Examining the Purpose of a Bevel Washer
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Small and seemingly insignificant, washers play an important role in the safety and strength of a fastener system. Without them, many applications would not hold up to the load, movement and conditions that exist. Depending on their design and construction, washers have a wide variety of purposes. A bevel washer is especially important in specific circumstances where the substrates being fastened are sloped.
Purposes of Different Washers
There are records of washers being used as far back as 1346, although their importance has risen over time with the spread of technology and the saturation of automation across many different industries. Now there is a wide selection of this essential fastener, including both standard styles and many different specialty washers designed to fit specific circumstances.
Normally, and likely traditionally, a washer is made in a flat disc shape with a hole in the middle designed to help distribute the load of a bolt, nut or screw. There are also applications where a washer is used as a spacer - such as when steel screws are placed next to aluminum surfaces. In that case the spacing supplied by the washer helps to cut down on corrosion.
As plastics and rubber have developed over time, neoprene and other rubber washers have seen widespread use. Most of the time this type of washer is used as protection against vibrations and movement, since the material has a fair bit of give and can help keep the fastener tightly in place.
Sometimes people get washers and gaskets confused, although their purpose is very different. Not only are their designs distinct from each other, but the purposes are also unique. Gaskets are included as a seal against the passage of water or gas and washers are mainly used to ensure a tight, durable fit.
A Bevel Washer Has a Special Purpose
Although washers are generally made with two flat surfaces, a bevel washer is specially formed for use with non-parallel surfaces. If an application involving an angled or sloped product needs a tightly fastened portion beveled washers can act as both a spacer and a load distributor.
They are most often made of steel and have an outside diameter that is twice the size of the inside diameter (much like standard washers). The measurements are a little more complicated, since the slope comes into play and the thickness on either side of the washer is vital to the overall fit.
It's important that all of the aspects on a bevel washer are accurate, otherwise the fit will not be snug and the benefits of this fastener will be void. Available in a wide variety of materials, most often a beveled washer is made from hardened steel. Unparallel or angled surfaces are often found in buildings with structural beams, which means that bevel washers are used there in a high concentration.
There are other similar products available for different applications. A spherical washer goes together with a self-aligning nut to provide a tight fit when parts are misaligned. Also, wave washers, Belleville washers and split washers are all part of the spring washers family that provides the ideal combination of strength and stability even in heavy vibrations.
Serving a very important role in your project, a bevel washer may be small, but its performance still needs to be reliable and long lasting. |
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Author Resource:-
AJ Best writes about alternative energy sources and other eco-friendly issues. She writes for Melfast commercial fasteners, nuts and bolts, and plastic fasteners http://www.melfast.com
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By :
Anne Dickens
Submitted
2011-03-27 20:16:38 |
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