How To Determine What Fastener Types To Use For Industrial Machine Construction

The world’s population is on the rise, and this is correlated to an increase in the demand for manufactured products. For this reason, one of the most lucrative industries today is the manufacture of machines that are supposed to be used on an industrial scale, such as in factories. If you are interested in making money manufacturing such machinery, you will find that one of the most important considerations you will often need to make is the choice of fasteners you will use on each of the machines. Proper selection of fasteners for industrial machine manufacture is important since it has a bearing on how long the machines will last, as well as how well they perform.


Ultimately, this will influence your reputation as a manufacturer. Having a policy of always choosing the best will enable you to end up with machines that are more reliable, and this in turn means that more manufacturers will prefer doing business with you. How do you make the decision on what types of fasteners to use for particular machines? Some of the variables you can use include:
The operating conditions of the machine
Under what environmental conditions will the machine be working? This will always be a major determinant of what types of fasteners to use. For instance, titanium hex lag bolts tend to be expensive but very strong. If you want the machine to withstand heavy use without the fasteners giving way, you could decide to construct them using these bolts. Other environmental conditions include the amount of vibration that the machine will be subject to as well as the operating temperatures it will have to endure. If it has to work in very high temperature environments, using Inconel hex tap bolts is usually a wise decision.

 
How secure do you want the machine to be?
The types of fasteners chosen can also be based on how much security you want the machine to have. For instance, if you design a machine with very sensitive internals that should only be maintained by your staff, you could opt to use security fasteners to put the body together. This way, it will be difficult for anyone to tamper with the machine, and even if they try to do it it will be possible to tell, and you can then void the warranty. With today’s technology, you can design fasteners with a custom made security feature such as a head that is so unique that one needs a very rare tool to undo it.
What attributes do you want the machine to have?
The physical attributes you want the machine to have can also determine the type of fasteners you should get. For instance, if weight is a major concern, you could choose to use fasteners that are strong but light. If having a streamlined appearance is critical, you may want to use bolts that sit flush with the surface of the machine.
In summary, if you are interested in designing industrial machines, always try to avoid picking fasteners on a random basis. Making sure that they are suited for the job will make the whole machine perform better.