Fasteners
Those in the industrial and construction industries will already be well aware of just how essential fasteners are to everyday operations. Even those not involved with those sectors can appreciate just how necessary fasteners are to our daily lives.
Just a quick glance around your home will reveal fasteners in a range of materials, shapes, and sizes. They are those seemingly inconsequential pieces of metal (usually) that hold all sorts of items together including doors, windows, plug sockets, kitchen cupboards, to name just a few.
If you have to construct something, it’s almost certain to require several fasteners along the way. But what exactly are fasteners?
What Are Fasteners? Why Are They So Vital?
As mentioned, as you’re reading this, you’re likely just a few metres away from your nearest fasteners, where you’re in your home or outside.
In short, the term fasteners refers to hardware devices that mechanically join or affix two or more objects together. In general, fasteners are used to create non-permanent joints, meaning you can take the joint apart again without damaging either of the joining components.
You’ll notice that fasteners play a crucial role in many things in your household. From the chair you’re currently sitting on to the table at which you eat your dinner, you’ll likely interact with fasteners several times a day without really noticing. Every time you get in your car or open your front door, you are benefiting from fasteners. They are glue holding everything together that nobody really pays any attention.
What Do Fasteners Look Like? What Are They Made Out Of?
As you’ll probably already be aware, fasteners work by having two parts; a male part and a female part. The male is the screw, and the hole or nut part acts as the female counterpart.
There are several materials used to make fasteners. Firstly, there are plenty of metals such as stainless steel, aluminium, and derivatives such as carbon steel. You can have wooden and plastic fasteners too, which are popular in the furniture world.
How Many Different Types of Fasteners Are There?
Loads! There are simply too many to list here but every screw, bolt, nail, nut, and washer count as a fastener. Here are some of the most common for reference.
Types of Threaded Fastener
Threaded fasteners take on the male role of the fastening process. There plenty of different types, including:
- Bolts
- Setscrews
- Carriage Bolts
- Eye Bolts
- U-Bolts
- Wood Screws
- Machine Screws
- Self-Tapping Screws
Types of Nut
Nuts are the female parts used in conjunction with a bolt to clamp two or more components together. There are several different types of nuts for use in different applications, including:
- Hex Nuts
- Lock Nuts
- Nylon Insert Nuts
- Shear Nuts
- Wing Nuts
Types of Washer
The primary function of a washer to increase the bearing area of the head whilst also protecting the material underneath from damage. There are several different types of Washer, each with their own uses, including:
- Flat Washers
- Spring Washers
- Cup Washers
- Repair Washers
Leyton Fasteners Supply All Types of Industrial Fasteners
Here at Leyton Fasteners, we are market leaders in the industrial fasteners industry. We’ve been supplying an almost infinite range of industrial fasteners to light and heavy engineering firms, manufacturers, and the construction industry for over four decades.
We’re famed for carrying a large inventory of ‘hard to find’ and obsolete fasteners in a range of sizes and materials. There’s a reason our fastener stock room is nicknamed Aladdin’s Cave! There’s almost nothing we don’t stock. If by some miracle there’s something we don’t have, we’ll get it for you fast and hassle-free.
Better still, our friendly team have many years of expertise and experience in the world of fasteners and engineering and are always on hand to help you. We also offer next working day delivery right across mainland UK, getting you the fasteners you need as rapidly as possible.
Either give us a call on 0151 355 8045 or send us an email at sales@leytonfasteners.co.uk today with your requirements. We look forward to hearing from you.