When buying any sort of military equipment, you need to be extra careful in your selection process. Mil-spec fasteners, such as military screws, have strict regulations that need to be adhered to.
With that being said, in this blog post, we’re going to take a look at military machine screws in further detail to give you a better understanding.
What are military spec screws?
Military fasteners, including military screws, are designed to mil-spec. This is a standardization that the United States Department of Defense has created. It acts as a measuring device to make sure that government contractors meet certain requirements.
Mil-spec hardware must pass certain requirements before they can be utilized for contract government work. Mil-spec fasteners, such as military screws, are commonly used in shipbuilding, nuclear, marine, government, aerospace, and defense sectors.
If you want to win a defense contract, you’ll need to reach a number of different requirements. You need to have an edge; the ability to provide the highest levels of quality by using mil-spec hardware at a cost-efficient level.
What’s the difference between military screws and commercial screws?
Mil-spec fasteners look a lot like commercial fasteners. However, military machine screws have been made to specific standards that define, in detail, the following:
- Material qualities
- Plating
- Drive type
- Threads
- Hardness
- Tensile strength
- Dimensions
- … to name but a few
You can even trace military fasteners by lot to designated manufacturers.
The government keeps a list of factories that have been qualified to create and distribute military hardware. These suppliers have met the stringent requirements and passed the high quality control standards.
What are some of the main properties of military screws?
When purchasing military standard screws, the requirements ensure that mil-spec hardware is made to exact specifications so that the screws operate as intended throughout their complete service life.
Military grade fasteners and hardware must be constructed to tolerances utilizing precision techniques and high-performance materials.
Come of the common materials used in mil-spec hardware include aluminum, brass, copper, stainless steel, and steel. The material selected will depend on the specific application.
Some of the properties that are essential when it comes to military grade hardware include:
- Corrosion resistance – Corrosion resistant steel and other materials of this nature are imperative to ensure that the mil-spec hardware maintains its integrity whenever it is exposed to the elements and corrosive compounds.
- Temperature resistance – This feature means that military bolts and screws can withstand all temperatures, whether high, low, or fluctuating. In aerospace and naval applications, cap screws and other types of fasteners can be exposed to extremely low temperatures either high in the atmosphere or deep in the water, so temperature resistance is critical.
- Pressure resistance – Pressure resistance is critical for many aerospace, naval, and ballistics applications. Pressure can be high, low, or fluctuating.
- High levels of durability – Finally, durability and reliability are both critical elements when purchasing military grade fasteners for the defense industry. Military specifications demand that equipment is manufactured to have a long working life under hugely demanding operating conditions.
Choose a distributor for military grade screws with care
When you consider the stringent requirements that are in place for military, defense, and aerospace industries, it’s imperative to choose a distributor with great care and consideration.
The only place to begin is by making sure that the distributor is certified and compliant with the relevant regulations. You cannot afford to cut corners with this.
Aside from this, full lot material traceability is imperative for defense contract work. Every part, including the raw materials, needs to be traced back to the source. This is a requirement for defense work, as it ensures that everything can be traced back to the source if there are any issues.
You should also take the time to read reviews that have been left by individuals and business representatives that have worked with the distributor in question before. This is the best way of finding out whether or not they’re reliable and provide the high levels of quality they claim to.
Purchase military screws from a company you can trust
As you can see, there is a lot that needs to be considered when purchasing military fasteners for the defense or aerospace industry.
You need to make sure the military supply chain distributor you select adheres to the strict requirements that are in place.
We hope that the information we’ve provided you with above will help you in choosing the best supplier for military screw hardware.
