Washers may seem like one of the tiniest hardware you can find but believe us, without them, the entire functioning of different machines and equipment would come to a standstill. Different industries like manufacturing, construction, plumbing, and others need washers to secure the fasteners in place and maintain safety in the working environment. One can easily find these washers in a range of options. Each washer offers a different kind of working, helping industrialists to ensure efficiency in their operations. Before discussing the types of washers, let’s put some light on their brief definition.
What are washers?
Washers are disk-shaped pieces of metal with holes in the center. They are used to distribute a load of fasteners, like nuts & bolts, over to a relatively larger area. These pieces of hardware are also known for their ability to relieve friction, prevent leakage & corrosion, maintain tension, and serve their purpose as spacers. They can be used for many applications and help different industries carry their day-to-day operations with ease and efficiency.
Choosing the right washer for a project can be way too complicated with the large variety of options available in the market. But you don’t have to worry as in this article; we are going to discuss the different types of washers and their uses.
Different Types of Washers
Washers are mainly categorized into three groups - Plain, Lock, and Spring washers. Let’s discuss them briefly:
Plain Washers
Plain washers are flat-disc with a hole in the middle through which a nut or bolt can pass. They are used to level the surface under the fasteners so that their load can be distributed evenly on the entire surface and damage can be prevented. Here are the types of plain washers:
Flat washers: The washers are round and thin plates of metal with a hole in the middle. They are used where there is a need to distribute the load to a relatively larger area and provide support to smaller head screws.
Fender washers: Fender washers are known for their large outer diameter and small inner diameter. As compared to flat washers, the fender ones distribute the load more evenly. They are used in industries like automobiles, plumbing, and electrical.
C-washers: The washers are named based on their shape, which is like a C. They are designed to slide in and out of position on a shaft or a bolt.
Shoulder washers: As the name represents, the washers have a shoulder type structure that insulates screws, nuts, wires, or any other part of the assembly.
Countersunk washers: These washers have a countersunk on the top that provides a flush surface to countersunk screws.
Spring Washers
These washers are ring-shaped, with their ends slightly raised up and down due to spring tension. They can be placed both above or below the threaded fasteners and screwed tightly so that both their ends face each other and become leveled.
They help in preventing the nuts from loosening and dampens the noise and vibration created when a machine functions. It exerts pressure against the nuts, thus preventing them from turning and working loose.
Here are the different types of spring washers:
Belleville spring washers: These washers are the best ones to go for when you want to maintain tension in assembly during thermal expansion and contraction conditions.
Dome spring washers: As the name suggests, these washers have ground curves that create a flatter load-bearing surface. They look similar to belleville washers with rounded sides.
Curved spring washers: These washers are slightly curved that makes them exert light pressure and maintain flexibility in assemblies.
Finger spring washers: The washers prolong your machines and equipments working life by reducing skidding wear on rotating elements. They also dampen the noise and vibrations created by a large machine while they are in use.
Wave Spring washers: The washers are curved in two directions, which makes them look like a wave. They mostly serve their purpose as spacers or cushions.
Lock Washers
Lock washers are used to lock nuts and bolts in their place. The washers have leaves that bent on the sides of fasteners, preventing them from getting loose. They serve their main application in the automobile sector. Here are the different types of lock washers:
Internal tooth lock washers: The washers have teeth on the internal diameter and prevents the head of nuts and bolt from loosening. They also absorb shock and vibration.
External tooth lock washers: The washers have teeth on the outer diameter and prevent the head of nuts & bolts from loosening through teeth struct action. They are best to use with larger head screws.
Split lock washers: The washers have rings with their ends bent slightly outward in opposite directions. When the washers are secured by flattening the ring with their end digging into the mating surfaces. They also ensure to keep the threaded fasteners in place and absorbs vibration.
Wrapping up
These are the range of washers you can find in the market. Each washer offers different usability and can help you to ensure the highest productivity in your manufacturing unit. We hope that this article has helped you understand the importance of every washer and how it can help you in maintaining a safe and productive working environment.
When choosing between washer types, don’t forget to consider both the washer’s applications and the type of fastener you will be using. This will help you pick the right washers and make the best investment.
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