Free Engineering Tool

Fastener Selector: Find the Right Fastener for Your Joint

Four questions about your joint, and the fastener families that fit it, with the reasons.

Find the Right Fastener Family

Choose the material you are fastening into, whether you can reach both sides, the environment and what the joint must resist. The selector suggests the fastener families that fit, explains why, and links to the calculators for the next check.

Fastener Selector

Answer four questions to see which fastener families fit your joint, and why.

1. What are you fastening into?

Steel or iron thick enough to tap (at least one bolt diameter) Aluminum, cast or other soft metal Thin sheet metal (under about 3 mm / 1/8 in) Plastic or composite

2. Can you reach both sides of the joint?

Yes, both sides No, one side only (blind)

3. Where will it be used?

Indoors, dry Outdoors or wet Marine, chemical, washdown or food

4. What matters most for the joint?

Steady load Vibration or shock Structural steel connection Taken apart often for service

How the Selector Chooses

Material and thickness decide how the thread is made: a tapped hole in steel, longer engagement or an insert in soft metal, a rivet nut or clinch nut in thin sheet, and an insert or compression limiter in plastic.
Access decides between through-bolting and blind fasteners that install from one side.
Environment sets the material and coating, from plain zinc indoors to A4 stainless or BUMAX in marine and chemical service.
The joint’s job adds structural bolts for steel connections, locking hardware for vibration, and inserts for joints taken apart often.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose a fastener?

Start with what you are fastening into and whether you can reach both sides; that decides the family. Then pick the material for the environment and the size and grade for the load, and check the torque and thread engagement.

What fastener should I use in thin sheet metal?

Rivet nuts or blind rivets when you can only reach one side, and clinch nuts or rivets when you can press from both sides during fabrication.

What fastener works best in plastic?

A threaded insert for a reusable metal thread, and a compression limiter wherever a bolt clamps through the plastic part.

Does the selector give a part number?

No. It narrows the family. Send your drawing with a quote request and a CSG applications engineer will specify the exact part.

Related Charts and Calculators

Next checks: Minimum Thread Engagement Calculator, Bolt Torque and Preload Calculator, bolt grade chart and all calculators and charts.

Specifying a Safety-Critical Joint?

These charts are reference values drawn from published standards. Send us your drawing or specification and our team will review the fastener choice with you.