What is a hex drive screw?

Asked by: Amanda Brown

The hex socket screw drive has a hexagonal recess and may be driven by a hex wrench, also known as an Allen wrench, Allen key, hex key, or inbus as well as by a hex screwdriver (also known as a hex driver) or bit.

What does hex mean in screws?

Hex bolts, or hex cap screws, are large bolts with a six-sided head (hexagonal!) used to fasten wood to wood, or metal to wood.

What is a hex drive?

A set of hex screwdrivers. A hex screwdriver is a type of screwdriver that features a hexagonal tip for driving certain nuts, bolts and screws. Hex screwdrivers, like all types of screwdrivers, are available in an extensive range of both standard and metric sizes.

What do you use hex screws for?

Hex head screws that tap their own hole are also known as lag or coach screws. They’re used to join heavy timber or heavy objects with timber. They can also attach heavy objects to masonry or light objects to steel.

What is the difference between hex bolt and hex screw?

In Summary

Tap bolts have threading all the way down regardless of their size. Hex cap screws may have a shoulder in longer sizes, which makes them stronger. Both are typically installed with a nut and designed to be driven by a wrench or socket driver.

What are the 3 types of screws?

3 Common Screw Types at a Glance – Machine, Sheet Metal, and Cap Screws.

What does a hex screw look like?

The term hex-head screw typically refers to a machine screw, with a preformed machine thread. Machine screws resemble bolts but their entire shaft is usually threaded. Wood screws and self-tapping screws may sometimes also have a hex head when high torque is required.

What is a hex socket?

A “hex” socket—short for “hexagonal”—is a socket that fits around a hexagonal (six sided) nut or bolt head. There are two types of hex sockets – six point and twelve point. The six-point hex socket has six points (angles) inside the bolt end, making a perfectly even hexagon.

Where can you use a hex driver?

Hex Driver – Use a hex driver, to loosen and tighten bolts that have a hexagonal (six-sided) head. Hex bolts should not be over-tightened because the threads of the bolts can be stripped. Do not use a hex driver that is too large for the bolt that you are using.

Is hex same as Torx?

No, they are two very different tools. The Allen wrench or hex key, as it is sometimes called, is a hexagon shape, that is why many refer to them as hex keys. The Torx key has a star shape. So if you are trying to use an Allen wrench on a Torx screw, it won’t work, and vise versa.

Are hex cap screws and bolts?

The terms “hex cap screw” and “hex cap bolt” are often used synonymously when describing a threaded fastener with a hexagonal head. With that said, bolts are typically designed to be used with one or more nuts, whereas screws are not.

Which screws are are better allen screw or hexagon head?

Cylindrical “Allen bolts”, also known as socket cap screws are made of alloy steel and are generally higher strength than hex cap screws and have tighter thread fit. This increases the load a bolted joint using them can hold.

Are hex bolts strong?

With a tensile strength of 150,000 pounds per square inch, grade 8 hex cap screws are stronger than grade 5.

What type of bolt is the strongest?

Grade 9 structural bolts, also known as grade 9 hex cap screws, are one the strongest structural bolts that can be used today. While the typical grade 8 bolt has a tensile strength of 150,000 PSI, a grade 9 bolt has a tensile strength of 180,000PSI.

What does 8.8 on a bolt mean?

So, in English, a Property Class 8.8 bolt is a bolt with a nominal tensile strength of 800 MPa and a nominal yield strength that is 80% of that nominal tensile strength, so 640 MPa.

What is the strongest bolt head type?

Star Head. The star head (sometimes known as the branded name Torx) is the best commonly-used screw head on the market. It allows for a huge amount of torque without stripping and it’s difficult for the bit to slip out.

What does CSK mean in screws?

Countersunk Socket Screws – CSK Allen Screws | Bolts – Fasteners – Orbital Fasteners.

What are the 3 types of screw heads?

Types of Screw Heads/Screw Drives

• Step 1: Slotted. Slotted screws are the simplest type of screw, consisting of a single slot at the head of the screw. …
• Step 2: Phillips. The Phillips screw, named after Henry F. …
• Step 3: Square Aka “Robertson” …
• Step 4: Torx Aka “Star” …
• 19 Comments.

What screw head is least likely to strip?

A square drive and a Phillips drive offer four points of contact, making them less likely to strip than a slotted screw. Hex and Torx screws both offer six points of contact, reducing the likelihood of stripping compared to Phillips and square drives.

What type of screw is more prone to cam out problems?

While the most commonly used Phillips screws are some of the most prone to slippage and cam outs due to their tapered design and four corners, there are many screw designs that have largely overcome this problem.

What are the hardest screws?

BUMAX® Ultra has proven itself as the world’s strongest bolt – in various highly-demanding critical fastener applications around the world where standard fasteners are simply inadequate.

Why are there still flat head screws?

Flat head screws are good for wood as they prevent overtightening and thus help prevent stripping.

Why do Phillips screws exist?

In the early 1930s, the Phillips head screw was invented by Oregon businessman Henry Phillips (1889–1958). Automobile manufacturers now used car assembly lines. They needed screws that could take greater torque and could provide tighter fastenings.

Why are there both Phillips and flat head screws?

The reason for the different styles is cost and torque. Phillips screws are self-centering, making powered screwdrivers possible. They’re somewhat more expensive to produce than slotted-head. They tend to ‘cam-out’ easily under torque, making it hard to apply much torque.

Why are star screws used?

Star Drive

The Star (also known as Torx) has a six-point, star-shaped drive that was developed mainly to enhance tamper resistance and ensure snug fits. The star design drivers cut down on the risk stripping the screw heads, slippage, or cam-outs, with tight, specific fits.

Are star and Torx the same?

The difference between Torx Bits vs Star Bits is that Torx is the trademark name, while star represents the generic descriptor – the terms can be used interchangeably, as the tools are identical.

What is Torx key?

Torx keys are also commonly known as star keys. Like hexagon allen keys, most torx keys are small enough to be carried in a pocket and enable the user to drive the appropriate fasteners without needing a separate screwdriver or power tool.