Fastener

Fastener Industry

The United States fastener industry has 350 manufacturing plants and employs 40,000 workers.
It is strongly tied to the production of automobiles, aircraft, appliances, agricultural machinery, commercial construction, and infrastructure.
Over 200 billion fasteners are used per year in the U.S., with 26 billion used by the automotive industry.
The Fastenal Company is the largest distributor of fasteners in North America.

The three major steel fasteners used in industries are stainless steel, carbon steel, and alloy steel.
Stainless steel fasteners are categorized into 200 series, 300 series, and 400 series.
Titanium, aluminum, and various alloys are also common materials for metal fasteners.
Coatings like zinc, chrome, and hot-dip galvanizing can be applied to improve performance characteristics.
Specialized coatings or plating may enhance corrosion resistance.

Factors to consider when selecting a fastener for industrial applications include threading, applied load, stiffness, and the number of fasteners needed.
Specifics of the application, such as accessibility, environment, installation process, materials to be joined, reusability, and weight restrictions, should be taken into account.

Threaded fasteners have internal or external screw threads.
Common types include screws, nuts, bolts, and washers.
Other specialized types are captive threaded fasteners, studs, threaded inserts, and threaded rods.
Multiple standards bodies exist for fasteners, including the US Industrial Fasteners Institute and the European Industrial Fastener Institute.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) publishes standards on fasteners.
Examples of these standards include B18.3 for socket cap, shoulder, set screws, and hex keys (inch series) and B18.6.3 for machine screws, tapping screws, and metallic drive screws (inch series).
B18.18 focuses on quality assurance for fasteners.
B18.24 provides a part identifying number (PIN) code system standard for B18 fastener products.
American fasteners historically did not fit British equipment properly, leading to the development of United States Military Standards and specifications.
Traceability is a key component of most military standards, ensuring that materials and parts can be traced back to their source.
Bar codes or similar methods are used to provide traceability in the supply chain.
Traceability helps ensure the use of correct parts and adherence to quality standards.
World War II played a significant role in the development of military standards for fasteners.

Reference	URL
Glossary	https://harryandcojewellery.com.au/blogs/glossary/fastener
Wikipedia	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastener
Wikidata	https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2002016
Knowledge Graph	https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/03kyfs