What Materials Are Used To Manufacture Quality Fasteners

If you’re wondering what materials are used to make quality fasteners, you care a lot about the products you purchase. 

Fasteners are available in a broad range of specifications, and choosing the best for the intended application is an uphill task. Whether you want to use a screw, bolt, peg, rivet, clamp, or any other self-clinching hardware, you must carefully consider the material it's made of before making the final decision.

What Affects Quality?

There are several factors that come into play that influence the effectiveness of a fastener.  These include:

• Corrosive element residues
• Ambient conditions
• Overall structural stability
• Physical stress requirements.

So, let’s take a look at what materials are used to manufacture quality fasteners, so you can make the right decision every time.

Materials Used in Making Fasteners

You already know that the material used to make a fastener impacts its effectiveness, but what materials are used to manufacture quality fasteners? 

Steel Fasteners

Manufacturers typically use steel to produce quality-grade fasteners. In fact, roughly 90% of all bolts and screws made every year are made from steel. Why? Steel is durable and has high tensile strength. It's also one of the most cost-effective metals in fabrication. Manufacturers may strengthen steel fasteners using chrome or zinc plating in specific circumstances.

Stainless Steel Fasteners

Stainless steel is made from chromium and nickel. Chromium makes the metal highly corrosion-resistant and, therefore, long-lasting. The carbon properties prevent it from hardening effectively, making it stronger than most grade 2 plates of steel.

Carbon Steel Fasteners

Most bolts and screws are made from grade 2, 5, or 8 carbon steel.  

• Grade 2: Inexpensive but least durable.
• Grade 5: Common in the automotive industry.
• Grade 8: Often used in mechanical applications like vehicle suspension systems.

You'll also come across alloyed carbon steel. Alloy steel offers low corrosion resistance. But it typically needs an additional coating to make it less brittle.

Bronze and Brass Fasteners

Bronze fasteners don’t rust very often because they contain tin and copper alloy. The quality makes it ideal for aquatic-based applications like underwater construction. 

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. It boasts similar electric conductivity and anti-corrosive properties as bronze. On the downside, brass is relatively softer and has lower tensile strength. 

Get Your Custom Fasteners from Big Bolt

Fasteners are crucial to the success of many projects, whether you're a general contractor or a DIY enthusiast. Before you invest in fasteners for your next project, it's wise to have answers to what materials are used to manufacture quality fasteners. That way, you'll be one step ahead in the right direction to getting the best products for your project.

Finding the right one can eat into your time, but it doesn't have to be the case. Big Bolt will take the hassle out of the process by ensuring you get what you need when you need it. If you need a type of fastener that's not in our inventory, we will customize it for you and ship it to you the next day. Contact us today to get a free quote.