If you are in the manufacturing industry, you may be placing an order for fasteners, as well as the hardware products that often accompany them, such as nuts and washers. If you are looking to place an order, you may find that you have to select between metric fasteners and standard fasteners. This may leave you wondering what exactly a metric fastener is, how it differs from a standard fastener and when you should use a metric versus a standard fastener.
Read on to get answers to the questions you may have about metric fasteners.
What is a Metric Fastener?
A metric fastener is a screw, bolt, or stud. The size of that screw, bolt, or stud is measured in millimeters. Fasteners have many measurements associated with them, including diameter and length. The diameter and length will always be measured in millimeters on a metric fastener.
How Does a Metric Fastener Differ From a Standard Fastener?
Standard fasteners, also sometimes referred to as U.S. Fasteners look and feel very similar to metric fasteners. As such, you may wonder what the difference between these two types of fasteners is. The only difference between a metric fastener and a standard fastener is how the diameter and length of the fastener are measured. Standard fasteners are measured in inches, while metric fasteners are measured in millimeters. If you are unsure if a fastener is a metric fastener or a standard fastener, look at the measurements. If the measurement has this symbol ", it indicates the measurement is in inches, which makes the fastener a standard fastener. If the measurement has an mm or M symbol, the measurement is in millimeters, which makes it a metric fastener.
Can You Mix Metric Hardware With Standard Hardware?
You should not mix metric hardware with standard hardware. As such, if you have metric fasteners, such as a metric bolt, you should only use metric hardware, such as metric nuts or washers. Likewise, if you have standard fasteners, you should only use standard hardware, such as standard nuts or washers. Metric hardware will not fix standard fasteners and vice versa. Using the same fasteners and hardware ensures a tight fit, which ultimately helps the item you are manufacturing to last.
Metric fasteners have long been used throughout the world, particularly in Europe and Asia. However, metric fasteners have started to become more and more popular in the automobile, marine craft, aviation, and aeronautical industries. If you are a manufacturer who produces goods in one of these fields, you should consider having metric fasteners on hand to ensure you can manufacture your goods using the right fasteners for the job.
Share31 August 2022
Have you recently decided to start manufacturing your goods in house? Jumping headfirst into the wild world of industrial manufacturing can be daunting, so we started this blog to help small business owners succeed as they make this transition. Although we aren't experts, our amateur team tries to do the research for you. We gather the information you need so you can relax your search efforts. Our articles include information about new industrial equipment and supplies that you can use to kit out your factory. Come back regularly to see our new articles and keep up with new information about the industrial manufacturing sector.
