8/28/23, 4:52 PM Bolts Selection Guide: Types, Features, Applications | GlobalSpec

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these specifications:

Bolt Type:
Anchor Bolt
Carriage Bolt
Elevator Bolt
Flange Bolt
Hanger Bolt

Inch:
# 0000
# 000
# 00
#0
#1

Metric:
M1.6
M2
M2.5
M3
M3.5

Material:
Aluminum
Brass
Bronze / Copper Base Alloy
Copper
Molybdenum

Fastener Standards:
AIA / NAS
AN / MS
ASME / ANSI
BS
DIN

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More Specifications >>

Bolts Information
Show all Bolts Manufacturers
A bolt is a type of threaded hardware fastener that is used to position two workpieces in specific
relation to each other. Bolts come in several configurations for their application and specification
variances.

Since the terms "bolt" and "screw" were in use before the advent of easily-produced helix fasteners,
they are often synonymous. However, several standards bodies have attempted to differentiate the
terms, with many concluding that it is not the devices which are different, but how they are used. As
provided by Machinery's Handbook and ASME B18.2.1, bolts are externally threaded fasteners that are prevented from being
turned during assembly, but are positioned or released by torqueing a nut. Screws are externally threaded fasteners that can
be inserted into pretapped holes or can perforate a material and create their own internal threads. Screws are fastened by
torque applied to the head. This definition is still somewhat ambiguous and is not all-encompassing, but does provide a basis
to begin differentiation.

Image credit: Engineer Explains

Bolt Operation
The components that form a bolt can be identified in three sections. The head is the part of the bolt with the
largest diameter, which provides a mount for tools to either apply or resist torque. It also provides part of the
bearing surface for substrates being bolted. The shank of the bolt is the longest part of the bolt and has
external, helical threads on its circumference. This piece is responsible for the alignment of the workpieces.
Finally, the end opposite of the head is known as the chamfer, which provides a slightly beveled edge to aid
the bolt's insertion into holes and nuts.

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Successful bolt implementation almost always requires a nut to retain components on the bolt's axis. Nuts are applied via
torque while the bolt itself is held in place, or vice versa. Nut position and bolt employment are dependent upon the same
physical principles: the friction of the bolt and nut threads against one another, which is comprised of a slight stretch of the
bolt from the compression resistance of the components being fastened, and a slight elastic deformation of the parts held
together.

Nuts may loosen with vibration or dynamic loads, in which case locknuts, lock washers, or thread locker can provide jostle-
resistant or permanent nut placement.

Bolt Production
 

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How It's Made Nuts and bolts

Video credit: Ian Collier / CC BY-SA 4.0

Bolt Dimensions

The dimensions of a bolt can be expressed in metric or imperial units, both of which are better explained in the Bolt Standards
section of this selection guide.

Image credit: UC Davis Engineering

Pitch is the measurement between the apex of adjacent threads on the bolt's shank.
Diameter is the width of the screw shank. This should not include the bolt head.
Length is the measurement of the bolt from the edge of the chamfer to the undercut of the head. Against this
measurement should not include the head.

Bolt Material
Aluminum screws are light, resistant to oxidation, thermal and electrical conducive, and easy to manufacture.
Brass screws are strong, conductive, and corrosion resistant, with low magnetic permeability.
Copper alloy screws have good load capacity, wear resistance, and are suitable for use near magnets.
Plastic screws are inexpensive and corrosion resistant for light loads. They are common for applications near water,
such as pools.
Steel screws are produced of strong, carbonated iron. Uncoated steel is vulnerable to corrosion.
Hardened steel screws are stronger than steel screws, but more brittle. They are made of steel treated by tempering
and quenching methods.
Stainless steel screws are chemical and corrosion resistant with an appealing finish. They cannot be hardened like
carbon steel.
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Screws consisting of superalloys exhibit good mechanical strength, surface stability, corrosion resistance, and
resistant to creep at high temperatures. Common super alloys include Hastelloy®, Inconel®, Incoloy®, and Monel®.
Titanium screws are hard and strong, light, and corrosion resistant. When alloyed with other metals, it increases
strength and durability.

Bolt Strength

Bolts are regularly marked to indicate their strength, which is dependent on the material and dimensions of the bolt.

Metric class and Imperial grade and Metric/imperial proof

Material
marking marking load

Grade 2

(no class)
Low or medium carbon steel

 
Class 8.8
Grade 5
Medium carbon steel, quenched &
tempered

Medium carbon alloy steel, quenched   Grade 8

& tempered
Class 10.9

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Class 12.9

(no grade)
Alloy steel, quenched and tempered

A-2 18-8

Stainless steel
(markings vary) (markings vary)

Screw Finishes

Finishes applied to the base metal of the bolt enhance the durability and corrosion resistance of the material.

Black oxide finish does not enlarge the dimensions of the screw and is a processed black rust. It is mostly used for
aesthetic purposes.
Chrome coating is a bright, reflective finish that is decorative and very durable. It is applied via electropating.
Zinc plated coatings act as a sacrificial anode, protecting the underlying metal. It is applied as a fine white dust.
Other coatings like galvanization and phosphating are common for particular types of hardware, like screws meant
for fence or window applications.

