What You Should Know Before You Buy Metal Fasteners?
Metal fasteners are used to join several components, whether they’re made from sheet metal, plastics or some other material. They are available in a wide range of standard shapes, sizes, materials, and purposes, and can also be produced custom for specific needs.
Metal fasteners are an integral part of manufacturing, construction, and even simple day-to-day applications from simple staples to heavy-duty attachments used in aerospace manufacturing. Metal fasteners are usually separated into two distinct groups – those that produce a permanent bond and those requiring either a releasable or a sliding bond.
Examples of metal fasteners that create a permanent bond are screws, rivets, clamps, retaining rings or bolts. Non-permanent fasteners are items like quick-release couplers and pins that allow the movement of fastened parts.
What are the Types of Metal Fasteners?
In addition to the light-duty and heavy-duty arrangements, metal fasteners will also fall into two distinct categories: threaded and non-threaded fasteners.
Threaded:
The most mutual types of threaded metal fasteners are bolts and screws. These common fasteners have pre-cut threads in the shaft to allow the component to grip any material securely. It can also unscrew to detach from the object. Screws and bolts for sheet metal often have threads along the entire shaft, while wood fasteners only have threads halfway up the shaft. While both types of threaded fasteners have similar looks and characteristics, there are a few key differences. Typically, screws are used to join threaded objects, while bolts are used to assemble unthreaded objects.
Non-Threaded:
Non-threaded metal fasteners do not require a thread to catch onto materials, but instead are driven into materials to create a connection. You can drive these fasteners into a material with a hammer strike, insert them into a snug, pre-made hole, or use a device to join the fastener to two or more materials. Popular non-threaded metal fasteners include rivets, pins, corrugated fasteners, and specialty products.
Rivets:
As a permanent metal fastener, you install rivets by cutting a hole into an object that slightly exceeds the diameter. You then hammer the components into place or use a specialized tool to complete the installation. These fittings have a smooth texture and often serve as an alternative to welding.
Corrugated Metal Fasteners:
These fasteners consist of metal strips connected in a wavy pattern (with one sharp side and one smooth side). When you impale the pointed end into a wood piece, you can join multiple wood beams together. For example, corrugated fasteners are ideal for rough framing projects.
Specialty Metal Fasteners:
Specialty metal fasteners include items like snap fasteners, high-strength fasteners for industrial applications, or even items like zippers and metal snaps that can be used to join fabrics and leather together.
Uses of Metal Fasteners:
The main benefit of metal fasteners is that they are able to bear significant loads before reaching a breaking point. Metal fasteners can naturally be classified in one of two ways:
| Light-Duty Metal Fasteners | Heavy-Duty Metal Fasteners |
| Light-Duty metal fasteners are used in standard commercial applications and even in some medical items, for example pet buckles, hip pins, tactical products, tent applications, bags, and straps to name a few. | Heavy-Duty fasteners are standard in manufacturing or hefty applications, like vehicle and aircraft cargo tie-downs. Some of these metal fasteners can sustain loads of 750 pounds and more before hitting a breaking point. |
