Selection Tip of Fasteners- Material

There are threaded fasteners, non-threaded fasteners and special purpose fasteners. Those fasteners are usually made of metals including steel-SS304 rivet nuts, aluminum alloy-aluminum rivet nut, brass or nickel. What’s the difference? Steel fasteners are the most common material used, aluminum alloy fasteners have the advantage over steel of being much lighter, non-magnetic and more corrosion resistant fasteners. Nickel has the particular advantage of strength at high temperatures.

How to pick the proper fasteners? You have to take into account 4 factors below.

1. Environmental factor, such as high, normal and low temperature; corrosive, abrasive and oxidizing conditions, of which the stainless steel fasteners are the best.

2. Nature of the external loading on the fastener include tension, compression, shear, cyclic and impact, the fasteners such as steel rivet nuts are very reliable.

3. Life and service requirements, mostly refer the need for perhaps frequent assembly and disassembly.

4. Design of the components being joined and types of materials. Those we know are stress concentrations; the elastic, plastic and thermal properties of the materials.