Bolt Standards

Manufacturers produce bolts in both imperial and metric units, and due to their explicit correspondence with nuts and
pretapped holes, the units cannot be mixed. Furthermore, screws are produced with fine or coarse threads, which are a
designation of the screw's thread pitch--not the quality of the product. Coarse-thread bolts are less susceptible to galling,
thread crossing, and seizing, while fine-thread bolts are less likely to loosen from jostling, and are more easily tapped and
adjusted.

For imperial sizes, bolt producers will provide a designated number or fractional inch for the dimension of the screw. North
American countries follow this system, called the Unified Thread Standard. Also included will be a "threads per inch" (TPI)
count which will indicate a course or fine thread.

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ISO, JIS, and DIN standards are based upon the metric system and are closely related (ISO guideline 261). Most hardware
measured in metric units is subject to Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) edict as well. These standards are common in
the majority of the world, and speculation exists that this may become a global hardware standard. The threads on metric
bolts can be available in both fine and course pitch configurations.

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Bolt Configurations
Bolt Head Styles

Table credit: Engineering Parts Sourcing Inc.

Bolt Types

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Anchor bolt Anchor bolts are embedded in concrete or masonry for structural applications.

Image credit: Portland

Bolt

Carriage bolts are used to fasten metal to wood. The undercut of the bolt
Carriage bolt
head is square to hold the bolt in place once tightened.

Image credit: Bolts 'n

Nuts Plus

A flat, plain or countersunk head with a squared undercut holds the bolt in
Elevator bolt
place when a nut is tightened. These are common in conveyor systems.

Image credit: TOPS

Inc

Flange bolts have an integral washer on the undercut of the bolt head that
Flange bolt
distributes the bearing load. These are also known as frame bolts.

Image credit: Packer

Fastener & Supply

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A hanger bolt does not contain a bolt head. Both ends are threaded, but with
Hanger bolt
one end containing a wood screw.

Image credit: Monster

Fastener

Hexagon Hex bolts have six-sided heads. Tap bolts are threaded the entire length of
bolt/Tap bolt the shank.

Images credits:
Portland Bolt; Fastwell
Ind. Co.

Lag bolts are also called lag screws. They create their own mating thread in
Lag bolt
wood and other soft materials when tightened.

Image credit: MoWiNet

Machine bolts are meant for assembling metal components through predrilled
Machine bolt holes with an accompanying screw. These are more commonly called
machine screws.

Image credit: Infly

Industry Inc.

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With a countersunk flat head, a square shank neck, and a unified thread
Plow bolt
pitch, plow bolts are durable and common in construction devices.

Image credit: K & R

Supply, LLC

Sex bolts do not require a nut. They come with a mating female component
Sex bolt that covers the bolt shank. They are useful for fastening items that cannot be
exposed to the abrasive threads.

Image credit: Wilson

Glass

More commonly know as shoulder screws. Visit GlobalSpec's Shoulder

Shoulder bolt
Screw Selection Guide and Specification Filter for tutorial information.

Image credit: Unified

Supply

Square head
Square head bolts a four-sided bolt head with a machine screw thread.
bolt

Image credit: Melfast

Stud bolt Stud bolts utilize hex nuts on both ends of the bolt. The workpieces are held
between the two bolts.

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Image credit: Xiamen

Landee Ind. Co.

Timber bolts are explicitly meant for use with large wood planks and
Timber bolt
structures. They are common in lumber and marine industries.

Image credit: Jiaxing

A T-head bolt has a T-shaped head which can fit into a slot or can be gripped
T-head bolt
easily by a wrench.

Image credit: Shanghai

Mountain Co.

With an expanding wing-like nut, toggle bolts are used to mount objects to
Toggle bolt walls. The nut inserts through a hole before it expands to lay flat against the
surface.

Image credit: Johson

Industrial

U-bolt U-bolts are partially threaded on both ends and are bent in the shape of the
letter 'U', with either a radius or two right angles.

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Image credit: Portland

Bolt

Resources
UC Davis Engineering

Engineered Parts Sourcing Inc - Types of Bolt and Screw Heads

Keeping It All Together - How a Bolt Works

Fastenal - Bolts

Portland Bolts - Headed Bolts

Bolt Depot - Standard U.S. Hex Bolt Sizes and Thread Pitches.pdf

Bolt Grade Markings and Strength Chart

Image credits:

MSC; CFC Distributors; Admiral Ship Supply

Read user Insights about Bolts

Related Products & Services

Captive Screws
Fasteners designed for ease of installation - often knurled for finger use - and retained within their functional
environment when not engaged. Captive screw (or bolt) retention prevents loss or damage within the captive screw's
parent assembly, or damage to components in the nearby working environment.

Screws
A screw is a wide-encompassing type of hardware fastener that attributes its mechanical capabilities to the helical
groove that extends around the circumference of the device's shank. These threads provide the friction and traction
that serves a screw's purpose: to assemble or position two workpieces in relation to each other. While used
synonymously, screws and bolts are not mechanical clones.

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