DECODED: Types of Screws

What is a Screw?

A screw is a fastener with a head on one end and a pointed tip on the other end. The shaft of the screw has ridges throughout its length, which are called threads. The difference between each thread is called a pitch. Moreover, the head of the screw has depression, which tells which driver or device to use to fasten objects.

What is its purpose?

Screws have threads that help them to dig into objects and hold them firmly. These threads create considerable friction and resistance and move in a circular motion, thereby attaching solid objects that cannot be separated easily. They serve their purpose best when used for wood and drywall.

Merits of Screw

The advantage of a screw lays in the no. of threads its shaft bears and the pitch (spacing) between them. Less energy is needed to drive a screw if the threads are tightly placed and vice versa. It happens because with threads close enough, a screw turns several times thus turned quickly, while when threads are far enough, the screw turns only a few times, needing more energy to push it in.

Types of Screws

Screws have abundant variations; they are available in many shapes, sizes, and heads and thread types. Screws can fit easily on metal, plastic, and wood as well, making them extremely usable across numerous industries.

The most common types of Screws are:

1. Wood Screws:

These screws have a smooth shank, with few threads pitched loosely with a pointed end. They are employed in gripping two wood pieces together, the unthreaded shank helping to hold the wood firmly against the under-piece.

Occasionally manufactured with a tapering design and are abbreviated as WS.

2. Sheet Metal Screws:

They have much finer threads, threaded right up till the head. Their abbreviation is SMS.

These screws are commonly self – tapping (or self-drilling), which means they have a self-drilling point. Self-drilling Sheet Metal Screws are abbreviated as Self drilling SMS. Apart from metal, they are usable on Plastic, Wood, and other soft items.

3. Drywall Screws:

They come with threads that are curved enough to prevent the drywall from ripping.

They have two varieties – one with threads having coarse pitches, these screws are suitable to join drywall to wood. The another variant is finely threaded, used to attach to metal studs. These screws are preferable in office construction work.

4. Machine screws:

Manufactured with high precision, they have superior threads, used in various applications. They are coupled with a nut or a tapped hole for use. They are abbreviated as MS. Often used with nuts, they are driven into pre-tapped holes and come in smaller sizes.

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As a budding writer, I'm trying to simplify jargons of the Steel industry by breaking them into small, lucid articles, in a Q&A format. I hope my content helps readers.