Small but essential, bolt and nut industrial fasteners are used across a wide variety of industrial applications, and the type of fastener you opt for, must be carefully chosen with the particular application in mind. Especially in the case of industrial applications, safety is paramount, and fasteners must be able to withstand a certain amount of pressure, weight, vibration and shock. Choose the wrong type of fastener, and you could face serious consequences.
Below are some of the main reasons why you should take care to select the right type of fasteners in your industrial project:
Safety
This is arguably the most important reason to choose the right fasteners for your industrial project, as if you don’t, and the bolts and nuts aren’t strong enough or aren’t used correctly, they could fail and cause any number of serious accidents resulting in lifechanging injuries for personnel.
Before selecting fasteners for use in any industrial application, you must ensure that they’re compatible in every way, and if necessary, are resistant to corrosion and temperature-rated etc.
Avoiding expensive errors
As well as the safety risks involved with choosing the wrong type of industrial fastener, there are financial risks, too. Let’s say that instead of using bolts in a high strength application, you use screws and they shear off under load, this could lead to extensive damage to other components and repairs for such things are not generally cheap.
Avoid costly repairs or replacements in the future – such as when an inappropriate fastener fails to perform for as long as expected due to being used for the wrong application – by choosing the right bolt and nut fastener manufacturers, for the right application.
Compatibility
With every different type of fastener coming in a wide range of shapes and materials, and with its own specific purpose, it’s important that you choose your fasteners wisely based upon what your particular project demands. For the installation of a structural steel beam, for example, you must use bolts with superior strength so that they’re able to cope with the beam’s weight and stress.
In some instances, a different type of fastener may be required for a certain type of material, so that corrosion and other types of damage can be prevented from occurring over time. By understanding the materials that you’re working with, you can select a fastener that will give you the best performance, for the longest time.
Your guide to choosing the right industrial fasteners
There are a number of considerations to make when choosing industrial fasteners, and here are some of the most important:
- Load
To be able to handle loads safely, you’ll need a fastener that lives up to the challenge. Assess your load requirements carefully before choosing a high strength fastener.
- Compatibility with materials
Look at what materials are being used in your particular project and select fasteners that are guaranteed to be compatible with them.
- Environmental
Are fasteners likely to be exposed to extreme temperatures or moisture, for example? If so, this will likely affect the type of fastener you choose.
- Quality
Only ever purchase fasteners from a reputable manufacturer that you know you can trust.
- Seek advice
If in doubt, never second guess it; always check with an industry expert to be sure you’re getting the right type of fastener for your industrial needs.
With careful choice of the right industrial fasteners, you can ensure that the nuts and bolts you choose, are truly up to the job.
