What is a cap screw?

What is a cap screw?

cap screw in American English noun. a fastener for machine parts, threaded along the whole length of its shank and held by threads tapped in the hole in which it is screwed.

Are cap screws the same as machine screws?

A socket cap screws are machine screws with a cylindrical barrel shaped head containing a hexagonal socket. The head has a smaller diameter than most other machine screw heads, typically just 1.5 times the nominal thread diameter.

What is the difference between a bolt and a cap screw?

The most basic difference between a cap screw and a bolt is the way in which these fasteners are installed. Technically, a bolt is installed by turning a nut to tighten the fastener, while a cap screw in installed by turning the head of the bolt to assemble and tighten.

What grade is a cap screw?

A grade five hex cap screw has more strength than a grade two, but less than a grade eight. A grade two hex cap screw is made from medium or low-carbon steel, a grade five consists of medium carbon steel, and a grade eight is made out of medium carbon alloy steel.

What does a cap screw look like?

Cap screws have a large head and a cylindrical shaft with external threads. The head has a larger diameter than the threaded portion, this provides a positive mechanical stop when tightening the screw.

Are cap screws hardened?

Grade 5 cap screws are hardened. During manufacturing, they are heated in order to strengthen the outside of the screw. This makes the outside of the fastener stronger than the inside of the fastener.

What does a hex cap screw look like?

A hex cap screw is a six-sided bolt with a trimmed hex head and a washer face on the bearing surface. It must meet specific tolerances as described under ASME B18. 2.1-1996. Hex cap screws are commonly used in OEM applications where precise tolerances are needed.

Why is it called a socket head cap screw?

Socket head cap screws are typically used in machine parts, die fixturing, and clamping. Socket head cap screws with a full thread is another tall-headed, internally-driven high-strength fastener. The entire length of the shank is threaded, hence the name.

Why is hexagonal head preferred for cap screw?

The reason they’re so popular is because the hexagon shape of the head is very versatile, it can be grabbed by tools from all angles and even by hand if need be. The same applies to hexagon bolts, they’re easy to tighten and loosen because of their shape.