Getting To Know Fastener Notations

When shopping for Inconel hex lag bolts, hastelloy carriage bolts or any other types of fasteners, it is normally necessary to understand the technical details of the products you are shopping for even before you begin shopping. This is the only way to be assured that you will end up buying items that will be suited for the type of work you want to use them for. For instance, if you are interested in setting up a food processing plant, you might need to get fasteners that meet certain specifications for both health and practical reasons.

This calls for an understanding of the technical terms that are normally used when describing the fasteners. Having this knowledge helps in two ways: it ensures that you can communicate with your vendor effectively, and it also ensures that the risk of getting the wrong fasteners is minimized. The latter is particularly important when you consider the fact that you might need to buy the fasteners in bulk. Some of the terms that you should definitely be familiar with include:
The fastener type
This is the most basic technical descriptor of any fastener you come across. When you mention terms such as a screw, bolt or nut, you would be describing the fastener type. It’s important to be very clear about what each type of fastener is used for. For instance, if you choose to get a screw rather than a bolt for a particular application, it might not turn out to be a very effective fastener. If you are new to the world of fasteners, simply making sure that you consult a high quality distributor will help you avoid making such mistakes. They will help you figure out exactly what you need.

 
The head type
When getting most types of fasteners, you will also need to describe the head in terms of the drive type and the head style. If you wanted to use a fastener such as a screw that has no head, you would need to describe this in your request.
The material
There are many variables that have to be described for each fastener type. These include:

• The plating: You need to specify the type of coating you want the fasteners to have. This in turn depends on the reason why you need the fastener in the first place. For instance, if you wanted  the fastener to simply look appealing, you would specify a different type of plating compared to if you wanted a fastener that has a corrosion resistant plate.
• The grade: Grading is usually used to describe the quality of the steel used for fastener manufacture. This in turn indicates the mechanical properties of the metal.
• The material: This is an easy one; the material simply specifies what the fastener has been made of.

The size
Finally, you will need to specify the size of fastener you need. This has to be carefully done to ensure that you end up with a perfect fit.
By understanding all the above notations, you will be in a better position to not only order for the right fasteners, but also figure out which one would suit a particular application.