Different Types of Nuts and Bolts and Their Uses

May 31, 2016

A poster-sized cheat sheet is the only medium capable of containing the different types of nuts and bolts available today. The metaphorical visual aid would reach from one end of the room to the other as it illustrated all of these multifaceted fasteners. Of course, when looking for the correct fastening mechanism, the one that best serves a particular work project, we need more than colourful pictures. What's required here is a concise description of the various types and their applications.

Hex Bolts Rule

Classed as industry's ever-popular six-sided fastener, hex bolts are manufactured with stout heads and long threaded barrels. The standardized head mates with a toolbox-full of spanners (wrenches), hex sockets, and other adjustable wrenches, the ones that reside on the shelves of big ticket hardware stores. The solid profile of the hex bolt makes it a perfect form for industrial-grade applications. Large machinery, pipe flanges, and structural panels prefer these robust fasteners.

Mated to Six-sided Nuts

The world of nuts and bolts is a kaleidoscopic one, a vista dominated by contrasting shapes, but we can always depend on this old pairing. Hex nuts are a natural choice when hexagonal nuts are employed. The nuts not only underscore the strength of the form, they also reinforce functionality. Special nylon inserts gift the fastener with locking aptitude, an invaluable feature when vibration is an issue.

Variations on a Nutty Form

The sides vary depending on the application, but flat sides are always part of the basic nut makeup. Square versions are used in blind or tight-access projects, for example. The four-sided shape enables a tool to find the reduced shape and easily gain purchase. Meanwhile lug or wing nuts find employment on housings that need an accessibility feature. Their profile is large but easy to manually unscrew.

Bolts in a Nutshell

Carriage bolts use a low-profile head and an underlying square shank section. Once fitted, the bolt won't rotate, but a nut can quickly be fastened on the other side. Carriage bolts are commonly found used for fixing masonry and lumber on large sectional wall panels. Meanwhile, tight areas call for bolts with traditional screw heads, pipes rely on u-shape bolts and pairs of nuts, and hybrid versions pair the hex form with a slotted screw head.

It's a large and diverse family, the various groups of nuts and bolts. And, like any other family, each group splits further to encompass different materials and contrasting barrel types.

We specialize in metric fastener bolts, nuts, washers, screws, rivets, construction fasteners, allthread, purlin bolts and purlin brackets, chemical anchor studs, driver bits, hex bolts, hex set screw, hex nuts, socket head cap screws, hex head coach screw, coach bolts and nuts, sleeve anchors,  wedge anchors, true bolts, hex flange nuts, hex dome nuts, nyloc nuts, flanged nyloc nut, jam nuts,  spring washer, and many other items including zinc nut, stainless nut, galvanised nut, screw bolt, stainless bolt and all types of screws and bolts.

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TCI Fasteners - Topcope
13 Slater Parade, Keilor East VIC 3033 Australia

Telephone: (03) 9336 0155