Washers are disk-like plates placed underneath nuts, joins, or axle bearings. Usually, they are mostly metal, but you can find plastics and rubber. There are different types of washers, but their purpose is primarily the same: to distribute the load.
So, what are these different types of washers? Keep reading to find out.
Plain Washers
Plain washers are the most widely used type. They are the washers on almost everything, from furniture to cars. These types of washers distribute the load of fasteners and help screws or nuts fit into larger holes. But they too come in various types that include.
- Flat washers
- Finishing washers
- Shoulder washers
- C-washers
- Fender washers
- Countersunk washers
Lock Washers
Unlike plain washers, lock washers do more than distribute the load. As their name suggests, they lock the fasteners in place to prevent them from rotating and becoming loose. They have ends that bite into the bolt and nut, preventing them from moving.
Lock washers are used in applications with intense vibration or torque, such as automotive and aerospace, to keep fasteners in place. You can also find them in your regular washing machines. The different types of lock washers include:
- External Tooth Lock washers
- Internal Tooth Lock washers
- Helical/split lock washers
- Retaining washers
- Sealing washers
Spring Washers
Like lock washers, these, too, work to prevent fasteners from loosening in a case of thermal expansion or vibration. The only difference is that spring washers provide an axial flexibility that allows joints to move with vibration without unfastening. The following are different types of spring washers. (1)
- Single Wave spring washers
- Cup washers
- Conical/Belleville spring washer
- Curved spring washers
- Done spring washers
- Finger spring washers
- Wave spring washer
High-Quality Washers From Minneapolis Washer & Stamping
Washers are necessary components in many industries, and choosing the right type for your application is crucial. They also come in different materials depending on your project’s purpose and design requirements. If you need washers with specific dimensions or material properties, your best bet would be to talk to expert manufacturers.
At Minneapolis Washer & Stamping, we are such experts, having manufactured washers since 1934. We provide different washers of the highest quality to meet your unique requirements. You can contact us today via phone (612-588-0501) or email to get a free quote.
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