Anyone who has ever had to assemble anything after purchase is faced with a handful of washers. Seriously, what are washers for? They seem so extraneous when the screw or bolt and the nut seems adequate enough to secure two components together. Actually, washers have several purposes, all of which are vital to their assignments. No truer statement is said, and it can be proved via the example of industrial washers. 

Washers Distribute Vibrations and Force to Help Prevent Damage to Surfaces

Industrial machines tend to roll, vibrate, shake, pound, grind, etc.. When they do that, they create enormous forces that act upon all of the fasteners inside and outside of the machines. In some cases, the forces are powerful enough to shear bolts and screws in half. At other times, the fasteners cannot maintain their status quo, and nuts will slowly come undone and screws/bolts will just fall right out. Washers exist to absorb some of those forces and prevent the scraping damages caused by the heads of the screws and bolts to the surfaces they touch. The washers also prevent the shearing forces that can split these fasteners in half. 

Washers Improve Tight Connections

It sometimes seems as though washers could only prevent a tight fit for screw/bolt and nut. However, washers increase the probability of a tight connection because many screws and bolts are a little too long or a little too narrow in diameter to get that tight connection. The washers shorten up the length of the bolt screw just enough to apply more torque to the nut and the bolt/screw for a tighter fit. They also make up for a lack of proper width on the screw/bolt by covering some of the openings of the holes through which the screws/bolts pass. Then the screws/bolts do not roll around, dip, or rattle inside the machinery. 

Washers Resist Corrosion and Prevent Rust Transfer

When you use stainless steel washers or zinc washers, these industrial washers resist corrosion. Because they cannot corrode or rust, they also prevent the transfer of rust to your industrial equipment. Screws and bolts may contain iron or copper, which can rust and corrode, transferring rust and corrosion to the surfaces to which they are attached. When you use washers that resist rust and corrosion, the rust or corrosion from the screws cannot transfer to the machinery. It stops with the screw and goes no further than the threads of the washer.

For more information about industrial washers, talk to a supplier in your area.