Difference Between Fasteners, Bolts, Nuts, & Screws?

What is a Fastener, Bolt, Nut, and Screw?

A Fastener is any human-engineered mechanism that is assembled to enable either wood or metal pieces to be held together. 

A bolt is similar to the nut except it has no screw threading on the outside edge.

A nut is threaded onto the end of a thread, screwed into an object’s hole, and tightened against them employing a spanner, giving the object added stability. 

A screw allows one immovable piece to be fixed securely in another so it can’t move. 

Bolts, nuts, and screws are Types of fasteners. A fastener is one of the most common machine parts used in manufacturing. There are many different types of fasteners, but they are often classified by the type of material they are made of. Fasteners usually have threads that ensure that the parts stay locked securely together. 

Types of Bolts:-

• Anchor Bolts:- Industrial fasteners like this are useful for attaching things to concrete. So that your fastener’s threading head may be seen and used, you must put the bolt head in the concrete before it has fully dried.
• Carriage Bolts:- They have a square shape and a smooth rounded head to prevent the bolt from spinning. The threaded portion of carriage bolts is protected by a nut. They may be used to fasten metal to wood or vice versa.
• Hex Bolts:- Bolts of this kind are common. The metric sizes are available, as well as the conventional dimensions inches.
• Roundhead Bolts:- Although they look like carriage bolts, these industrial fasteners lack the square taper found beneath the bolt’s domed head. You can use them to join pieces of wood together.

• U-Bolt:- These are fasteners shaped like the letter U. On both ends, there’s a threaded portion. When utilizing this tool to secure materials, you need to install attachment nuts and plate brackets on the threaded ends.

Types of Nuts:-

• Locknuts:- Other nuts are secured by locknuts. In addition, they’re useful for keeping other nuts from coming undone. Nylon inserts, serrated hex flanges, and metal locknuts are a few examples of lock nuts that are available.
• Coupling Nuts:- To connect two male threads, you’ll need this long, cylindrical nut. It may also be used to extend an installation’s length.
• Flange Nuts:- These characteristics may be found in the flange itself. To put it another way, they’re like washers on the outside. Flange nuts distribute the load more evenly.
• Hex Nuts:- They’re a hexagonal shape, like a cube. Hex nuts may be used in a variety of ways and are installed with a wrench. Hex nuts come in a variety of shapes and sizes. For example, there are many types of hexagonal bolts: slotted and heavy, as well as hex flange, semi-finished, and fully finished.
• Wheel Nuts:- Wheel nuts come in a variety of sizes and shapes. As a result, they’ve been put to use in automotive-related software applications.

Types of Screws:- 

• Wood Screw- It is a common kind of Screw. Despite their name, wood screws are not manufactured from wood. This kind of fastener is ideal for joining two or more wood pieces together. Their sharp point makes them useful for digging into the wood. These self-tapping screws are ideal for woodworking because of their size and shape.
• Lag Screw:- Coach bolts and lag bolts are other names for these fasteners. In addition to their gigantic size, they’re zinc-coated. These screws will not rust or corrode thanks to the zinc coating.
• Twinfast Screw:- Rather than having one thread, these self-tapping screws have two. They can be driven into an item more quickly than conventional screws because they have two threads. They may be used for drywall installation and hanging.
• Security Screw:- They’ve been designed to be impenetrable against removal or manipulation. This self-tapping screw differs from others in that it lacks a head that may be used to reverse and remove it from connected components. A square driver or a spanner will be needed, though, to remove it completely. To put it another way, they are good industrial fasteners for security.

Conclusion:-

Despite the fact that many people assume there is no distinction between a bolt and a screw, there is. You should always ask the difference between a bolt and a screw before making a purchase from an industrial fasteners manufacturer or distributor that deals with various types of fasteners.

Explore various types of fasteners at Prashaant Steel & Alloys. Utilize the best of them for your next project. Get in touch with us to know more.