Mechanical

Fasteners
Technical English 1
Mechanical Fasteners

Device that is used to mechanically join (or fasten) two or more objec
ts together.
1. Non-permanent
• General fasteners
e.g. Keys, pins, retaining rings (often associated with shaf
t)

• Threaded fasteners
e.g bolts, screws, studs, serscrews, etc

2. Permanents,
e.g. Rivets
Threaded Fasteners
The principals devices used for assembling components.
Grouped into 3 main categories
• Bolt
A bolt has a head on one end and threads on the other end. It is pai
red with a nut.

• Studs
A stud is a road that has threaded on both ends and join two mating
parts. A nut may be used on one end.
Threaded Fastener
• Screws
Is used to join two mating parts together. It is similar to bolts, howeve
r screws usually have longer threads than bolts.
• Cap screws
• Machine screws
Bolt
Bolt, Screw, and Studs

The basic difference between a bolt and a screw is??

Washers

Flat Washer.
Flat washer, or plain washer is used to increase the bearing areas of the
head, and protect the material finish during assembly.
It also used to prevents the sharp corner of the hole into which bolt or
screw being inserted.

Spring washer designed to be compressed, and allow the amount of preload

to be adjusted as the bolt tightened. In another words, it used to
prevent loosening of screws and nuts by providing continous friction due to
their spring action.
e.g. Spring washer, conical spring washer.
Rivets
Rivets are permanent fasteners which means. They can not be
unscrewed.

The most common and distincts are Solid rivets and Pop riverts
• Solid rivets are consists of a cylindrical shank with a single head.

• Pop rivets also called blind rivets, are the most widely used type
of rivets for general purposes applications.. However, they are not
capable of supporting large loads
1. Wrenches are well-known example of fasteners.
2. In most case, nuts are screwed onto bolts by turning
them anti-clockwise.
3. The threaded part of a bolt is the head.
4. Threads are cut to form a hexagonal patterns.
5. Allen keys are designed to fit around the heads of bolts
 Review questions

1. What is the differences between bolt and

screw?
2. Describe the physical differences between
bolt and screw!
3. When is the flat washer being used?
4. Which kinds of plates that need rivets as t
heir fastener?
5. Can rivets be undone? If yes, how?
Use the words in the box to complete the text about bolted
joints.
Complete the article from a home improvements magazine
below, using the words in the box.
 Decide whether the information of
sentences below are true or false.

1. The purpose of all washers is to spread the load from

the bolt across the surfaces of the components being
bolted together.
2. Plain washers are flat.
3. Spring washers change shape as a bolt is tightened.
4. Spring washers ensure that, no matter how much a
bolt is tightened, the amount of preload remains the
same.
5. In situations where components are subjected to
shocks, spring washers ensure that no movement
occurs between the bolt and the component.