
What Are Hex Bolts Used For?
People asking, "what is a hex bolt” are often asked to look at the urban world around them. The hex bolt is used as a fastener everywhere. Machinery and buildings are full of hex bolts. They're perhaps the most important fastener of the industrial revolution. Their use first began in the 19th century, and the bolts are still in use today.
The hex bolt was designed in the 19th century as a refinement of the square bolts that were introduced in the 18th century. The square bolts were heavy and large and were unsuitable for many applications with limited room. They were also ungainly to use quickly as they could only be tightened or loosened from four directions.
Refinement of a Design
The hexagonal shape of the bolt was a refinement to achieve the best design possible for the massive number of applications the bolts were designed to suit. Many industries decided that the large and heavy square bolts were unsuitable for design strides being made at the time that would soon turn into the industrial revolution.
The construction industry was demanding a new type of fastener that could easily replace the rivets that had to be heated in an onsite forge, and then transferred, while hot, to the point of installation and then hammered into place. Manufacturers were also looking for a more versatile fastener that could be used in more complex machinery and be accessed and tightened from a number of angles.
The hexagonal shape of the hex bolt won over both the construction and manufacturing industries. It could be made smaller without sacrificing any of the bolt’s strength. Moreover, while octagonal bolts were tried for a while, these bolts tended to strip more easily as the angles were not acute enough for the tools to grab without slipping and stripping the heads of the bolts. Hex bolts were a happy medium between square and octagonal bolts that suited both industries.
Automotive Acceptance of Hex Bolts
Hex bolts are used for many different purposes in both the construction and mechanical industries as they are versatile, strong, and able to be tightened or loosened from different angles on the side of the bolt and from above without stripping the head of the bolt. They were gaining favor from the moment they were first introduced, and their use became more widespread as the industrial revolution picked up steam and the automotive industry began to make its mark.
The automotive industry put these bolts to the test. When Henry Ford invented the assembly line as the preferred manner of constructing his cars, it meant that speed and dexterity were essential to maintaining the output level of the factory.
The hexagonal shape of the bolts was an asset to the mechanics who had to quickly install parts and bolt them into place within a limited amount of time or risk slowing down the entire line.
Standard in Many Industries
The bolts continue to be important fasteners in many industries. They are machined with tapered points and deeper threads for applications in wood. They are also created to be used with a nut and washer on the end or without to suit a wide variety of applications. They are machined in a variety of different metals to fit the application. The day they started manufacturing stainless steel hex bolts marked an increase in the use of the bolts.
The stainless-steel bolts could withstand corrosion better, and the weather and heat resistance of stainless steel makes them the ideal fastener to use in both indoor and outdoor applications, as well as locations where heat and cold could compromise the effective gripping power of the fasteners.
With the specifications of many industries around the world, specifically including the hex bolt as an industry standard, the bolts have achieved the status of one of the world's most ideal fasteners.
There is a universal acceptance of the philosophy that the simpler something is, the more effective it is. Hex bolts are a prime example of the truth of this philosophy. A threaded fastener with a hexagonal-shaped head became the favorite fastener for many of the world’s industries, and the demand will continue to increase as long as technology continues to advance.
Nejireo is the Leading Supplier of Hex Bolts in Thailand
Nejireo is the number one supplier of high-quality hex bolts in steel, stainless steel, brass, nickel, and titanium. We offer full-thread and half-thread bolts in all the most popular sizes.
Order our hex bolts and our wide range of other fasteners directly from our website for immediate delivery. We deliver to any location in Thailand, and we also deliver overseas. Please send us an email or give us a call to arrange for overseas deliveries.