Industrial Washers: How Big, How Strong, And How Thick?

Industrial washers conjures up images of these massive washers the size of your head and with openings big enough to slip your head through. Yet, is that really what industrial washers are, or are you lead astray by the concept that all things industrial must be huge? To give you some idea of how big, how thick, and how strong industrial washers really are, the following is provided.

How Big?

Well, that is difficult to tell, since many washers go up to one inch in diameter or they are measured in the equivalent of millimeters. After this size, these washers are ranked by number, as in a #8 or a #10 washer. These washers are bigger than an inch in diameter, but not many washers are bigger than three inches in diameter. That should tell you just how big some of these numbered washers are in comparison to the smaller washers that give their measurement dimensions. 

How Strong?

Industrial washers are strong. They are almost always made of black oxide metal or steel, and quite often they are made of galvanized steel. All of these materials resist rust and corrosion, which is ideal in settings where a lot of heat and humidity from industrial machines is thick in the air all the time. The washers are never brittle, and they do resist vibrations well enough that they cannot come loose or break. 

How Thick?

The answer to this question rests on the type of washer. You have flat machine washers that may only be a millimeter or two thick. Then you have the dock washers there are a couple of millimeters thick. The locking washers are so thin that you can hardly imagine that they would be effective at all, but they are. Square washers are wedge-shaped, making one side twice as thick as the opposite side, and finishing washers have a bowl-shaped cup in the middle, giving them the thickest edges at the bottom of the washer and thinnest edges at the top of the washer. However, no one type of washer is inches thick, as you might imagine an industrial washer to be. 

What Type Do You Need?

That really depends on what you need the washers for. If you really do not know what kind to buy, talk to an industrial fasteners representative. He or she can talk you through the process of determining exactly what you need. 

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