Many fastenings involve the use of washers. But people often ask the question: what is Washer for, and are they essential? This post provides all the information you need on the subject of washers, including how they are used, the various types that exist, the material they are made from, and the standard they are required to meet.
What are Washers?
A Washer is a perforated plate or disc made from various materials sandwiched between two surfaces subject to rotative friction. For example, between a threaded fastening, such as bolts or a screw, and the surface into which the fastening is bolted or screwed. We are all familiar with metal disc washers, such as "penny washers," commonly used in various applications. Different types of washers are available in the market, serving multiple applications' needs differently.
But before moving on to the types of washers, let's discuss their purposes.
Load Distribution: The main purpose of a washer is to equally spread the load of a threaded fastener with which it is used. When a threaded fastener is driven into a material, it stresses its surface. Using a washer in between, you can distribute the load equally, securing the surface from wear & tear. A washer reduces the risk of damage when a threaded fastener is driven into the material.
Absorb Vibration: There is a category of washers that are specifically designed to absorb vibration. Such a Washer is popularly known as a vibration-isolating or vibration-dampening washer. Other washers are made of plastic, rubber, and urethane, which are more effective in absorbing vibration than metal. If you are attaching two objects, from which one generates
strong vibration, you can protect the other from damage by using a vibration-dampening washer.
Spacing: The Washer act as a spacer between a screw and the surface. When you drive a threaded fastener into an object, you can use a washer to ensure that it doesn't go deeper. By placing a washer through the threaded fasteners, you can create padding so that the fasteners don't go too deep into the object.
Liquid Protection: Some washers prevent the ingress of fluid. Such a Washer is mainly used in water pipelines to create a tight, leak-proof seal. The liquid sealing washers are made from soft material and can be pressed against the object's surface.
These are the purposes that washers serve, making them perfect to go hardware when it comes to meeting construction and production project requirements efficiently.
Types of Washers and Their Uses :
As per construction and applications, the Washer is mainly divided into three categories, which are as follows.
Plain Washers: These are the most common types of washers, also known as flat Washers. They are used to spread the load to a relatively larger area and prevent damage to the surface on which they are screwed. It also helps correct the size difference in case a hole becomes too big for nuts or a screw.
Beveled Washers: Bevel Washers are designed for leveling and shimming purposes and are commonly used when bolting through the flanges of L-beams. Beveled Washers are intended to recompense for the lack of parallelism in structural applications involving American standards.
Flange Washers: Flange Washers, are designed to maintain a minimum load to tighten bolts. Flange washers have raised up inside diameter with a flange base. These are also known as pressure washers as they maintain the union pre-charged with consistent with a constant load, absorbing the relaxation which occurs due to temperature changes.
Lock Washers: Lock Washers, are designed to keep nuts and bolts from coming loose because of vibration and torque. The primary concept of lock washers is to hold the nut and bolt in place. Various types of lock washers are available and each one has a specific application. Washer dimensions come in both inch and metric units.