Washers help distribute the shock load of nuts, bolts, screws, and other threaded fasteners, preventing them from becoming damaged or unscrewed during normal operations. This type of thin, disk-shaped plate has holes in the middle that allow workers to insert the fastener into them. Typically made of metal or plastic materials, washers’ outer diameters are usually twice the size of their inner diameters.
Types of Washers
Plain Washers
The most common type of washer, plain washers spread loads, prevent surface damage, and provide insulation—most often against electric currents. They are most commonly used in situations where the hole is larger than the nut. Plain washers come in many different subcategories, including wall washers, fender washers, torque washers, and spherical washers.
Washers that use springs
Spring washers are axially flexible washers that prevent the fastening or loosening of product components when they vibrate. Spring washers are used in vibrating motors (like those found in cell phones) to reduce wear and tear. Additionally, spring washers can be found on aircraft actuators like flight controls and landing gear.
Washers that secure a bolt
Latching washers, a subtype of spring washers, are designed to keep fasteners in place while a machine is running. The nut and bolt are held in place by a variety of methods. Automotive, aerospace, and household appliance manufacturers all rely on locking washers.
Washers of Various Types
While many washing machines fall into one of the three categories listed above, there are a variety of other washers available for a variety of different uses:
The larger installation diameters created by backup rivet washers improve the support and hold of rivets. Rivet pull-through is also prevented by the use of these washers.
If you’re looking for a washer with a lot of heft, dock washers are your best bet. Fender washers are similar in that they have a small internal hole and a large external surface area.
In order to prevent the fastener from being pulled through, fender washers are used. The diameter of the inner hole is much smaller than the total surface area of the dock washers.
Plates with a hole punched in the center are known as flat washers, and they are used to secure fasteners of various sizes. Threaded fasteners such as nuts, bolts and screws are evenly distributed as they are tightened by the worker.
They are round, with small diameters on both the inside and outside of them. NAS washers Military and construction equipment frequently use them because they can meet extremely tight specifications.
When it comes to heavy-duty projects like building construction, steel washers come in handy because of their thicker design. These washers are commonly used in a steel beam and girder fastener assemblies.
Beveled on one side and flat on the other, square washers have two options. When used with square-head bolts, they can help prevent pull-through because of their larger surface area and stronger grip than standard flat washers.
