MACHINE SCREW

There are countless different types of screws, bolts, and other fasteners and fixings. Machine screws are one of the more widely used products among dozens of standard fastener types.

Despite their widespread use, there is no strict definition of a machine screw. The term ‘machine screws’ covers a broad range of fastener varieties.

Machine screws can be either coarse-threaded or fine-threaded, and are usually available with a wide range of head types. So, what is a machine screw, and how can you easily define one? Moreover, how exactly are machine screws different from other types of bolts or fixings?

The simple answer is that machine screws are usually distinguished from other common fastener types like wood screws by their physical features and intended uses. Some of their typical physical characteristics are outlined below:

• Standard machine screws tend to be somewhat smaller (both in length and diameter) than many other types of bolts and fasteners

• Machine screws are almost always blunt-ended (flat-tipped), unlike many other screw types which taper to a sharp point at the tip

• Although this isn’t always the case, most machine screws are fully threaded, meaning that the threading runs the full length of the fastener shank from just below the head right to the end

• Machine screws are usually stronger than many other screw types. They are manufactured to high standards using refined techniques, providing better all-round quality, precision, and thread uniformity

• Machine screws are typically designed with finer, more accurate threads than alternative fastener types. They are generally intended for use with a pre-drilled interior tapped hole or a nut

• Machine screws are most often used for fastening metal parts securely together in various types of machinery or construction. Other uses include vehicles, engines, tool assembly, electronic devices, and large-scale industrial equipment