MECHANICAL FASTENER

Fasteners that rely on some mechanical principle (i.e. not adhesives) and are
semipermanent (i.e. unlike clamps)..

A mechanical fastener is a device that is used to mechanically join (fasten) two or more
objects together. There are many different types of mechanical fasteners, but in general,
fasteners can be divided into two main categories: permanent and nonpermanent
fasteners.

Permanent fasteners such as rivet, it will be destroyed to remove rivets

Non-permanent fasteners (they enable parts to be assembled and diassembled

repeteadly). can further be divided into two groups:

❖ General fasteners they often associated with shafts, e.g. keys,

pins, retaining rings, etc.
❖ Threaded fasteners they are the most widely used type of
nonpermanent fasteners because they can easily be removed than
reused. Example: bolts, screws, studs, setscrews, etc.
Threaded fasteners are the principal devices used for assembling components. They
usually grouped into three main categories;

Bolts. Bolts have one head on one end, and a threads on the other end. It is
paired with a nut
Screws. Screws are used to mating parts together and like bolts, they have
head on one end and threads on the other end. However screws usually have
longer threads than bolts, they also can be made with the slotted heads.
Studs. Studs are rod that have hreads on both ends and join two mating parts. A
nut may be used in one end.
Preload in bolted joints
Turning force, called torque, is applied to bolts to tighten them- that is, to make
them grip tightly. As a bolt is tightened, the tension (stretching force) in its shaft
increases, and the components being bolted together are pressed tightly
together. This pressing force is called preload (or clamp load). If enough preload
is applied, friction between the components will prevent them sliding in different
directions.
This is an advantage, as sliding subjects the sides of bolts to shear force
(scissoring force), which can cause them to break. In steel structures, bolts that
apply high preloads to prevent sliding are called high strength friction grip (HSFG)
bolts.
The amount of torque applied to bolts can be adjusted using a torque wrench, a
tool which can tighten and loosen bolts, and which indicates how much torque is
applied. This helps to ensure that bolts are tightened enough, but not
overtightened. Torque wrenches are also useful for checking that bolted joints do
not work loose - that is, that they do not become loose over time.

Washers
Washers are metal discs which fit between the head of a bolt or a nut and the
components being bolted together. Ordinary washers- called flat washers or
plain washers- have a larger outside diameter than the bolt head or nut. Their
wider area is intended to spread the load (distribute pressure) over the surface of
the component as the bolt is tightened.

Spring washers are designed to be compressed, to allow the amount of preload

to be adjusted as the bolt is tightened. In some situations, spring washers are
used to allow a bolt to move slightly, in order to absorb shocks. Common types of
spring washer are helical spring washers and conical spring washers.

Plain or flat washer helical spring washer coninal spring washer

Screws
Screws have threaded shafts with heads. They may be screwed into a predrilled
hole- drilled for the screw to enter. Self-tapping screws do not require predrilled
holes. They cut their own hole as they are screwed in. Unlike bolts, screws are
not used with nuts and- generally- are not screwed into threaded holes. Most
screw heads are designed to be screwed in using a screwdriver. The most
common types are slot head screws and crosshead screws.

A screwdriver A slot head screw cross head screw philip and pozidriv type

Small-diameter bolts, which can be used with nuts or screwed into threaded
holes, are sometimes called machine screws. Bolts that hold components in
place by pressing the end of the bolt against the component, in order to generate
friction and prevent sliding, are called set screws or grub screws. Examples of
uses are holding a wheel on a shaft, and connecting electric wires.
Screw anchors
Fasteners designed to fix objects to walls are called screw anchors. These fit
into predrilled holes. A simple screw anchor is a plastic tube called a wall plug
(or plug). It is inserted in a hole, and a screw or bolt is then screwed into it. As it
enters the plug, the plug expands (its diameter increases). This increases
friction, allowing the plug to resist pullout forces- the forces which would cause it
to be pulled out of the hole if it were not firmly anchored. An expansion anchor
is another type of anchor. It consists of a bolt fitted inside a metal sleeve. The
sleeve expands as the bolt is tightened in the hole. In cases where pullout forces
are very high, chemical anchors can be used. These are studs threaded bars,
onto which nuts can be screwed. The studs are set in - that is, held in the hole by
an adhesive. Most chemical anchors are set into holes using a strong adhesive
called epoxy resin.
Rivets
Rivets are permanent fasteners - they cannot be unscrewed. A solid rivet
consists of a short, solid shaft of metal with a head at one end, called the factory
head. The rivet is inserted through a pre-drilled hole, then a special tool is used
to deform (change the shape of) the other end of the rivet, flattening and
widening it to form a second head, called the shop head. Solid rivets are widely
used in aircraft. Blind rivets (or pop rivets) are made from hollow tubes, and are
fitted using a tool called a rivet gun. Blind rivets are not suitable for high-
strength joints.

fiscer wall plug and blind rivet

solid rivets after installation