An individual working in any industry that requires the use of fasteners for projects should be knowledgeable on different types of construction materials such as metric bolts and nuts. This helps avoid buying mistakes that can cost a serious amount of money.
The following are some types of metric bolt and nut that can be found in the market today:
Metric bolts:
Stainless Steel Metric Bolts – are usually made of alloy steel, has high corrosion resistance, used in industrial and outside environment.
Brass – this is made up of 2/3 Copper and 1/3 Zinc, has a good corrosion resistant property, and highly conductive electricity.
Nylon – this particular type is not conductive, resistant to corrosion, and is best used for electrical assembly.
Flange – this type of metric bolts has a bearing surface built right into the base of the head; it can eliminate the need for washer.
Twelve – sided double hex bolts – this is a very common type of metric bolts, provides high performance for vehicular applications.
Metric nuts:
Metric Dome/Acorn Nuts – these are usually made of either steel or stainless. The low-corn cap nut is manufactured in two pieces – a hex nut and an accord-shaped top.
Metric Hex Nuts – these are six-sided internally threaded fastener known as the most versatile and widely used nut design.
Metric Jam Nut – this is also a six-sided internally threaded fastener, having only 2/3 the thickness of a full form nut. This type is used to tighten against the work surface and finished or heavy hex nut is tightened against the jam nut to keep it from loosening. US bolts
Metric Square Nut – a four-sided, internally threaded fastener with a flat bottom side and washer-crowned top
Metric Nylock Nut – this is a hex nut with a nylon-filled collar at its back end. This is designed to be used with like-material machine screws and bolts. Because this is made of nylon, it is not recommended to be used at temperatures from 150-300F.
Metric KEPS – External Star Nut – this is another six-sided nut pre-assembled with a free spinning external tooth lock washer. The locking action is attained when the nut is tightened against a bearing surface as the teeth of the lock washer dig into it. The cost and easy installation have made this type of nuts popular.
Useful Tip: The Internet is a great tool to search for prospective metric bolt and nut providers. You can read reviews online. You can also search via local listing or local directories (e.g. Google Places, Yahoo Local, Yelp, etc.) as these are a huge repository of local companies.