Types of Fasteners and Their Uses [with Pictures]

What is Fasteners?

Types of Fasteners [with Pictures] :- Fasteners are the mechanical units which are used to join two or more objects together. Fasteners can be used to join either permanently or temporarily depending upon the site condition. There are numerous types of fasteners with different applications, about which one should definitely know.

Fasteners are categorized as Permanent or temporary units.

Example for permanent fasteners can be rivets, nails etc. which are single-use fasteners designed to join two objects permanently. Thus, these fasteners once installed cannot be removed, removing it can lead to destroy it. Whereas, temporary fasteners are designed to join two or more objects temporarily and can be removed and reused easily.

Example of temporary fasteners are bolts and screws which are commonly used in a number of industries and products as they allow the parts to re-assemble whenever required. Temporary fasteners are also known as threaded or non-threaded.

Types of Fasteners

Threaded Fasteners
Nuts
Washers
Rivets

A) Threaded Fasteners: ( Types of Fasteners )

These are the most commonly used fasteners mostly for assembling components which can be installed or removed as per the need. There are three most commonly used threaded fasteners i.e. Bolts, Screws and Studs. Let understand each of them in detail.

1. Bolts: ( Types of Fasteners )

Bolts are the ones which has a head on its one end, usually the hex head and are threaded on the other. These are usually used in combination with a nut or a washer to hold the material in the exact place.

2. Screws: ( Types of Fasteners )

Screws are quite similar to the bolts which also has a head on one end and a thread on the other head. They main difference is that screws are used to screw into a threaded hole. There are various types of screws which can be used according to the site requirement, like cap screws, machine screws, wood screws etc. ( Types of Screw Heads )

3. Studs: ( Types of Fasteners )

Studs are different from bolts and screws as they are threaded on the both ends, and thus do not have any head. This component is used to compile internally threaded holes together.

Types of Threaded Fasteners

1. Bolts and Set Screws

Bolts and Set screws are usually found having a hexagonal head accompanied with a thread which can easily be used in conjunction with a nut or a threaded hole. Bolts are generally found having a shank beneath the head, whereas set screws are threaded till the head.

2. Carriage Bolts

Carriage bolts are also known as cup square hex bolts which have a smooth rounded head and a square beneath. These fasteners are usually used to hold metal to wood.