Let’s Talk About Screws
Screws are amazing fasteners. Stronger than nails and easy to install/reinstall, they look similar to bolts. Similar applications may require a screw and/or a bolt. Typically, a bolt pairs with a nut or washer and may or may not have a point or tapered end.
So let’s talk about screws! When we’re thinking of screws, we generally think of threaded metal fasteners with tapered ends that allow them to be driven into a material. Generally speaking, screws and nuts do not pair up. Instead, the end of the screw remains embedded in the application material. As it rotates, the screw’s thread create a new thread in a material as it turns. Alternately, screws can be drilled into preformed holes.
Did you know that screws are considered one of the six simple machines? Considered some of the first machines ever invented, the six simple machines include the wheel and axle, levers, ramps, pulleys, wedges, and, you guessed it, screws.
Screw Types
There are a wide variety of screws and screw applications.
- Self-Tapping (or Self-Drilling) Screw: These pointed screws have sharp cutting threads that tap a hole during installation. Self-tapping screws quickly drill into metal or wood.
- Socket Screw, also known as an Allen Head Screw: These screws have an internal hex drive built into the head. Socket screws fasten machine parts. The name “Allen” comes from the Allen Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut. The company trademarked the name in 1943. Although the company no longer exists today, the name stuck.
- Machine Screw: Typically, machine screws do not have a point. Often made of brass or steel, machine screws fasten metal parts together.
- Weld Screw: These are screws that are welded into place. A wide variety of applications, including construction, automotive, HVAC, and agriculture, utilize weld screws.
- Sheet Metal Screw: Fully threaded and pointed, sheet metal screws cut through sheet metal.
At Fastco, we manufacture a wide variety of screws with a various head designs (including socket, hex, Phillips Head, and 6-lobe), threads (including MAThread, Lockthread, interrupted threads, paint-cutting threads, and standard threads), and points (including MATpoint, dog points, and p-points).
Learn more about how we can meet your fastener screw needs and send us a quote today!