McGuire Glossary of Fastener Terminology

F - 21 terms

FACE - In screw machine work the operation of removing material from the out ed of the part.

FACE STEP - In type FH studs the cylindrical step between the ribs which is used to control the roundness of the head.

FASTENER HARDNESS - The measure to approximate the strength of a fastener. Usually measured in the Rockwell or Rockwell Superficial Scales.

FATIGUE STRENGTH - (Also known as Endurance Limit) Stress condition under which a material will have a life of a given number of cycles.

FDIS - FINAL DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD - The final draft of an international standard for public review prior to final publication.

FENDER - Fender washers have an outside diameter that is much larger in proportion to the center hole to distribute a load evenly across a large surface area.

FEP(R) (PLASTICS) - Fluorinated ethylene propylene has a low friction coefficient, is resistant to weathering and is useful from cryogenic temperatures to about 390F. It has a low dielectric constant and is flame and ignition resistant. Although its mechanical properties are not equal to some other engineering fluroplastics, it is commonly used for eletrical insulation, cable sheating, and as chemically resistant coatings and films.

FILE OPEN - A 3rd party plug-in that has dto be installedin order to open and read SPDFs (secdure PDFs)

FINE BLANKING - Also known as fine-edge blanking, fine blanking is a highly accurate process of creating blanks that have smooth edges. After blanking operations have been performed on the piece of sheet metal, the created blanks are ejected from the machine for further processing.

FINISHING - Also referred to as "countersunk" washers, finishing washers are often found on consumer products and used as an appearance part where the washer catches the head of a fastener, allowing it to sit flush with its surrounding surface.

FIRST GRIP - For a given type and thread size, the part with the lowest value of grip range is commonly referred to as a first grip part.

FLANGING - Flanging uses dies, presses, or specialized machinery to introduce a flange onto a component. It should not mark or wrinkle the material.

FLANK ANGLE - The angle formed by a thread flank and a line perpendicular to the axis. For machine screw threads the flank angle is 30 degrees.

FLASH - In heading work the material between the die and the finish punch is referred to as the flash.

FLAT - Most common washer category generally used for load disbursement. Internal and external shape may be round, symmetrically, square, hexagonal or rectangular.

FLAT HEAD - A style of blind threaded insert having a head with a rectangular cross section. Flat head inserts typically have relatively thick heads and therefore provide high levels of push-out strength. For this style of part head projects above the panel after installation.

FLUSH - The ability of a fastener to be contained completely within the thickness of a panel. Also refers to the absence of a protrusion above the surface of the panel.

FORMING - Forming is a catch-all term that refers to the processes and techniques that are used to form or shape blanks.

FOUR-SLIDE STAMPING - In four-slide stamping operations, four different tools are used simultaneously on the component to bend it into complex shapes. The biggest advantage of four-slide stamping is its flexibilty. The process lets technicians custom design and process intricate parts with precision.

FREE COUNTERBORE - That portion of the counterbore, remaining after the fastener is bulbed. Which is not contained within the panel when the part is properly positioned in the panel. The free counterbore is available to form the bulb.

FRONT COUNTERSUNK - The countersink on the front or out end of the part in screw machine work.