THE GUIDE TO SCREWS AND NUTS
One kind of fastener is a bolt. Materials are fastened or secured together using fasteners. Bolts and hardware nuts come in a wide range of varieties. The majority of bolt types—if not all—have machine threads. To fasten or secure materials together, threaded bolts are screwed into bearing lock nuts. Eye bolts, wheel bolts, and machine bolts are examples of the bolt type, and cap nuts, expansion nuts, and u-nuts are examples of the nut type. You will learn about the various types of nuts and bolts in this manual, as well as the various types of bolt heads.
How many types of locknuts are there?
Steel, titanium, and plastic are just a few of the materials that can be used to create bearing lock nuts and bolts. The strength and appearance of a metal bolt or nut
• Nickel – High investment, excellent corrosion resistance, very hard finish • Zinc – the most prevalent, least expensive, and resistant to rust
• Chromium – Excellent rust and corrosion resistance, shiny appearance
• Chromate: Adds color, shines, and improves rust resistance.
Anodized aluminum has a hard oxide surface with excellent corrosion resistance.
By being knowledgeable about the various types that are available and how their differences in design and application, you can select the best nuts and bolts for your project.
Lock nuts
Bearings are connected to shafts using lock nuts. They can be used to remove bearings from withdrawal sleeves as well as install bearings with tapered bores on tapered shaft seats and adapter sleeves. Lock nuts are often used to secure other machine parts, such as gears and belt pulleys.
To prevent unintentional loosening, lock nuts must be fastened by:
A locking device that engages a keyway in the shaft, a locking mechanism built into the nut, or a key slot in the adapter sleeve.
A shaft can be attached to a bearing lock nuts in a variety of ways. The lock nuts listed here make up the fundamental. Lock nuts with alternative locking mechanisms can be delivered upon request. For more information, contact.
- integrated locking
- Because there is no need for a keyway, lock nuts with integral locking lower the cost of the shaft. No separate locking device is required, so installation is quicker and simpler. However, greater care must be taken when releasing the locking torque of these lock nuts. Refer to the product data sections for the various lock nut series for details on loosening torque.
There are various factors that should be taken into account when selecting or replacing a lock nut. However, they are not limited to:
As well as one or both shaft rotation directions, axial and radial space
Axial loads and the dynamic behavior of the application
• Milling shaft keyways are more expensive and require more downtime than other locking mechanisms.
• The ease of assembly and regularity of disassembly
• Accuracy
When choosing or replacing a lock nut, there are a number of things to consider. They include, but are not limited to:
• Axial and radial space • One or both shaft rotation directions
Axial loads and the dynamic behavior of the application • Milling shaft keyways’ cost and downtime in comparison to other locking mechanisms
• Accuracy; • Reliability and simplicity of assembly and disassembly
Self Locking Nuts
Fastenright offers Self-Locking Nuts in a variety of designs for many applications.
Self-locking nuts, which are also known as stiff nuts or prevailing torque nuts, are torque and vibration-resistant. Stainless steel and other materials are used as their most popular finishes.
Because their locking action is produced by the distortion of their uppermost threads, they should be resistant to loosening caused by shock, vibration, and other forces. They have a built-in feature that interferes with the friction between mating component threads.
Locknuts have a limited lifespan because the torque decreases with each use.
A mechanical device called a ball screw is used to convert rotational motion into linear motion. It was initially referred to as an antifriction nut. They have long threaded shafts and ball bearings to withstand heavy loads and significant stress while also reducing friction. The typical ball screw, as depicted on the left, consists of a nut and a screw. Ball bearings are able to roll between the screw and nut thanks to helical indentations that have been formed on their exteriors. The ball bearings move to the return system as the ball screw rotates before they reverse course.
Rudolph G. Boehm created the ball screw in the late 1920s. A few of the many manufacturing applications they are used in today include 3D printers, machines, airplanes, missiles, and cars. However, you should weigh the benefits and drawbacks before using ball screws in your company’s manufacturing applications.
Ball Screw nuts
Similar in appearance are lead screws and bearing lock nuts, but the former have ball bearings in the nut. Lead screw nuts do not rotate and do not contain ball bearings. In contrast, ball screw nuts have a nut that moves ball bearings inside of it to support the load and reduce friction.
Benefits of Ball Screw Nuts
Ball screw nuts offer a high level of mechanical efficiency. Ball screws are 90% efficient statistically speaking, which means they can convert 90% of the rotational motion of the application into linear motion. In contrast, the mechanical efficiency of lead screws is only 20% to 25% on average. These figures indicate that ball screws are between three and four times more efficient than lead screws at converting mechanical energy.
Of course, there isn’t much friction created by ball screws. This is due to the fact that they are made with a nut in which ball bearings move. The screw has a smooth surface to glide on thanks to the ball bearings, which lowers friction and extends the life of the ball screw.
Cons of Ball Screw Nuts
Utilizing ball screws has just one real drawback: they can be back-driven. At specific lead angles, they can be back-driven because they produce so little friction.
Ball screws are slightly more expensive than lead screws and other comparable mechanical devices, with the exception of the potential for being back-driven. Ball screws may not be an option for manufacturing companies on a tight budget because of their higher price. However, given their high mechanical efficiency and low internal friction, ball screws will continue to be a popular option for producers looking to raise the caliber and effectiveness of their goods.
Nylock lock nuts
By increasing friction on the bolt’s thread, locking nuts help secure bolted joints. There are several types of locking nuts, including those that incorporate a polymer into the design, like the nylon insert nut, and those that use metal to generate friction, like the all-metal nut. The same installation steps as for regular nuts apply to locking nuts. A Nylock Lock Nuts or washer is inside the nylon insert nut.
The addition of a non-metal component makes the nylon lock nut more temperature and chemical sensitive. A tool is also necessary to install it, but in order to avoid overheating the nylon insert, the tool’s revolution speed must be lower than 150 RPM.
