Have you noticed a small threaded fastener lying in the bottom of your toolbox and have no idea what it is used for?

This article serves as a guide to explain what set screws are, along with their various types. It will explain how to choose, buy and use set screws for different daily appliances and machines.

What Are Set Screws?

Set screws, also known as socket set screws, or grub screws, are like a fastener with threaded sides. It is mainly used for connecting or interlinking different parts in place. Which, in other words, means fixing individual components together.

The main fastening action of a single part against another makes set screws or socket set screws different from standard screws. In easy words, set screws generate compression forces, resulting in holding two loose parts securely together without using a nut.

A set screw is usually threaded along its whole length and is also headless. This is why it can easily be secured in the hole, recognizing it as a grub screw or blind screw.

They are most commonly used in fastening parts that are loose and can easily slide or move. When we pass a set screw through a component, it firmly sets itself in place at the rear end of the component. They can do this easily because of their main quality of having a flat-ended tip, one of the major signs of a set screw. Various kinds of set screws are available from screw manufacturers, including those with different dimensions. Some of them have a pointed cone at the end; instead of a flat end tip, these set screws are known as cone-tip set screws.

While the end may differ, the cone-tip set screws are used in the same fixing process. These mainly skewer the object’s exterior instead of pushing firmly against it.

These screws are majorly used in engineering, manufacturing various products, and rebuilding or repairing appliances and different machinery, mainly to lock a component firmly into place.

Types Of Set Screws and Their Usage

There are many types of set screws, according to the end part is the tapered end, flat end, concave end, long cylindrical head, etc; according to the head is divided into slotted, hexagonal, square head, soft tip, socket set screw, etc.
Slotted set screws have a small tightening force and are often easy to loosen. Generally, hex socket heads are preferred; square heads have the highest tightening force, but they cannot be embedded in parts, and their use is limited.

Set screws or grub screws have different point styles and various dimensions, depending on their required attributes. Listed below are some common varieties of metric set screws or grub set screws.

Dog Point Set Screw

The tip of the dog-point set screw is double the length of other types of set screws. The tip is also flattened at the end. Because of the extended tip, they are also known as extended point set screws. The extended ends help to lock and fit itself within a slot to keep all components aligned.

Another variation of the dog point set screw is the half dog set screw, which has a shorter protrusion as compared to a full dog point set screw.

These types of set screws are somewhere in the middle of a standard flat point set screw and a cone point set screw. Although they can be removed, they are commonly used in permanent and semi-permanent fixtures, usually for industrial usage.

Cone Set Screws

The cone set screw type has a pointed sharp tip at one end to get inside a surface, to a certain extent, easily. This wedging allows them to provide a firm grip concerning axial and torsion forces.

Since they are likely to damage the surface, cone set screws are most commonly used in permanent applications or hangers or pivots.

Plain-Cup Screws

The Plain cup screw has a slight concaveness in the tip. The narrower rim has pressure wielded against the end component, which helps to give a good torquing pressure, resulting in a lesser risk of harm to the rear through over-fastening. Plain cup screws are the most widely used set screw; however, since pressure is applied on a small area, a slight chance is always there of scratching the surface where the plain cup screw is being used.

Knurled-Cup Screws

They are somewhat like plain or regular cup screws, however, with the addition of jagged teeth. This addition helps the knurled cup screw to have a firmer grip, for instance, with objects which might get unsteady with time, like with appliances that might have strong vibrations.

They are most commonly used for surfaces that require parts to be fixed permanently, as the knurling will most likely cause marks on the surface. These screws cannot be reused as upon unfastening the screw, it will most likely be damaged.

Flat Point Socket Set Screw

The flat set screws have the rear end flattened, which helps in providing an even distribution of force when the tip contacts a surface.

Since the flat set screw is not going inside any surface, it will not cause any damage to it and can be removed and reused easily. These are mainly used in areas where permanent fixing is not required, and the screws can be removed when necessary.

Oval-Tip Set Screws

The tips of the oval set screws are slightly rounded, which is why they are also known as domed-point set screws. They usually lock different parts in place without damaging the surface. They can easily be adjusted without being removed completely since the small round end makes the motion opposed to the locked surface easier

Soft-Tip Set Screw

As the name suggests, the soft tip set screws have a flexible rear as compared to the main area of the screw. This allows the tip to adjust itself easily onto uneven surfaces for a firmer grip. The tips are usually made of softer, pliable metal.

Ball Point Set Screws

These grub set screws have one end shaped like a ball. It is commonly used in appliances and machinery for fixing and positioning asymmetrical objects together.

If you are looking for a set screw manufacturer, factory, or supplier, welcome to contact Heatfastener.Various materials including stainless steel, steel, Aluminum, Brass, Plastic, etc. We can produce as per the drawing and application. not only metric set screws and inches.

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