When shopping for aerospace fasteners, you may come across machine screws. They are permanent fasteners that are used to hold two or more parts together. Machine screws feature exterior threading just like all other screws. With that said, machine screws often exhibit the following features.
#1) 0.75 Inch or Smaller Diameter
Most machine screws are relatively small. According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), they have a maximum diameter of 0.75 inches. You won’t find any ACME machine screws with a large diameter. Rather, machine screws are somewhat small, with a maximum diameter of just 0.75 inches.
#2) Flat Tip
Not all screws have a pointed tip. There are some types of screws that have a flat tip, such as machine. A typical machine screw had a head, followed by a threaded shank and then a flat tip. Other types of screws, in comparison, have a pointed tip. The pointed tip allows them to scoop out the material of the objects in which they are driven. As you drive a traditional screw into an object, it will remove some of the material from the object.
#3) Precise Measurements
Machine screws have precise measurements. All screws, of course, have measurements. You can find them in different lengths, head sizes and thread sizes. But the measurements of machine screws are typically more precise than those for other types of screws. This is because machine screws are commonly used in machines. Machines — which are usually made of metal — are manufactured with threaded holes to accommodate machine screws.
#4) Fine Threading
Another common feature of machine screws is fine threading. Threading consists of the helical ridges that run along the exterior of a screw’s shank. Machine screws, as well as other types of screws, have exterior threading. This exterior threading will cover part or all of the shank. Machine screws, however, have fine threading. The threading is smaller and finer on machine screws than on other types of screws.
#5) Strong Construction
Machine screws are strong. Most of them are made of a strong and durable metal, such as carbon steel. With their strong construction, they will continue to offer a high level of performance for many years to come. You don’t have to worry about machine screws losing their tolerances. The threads or other parts of a traditional screw may degrade and change over time, but the strong construction of machine screws prevents this from occurring.
