Stainless steel nuts: The most reliable nuts

Stainless steel nuts are a type of fastener with a threaded hole. These are majorly used opposite a mating bolt for the purpose of fastening a stack of parts together. The nuts are made entirely of stainless steel, which gives these optimal longevity. Commonly hexagonal in shape, stainless steel nuts are available in a wide assortment of different locking mechanisms and also in various sizes ranging from small ones used to fasten small parts to large nuts that are widely used in the construction of bridges, railway coaches and many more.

Stainless steel nuts are generally favored by people over nuts made from other materials such as carbon steel or mild steel. This is due to the fact that these are resistant to abrasion, corrosion and also because these tend not to become an eyesore, which generally happens with nuts made from carbon steel or some other metal. Another reason for the favor-ability  of stainless steel nuts is that these require minimal maintenance, with just a periodic wipe using a normal cleaning agent enough.

Stainless steel nuts: A historical perspective

Nuts have been used since the middle ages, albeit sporadically. With the industrial revolution in various countries during the 19th century, nuts became an essential part of various manufacturing processes. Coming to the 20th century, these became common to industrial, commercial and even domestic sectors, which also lead to many experiments aimed at improving their functionality and reliability.

Later, nuts made from stainless steel were started being used and instantly found favor amongst first time users owing to their high reliability coupled with tarnish resistant features. These nuts quickly replaced nuts made from carbon steel, iron etc and became the preferred choice amongst people, whether it be for manufacturing, repairing or modifying.

Do's and dont's of using stainless steel nuts :

• Always use the most optimally sized nut for any fastening purpose
   
• For heavy constructions and in high stress locations, always use the best quality stainless steel nut( like grade 8 spec nuts)
   
• Never use coarse thread nuts on a car, truck or motorcycle
   
• Try and apply Teflon coating on the nuts to prevent galling
   
• Make sure that the nut and the mating bolt is fastened to the optimal level
   
• Never try and manually loosen the bolt unless required for maintenance purposes. Also, periodically keep checking the nuts to make sure they are properly mated with the bolt

Types of stainless steel nuts and their uses :

Stainless steel nut suppliers provide a wide assortment of various nuts that are optimally suitable for various requirements. Some examples are;

• Hex nuts – These are standardized nuts having six sides. Ideal for hard to reach places where a wrench can't turn 360 degrees
   
• Wing nuts – These are designed with two flat wings on either side and can be easily tightened or loosened using only fingers
   
• Cap nuts – These nuts are ideal for air-crafts and vehicles, since their shape facilitates aerodynamics
   
• Square nuts – These are four sided nuts that offer probably the greatest resistance to loosening. Square stainless steel nuts are ideal for use in critical places.