own threads when driven into a material.

Bolts

Bolts are very similar to screws, but they typically have a thicker shank and lack a pointed tip. These components are also threaded cylindrical rods typically made of metal, although they can also be made of other materials like plastic or composite materials. Commonly used in construction, machinery, automotive, and aerospace industries for creating strong connections that can be easily tightened or loosened as needed, bolts come in a variety of sizes, lengths, and thread types to accommodate varied applications.

To properly install a bolt, another component called a nut must be threaded onto it and tightened with a wrench or socket set to secure the joint. Also used in conjunction with nuts and bolts are washers, which are thin, flat discs with a central hole. When placed between the bolt head or nut and the surface being fastened, washers help distribute the load and prevent damage to the material.

Rivets

Rivets are a type of permanent fastener that consist of a cylindrical shaft with a head on one end and a tail on the other. These components are installed by inserting the shaft through pre-drilled holes in the materials to be joined and then deforming the tail using a rivet gun or pneumatic hammer, creating a permanent bond between the two materials. Rivets are prized for their reliability and resistance to vibration, making them ideal for use in aircraft, automobiles, and structural steelwork where they typically join metal sheets and components.

One of the most popular specialized types of rivets is the blind rivet, which offers the advantage of being installed from only one side of the materials being joined, ideal for applications where accessibility is limited or where disassembly may be required. Blind rivets consist of a tubular body with a mandrel or stem extending from one end, and during installation, the rivet is inserted into a pre-drilled hole while a rivet gun is used to pull the mandrel through the body. This causes the body to expand and form a bulge on the blind side of the materials, securing the joint.

Anchors

Anchors are fasteners designed to provide a secure attachment point in materials that may not be able to support the weight or load of the object being fastened. These components work by expanding or gripping the surrounding material, creating a stable base for screws, bolts, or hooks to be inserted.

Anchors come in various forms, including expansion anchors, toggle bolts, and concrete anchors. Expansion anchors rely on friction to hold them in place, expanding as the screw is tightened. Toggle bolts, on the other hand, feature spring-loaded wings that spread behind the wall when the bolt is inserted, providing stability in hollow materials. Finally, concrete screws are hardened and threaded to grip securely in concrete and masonry. The installation methods of each vary, with instructions typically being provided by the manufacturer.

Conclusion

From nails to anchors, each type of fastener has its own unique characteristics and applications. By understanding the differences between these fasteners and choosing the right one for the job, you can develop the art of fastening and tackle any project with confidence and precision.

Those seeking dependable fasteners can trust Industrial Fasteners for Sale, a procurement platform offering unrivaled access to over 2 billion new, used, obsolete, and hard-to-find components. We offer streamlined procurement at every step, starting with ease of browsing on our website through curated catalogs or our search engine and filters. Explore our inventory at your leisure, and when you come across any required items, our online RFQ forms are always there for you to fill out and receive optimal quotes for your comparisons. This being said, if you are ready to secure the high-caliber parts you need for your operations with time and cost savings, get in touch with our team today.