Whenever you hear the word fasteners, it must direct your mind towards some sort of hardware or steel ware Just look around and you will see that you are surrounded by fasteners, from the chair you sit in . But there is more to that, but to get down to the depths of fasteners and the associated components, we need to first understand the basics, starting with what are fasteners?
Fasteners are the pieces of hardware that are used to join the machines together. They are used as temporary joints. The joints can be unjointed if the need comes. This means that machines can easily be assembled and disassembled without much effort. This is especially helpful when it comes to transporting and lifting heavy types of machinery. Fasteners are typically used for creating temporary joints. It is done with the help of screws, nuts, bolts, and cotter joints.
to the machinery of airplanes, they are used everywhere. In simple words, every machine that requires assembly will use fasteners regardless of the size of the equipment. These screws enhance the durability, strength, and rigidity of the machines. Thus, they are the ones holding everything together.
Types
Nuts and bolts
A bolt is a type of fastener that has rings engraved externally. These rings are for grip purposes. They always come with a bolt. Bolts are circular rings that have rings too but they are engraved on the ir inner side . Bolts are used to tighten the nuts.
Screws
These are the type of fasteners that generate their circular rings or as you call it threads. Their components include a head, shank, and engraved threads.
Washers
Washers are shaped like discs and are circular in the structure. Since they are circular so their outer diameter is twice the size of the inner diameter. These are used in the making of airplanes, automobiles, and home appliances. The building material of these fasteners can vary depending upon their requirement. These can be made of plastic, rubber, and metal
Rivets
Rivets are used for creating permanent joints. Their parts consist of a head, shank, and tail. Since these are used to create permanent joints so they cannot be broken down or dissembled without breaking the joint. They take their name from the process they undergo, known as riveting. When strong force is applied to hold two components together, such a process is known as riveting.
Snap rings
These fasteners are shaped like circles but are broken at one end. The broken end is the place where they are joined with other pieces. These are used in automobile industries for the assembly of car parts.
For the last 18 months, the major concern of the manufacturing industries has been about whether they should change their fasteners suppliers or not? Well, the answer to this question is relatively simple. If your manufactured products are not falling apart and their screws have withstood the brutal weather conditions then why bother to change it ? There is no reason to change the fasteners suppliers as long as the quality is not being compromised .