In the present day, fasteners have become an important component in many industries and applications. That is why it is crucial that the fastener you choose fits your requirements, whether for industry applications or otherwise. Choosing the right hardware fasteners does not only mean getting the size and type right but it’s also about selecting the right type of material, coating, and more. You also need to determine whether you need threaded fasteners or not. Quality fasteners are a must!
Why Do We Need To Get Our Fasteners Correctly Chosen?
Fasteners might be one of the smallest parts of a product, but they are still among some of the most critical ones. That is why choosing the correct fastener from your fasteners’ suppliers for getting a job done right is crucial. Using the incorrect type of metal fasteners will surely result in loose fastenings that will not hold up well over time or under stress. Additionally, using the wrong fastener can significantly increase your product expenses due to last-minute redesigning or changes. As small as they may be, fasteners need to match or exceed the quality of the product they support.
Measures To Consider While Choosing the Right Fastener
Before you make the choice of selecting fasteners for your industrial applications, there are some questions you must ask yourself. The questions you need to ask yourself are as follows.
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How Do You Plan To Use Your Fastener?
The first question you need to consider prior to choosing hardware fasteners is how they will be used and on what product will be used. For instance, if the fastener that you plan to use has to be screwed in or out on a regular basis then it makes sense to select a durable and tangible metal fastener. However, on the contrary, for fasteners that rarely need opening, plastic fasteners should be acceptable. Plastic clips and fasteners are favorable for the automotive industry. Automotive fasteners are mostly plastics since they weigh less than metal, thus improving a vehicle’s overall performance and efficiency.
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Where Do You Plan To Use The Fastener?
The type of fastener that you choose is also determined by the type of environment where it is used. Fasteners used outdoors or in a more extreme environment have to be more robust and stronger than the ones used indoors or in neutral conditions. For instance, using 18-8 grade stainless steel fasteners in environments exposed to salt water can lead to corrosion and loss of quality with time. However, using stainless steel fasteners grade 316 is less susceptible to rusting when exposed to such environments.
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Which Type Of Fastener Is The Right Type Of Fastener?
The market today has many fasteners types available to suit your needs like nuts, rivets, bolts, screws, washers, inserts, anchors, rods, clips, and pins each with different variations.
Screws, come along with a variety of screw heads like oval, flat, hex washer, pan, round, hex, truss, button, and socket caps. Other than that, nuts as well come in an equally myriad number of nut types, like cap nuts, hex nuts, jam nuts, flange nuts, tee nuts, square, torque lock nuts, slotted nuts, K-lock, coupling, and more.
Every fastener has its own applications, strengths, and weaknesses. These distinctions make each type unique and a better choice in specific situations. It is better to acquaint yourself with the ASTM fastener standards to help you select the type of fastener you need.
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What Material Is The Fastener Made From?
Knowing how you are going to use fasteners and where you are going to use them should help you select the right material for your fasteners. Fastener materials not only affect the overall cost but also determines their strength and resistance under certain environments.
Some of the common materials you can choose from are as follows-
- Steel is one of the most common materials used in fasteners in the present day including carbon steel, stainless steel, and alloy steel. The material is well known due to its high tensile strength and durability. Wood fasteners are mostly made from steel.
- Bronze is a highly resistant material that is used in most corrosive marine environments.
- In comparison to steel, brass fasteners are softer than steel or bronze, but highly resistant to corrosion.
- Fasteners made from aluminum are somewhat similar to brass fasteners but are considerably lighter in weight.
- Nylon is another lightweight material that is used to make metal fasteners. and, Nylon does not conduct electricity unlike other materials used for fasteners.
Other than material type, the grades of the materials used within each type also matter. Hence it is important to choose a suitable grade as per your usage and environmental needs.
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Which Type Of Coating Is Best For My Use?
Fastener coatings are often applied to fasteners to prevent corrosion. Other than that. Fastener coatings are also used for decorative purposes. Some of the most commonly used fastener coatings are as follows-
- Zinc coating is used for corrosion resistance. However, fasteners with this coating can get rusted or be easily damaged if exposed to water or extreme humidity.
- Fasteners are galvanized with thick layers of zinc to provide better corrosion resistance. You must however remember that the thick zinc coating can jeopardize fastener compatibility.
- Another common coting for fasteners is chrome plating. This type of coating enhances resistance to corrosion resistance and gives fasteners a visual appeal.
Other than the common types of coatings used for fasteners as mentioned above, there are a myriad number of chemically sophisticated coatings available for specific applications. Some of these fastener coating types are as follows-
- Fluoropolymer resin coatings
- Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) coatings
- Phenolic coatings
- Epoxy coatings
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What Size Of Fastener Do You Need For Your Application?
Not every fastener size fits everywhere and that is why it is important to find fasteners that will fit perfectly with your application. For instance, fasteners for heavy-duty applications would demand the use of larger fasteners, whereas smaller applications would need smaller fasteners.
Conclusion
At KG Lilly we distribute, provide, and customize a wide range of American fasteners, both from stock and customized ones, which include nuts, anchors, bolts, and screws. Different applications demand the use of different types of fasteners. It can be hard to from the many fasteners available in the market. To know which one will be the right choice for you or to discuss further the products available with us, you can always give KG Lilly a call or send an email.