What Types Of Fasteners Should You Use For Precision Machines?

The design and use of precision machinery is a process that has to be very well controlled in order to have a good outcome. Whether you are interested in using the machines on your own or want to sell them, making sure that they are designed with this in mind is vital. Remember, by virtue […]

The design and use of precision machinery is a process that has to be very well controlled in order to have a good outcome. Whether you are interested in using the machines on your own or want to sell them, making sure that they are designed with this in mind is vital. Remember, by virtue of the fact that they are precision machines, you may not have that much margin for error. Minimizing this as much as you can is therefore one of the goals that you need to pursue relentlessly.

The success of this depends on a number of factors, one of the most important of which is how you choose to use the fasteners for the project. There are a number of ways in which fasteners can affect the precision of such machines including:

 

The ability to withstand a lot of tension

In order to make a machine more precise, there are times when you will need to fasten it more tightly. This is especially so if it turns out that the machine will need to vibrate a lot. In such cases, the fasteners you use need to be chosen carefully so that they don’t end up giving way easily when under tension. In such cases, the titanium hex head cap screws and bolts might be a good choice, since they usually perform well under such conditions.

Reduced temperature-related changes

In addition to that, you also need to take note of the fact that there are some fasteners which will change size according to the ambient temperature. The problem with this is that they can end up loosening or tightening, and this can throw off the balance of the machine. In order to avoid this, you will need to buy fasteners that are made of a material that has minimal expansion and contraction properties. Alloy steel hex tap bolts are a good example of these.

Increased resistance

The fewer the times you need to do repairs on the machine, the better. One of the measures you can try to put in place in order to facilitate this is to get fasteners that are difficult to damage. This way, you will have one less reason to have to take the machine apart in order to replace the ones that have rusted or damaged in some way. This is also likely to be cheaper in the long run for the person using it.

Lightweight

In a few cases, reducing the weight of the machine will have a positive effect on its accuracy. In such cases, it would be wise to make sure that the fasteners you get are made of a light alloy so that they can contribute to lightness as well. Fortunately, these types of fasteners are easy to find. An example of these include the ones made of titanium or other alloys.
In summary, when you are in the process of designing a precision machine, always pay attention to the sort of fasteners you use. Oftentimes, proper selection will lead to improved function!