A bolt is a type of mechanical fastener that is used to secure two or more pieces of material together. A bolt consists of a head and cylindrical, male threaded body. A bolt is also paired with a female nut to secure the fastener in place. Additionally, washers can be used to prevent loosening and crushing of the fastener in situ.
Together, bolts and nuts are the most commonly used fasteners, as they can be easily assembled or disassembled.
It is vital that bolts are produced from the right material. If an inappropriate metal or material is used, the bolt may experience fatigue, corrosion, or failure during service.
Most commonly, bolts are made from steel alloys, such as stainless steel, low carbon steel, and chromium as this offers the best protection against corrosion and corrosive environments. To further enhance the performance of steel, bolts may undergo additional treatments such as plating, coating, or galvanization.
Titanium, Cupro Nickel and Aluminium, Inconel are also used to manufacture bolts depending on their end use.
Bolts are commonly made from stainless 18-8 steel, containing 18% chromium and 8% nickel. Another type of steel that is more resistant to corrosion is stainless 316, and is often used in salt water and chlorine environments. Bolts may also be made from stainless 410 material, which is a more durable steel but less resistant to corrosion.
Alloy steel is a high-strength material that can be heat treated to produce durable bolts.
If you are involved in any way with the manufacturing, distribution or use of bolts, we have an extensive range of mechanical, metallurgical and chemical analysis services for any stage of your product development.
Rotech can perform a variety of tests on raw metals and materials for sheet metal, alloys and stainless steel to ensure that the material composition and grade is suitable for manufacturing bolts. We can also conduct hardness testing, tensile testing and impact testing on raw materials to help determine the strength and durability of the material for production processes.
Chemical analysis is a crucial stage of manufacturing bolts. If the starting material bears the right chemistry, there is a strong possibility that downstream processing will result in compliance with specifications, and satisfactory strength, ductility, impact and corrosion resistance. Chemical analysis is also of fundamental importance for semi-finished bolts.
Our experienced team offer batch testing on bolt samples to assess the quality of the manufactured product, to ensure that they are safe and compliant for their intended use. We can also perform metallurgical tests on batch samples to ensure that they are free from defects and flaws.
If your bolts have been manufactured and coated or plated, and are now ready to be installed in real-service conditions, we can carry out a range of tests to ensure that the coating, plating or finishing process are suitable for your product before entering the market.
Our preparation and machine workshop can also machine a routine test sample from a larger bolt for tensile and impact testing, along with metallurgical investigations. For example as required within ISO 898-1
We can perform an extensive range of mechanical, metallurgical and chemical analysis testing services on bolts from sizes M2 up to M27.
Proof load testing on bolt sizes M2 up to M27
Wedge testing to determine head soundness
Decarburisation/Carburisation
Microhardness testing (surface and core)
SEM/EDX analysis of failed samples or materials
Hydrogen embrittlement to determine hydrogen induced cracking
ICP/OES Analysis
Spark OES Analysis
It is imperative that fasteners and raw materials for producing fasteners are routinely tested to ensure that they are suitable to be used in their intended environment. Sadly the news is littered with stories about failed bolts, from failing bolts during construction of a New York bridge, engine failures on ferries caused by untorqued bolts, and loose bolts resulting in automotive product recalls.
Choosing a UKAS accredited testing laboratory for your bolt testing means that our processes and testing procedures are of the highest quality, giving you confidence in your products, and reassurance that they are fit to be used in real-service conditions.
You can speak to us now on +44 (0)121 514 0602
No. 0366 Our accreditation is limited to those activities described on our UKAS schedule of accreditation found here
We are Nadcap accredited to Aerospace Quality System (AC7004) and Chemical Processing (AC7108).
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You can speak to us now on +44 (0)121 514 0602