There are countless different types of screws, bolts, and other fasteners and fixings. Machine screws are one of the more widely used products among dozens of standard fastener types.
Despite their widespread use, there is no strict definition of a machine screw. The term 'machine screws' covers a broad range of fastener varieties.
There are numerous different models, sizes, materials, and configurations of machine screw available, including:
Stainless steel machine screws
Brass machine screws
Plated machine screws
Slotted or flat-head machine screws
Phillips head machine screws
Torx head and hex head machine screws
Fillister or cheese-head machine screws
Pan head machine screws
Tamper-resistant machine screws
Machine screws can be either coarse-threaded or fine-threaded, and are usually available with a wide range of head types, as demonstrated above. So, what is a machine screw, and how can you easily define one? Moreover, how exactly are machine screws different from other types of bolts or fixings?
The simple answer is that machine screws are usually distinguished from other common fastener types like wood screws by their physical features and intended uses. Some of their typical physical characteristics are outlined below:
Standard machine screws tend to be somewhat smaller (both in length and diameter) than many other types of bolts and fasteners
Machine screws are almost always blunt-ended (flat-tipped), unlike many other screw types which taper to a sharp point at the tip
Although this isn't always the case, most machine screws are fully threaded, meaning that the threading runs the full length of the fastener shank from just below the head right to the end
Machine screws are usually stronger than many other screw types. They are manufactured to high standards using refined techniques, providing better all-round quality, precision, and thread uniformity
Machine screws are typically designed with finer, more accurate threads than alternative fastener types. They are generally intended for use with a pre-drilled interior tapped hole or a nut
Machine screws are most often used for fastening metal parts securely together in various types of machinery or construction. Other uses include vehicles, engines, tool assembly, electronic devices, and large-scale industrial equipment
Machine screws are sometimes abbreviated to 'MS'. Certain types of machine screw might also be called 'stove bolts' in various specific applications.