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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Machine Elements

Bolt

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

/boʊlt/nounCore term

In mechanical engineering, bolt means: A threaded metal fastener with a head, used with a nut or a threaded hole to clamp parts together. It is described by its diameter, length, thread and strength class.

In Turkish: cıvata

How it is used

Used in assembly, design and maintenance. Bolts are tightened, torqued, loosened and replaced. A metric bolt is written like M12 × 40, 8.8 (diameter, length, property class). Common types are hex bolts, socket head cap screws and anchor bolts.

Example sentences

  1. Use M10 bolts, class 8.8, with washers on both sides.

  2. One of the mounting bolts had come loose, and that was causing the vibration.

Common collocations

  • tighten a bolt
  • hex bolt
  • bolt torque
  • anchor bolt
  • loose bolt
  • fastenerAny small part used to join two or more parts together, such as a bolt, screw, nut, washer, rivet or pin.
  • tightenTo turn a bolt, nut or screw so that it holds parts together more firmly, often up to a specified torque. The opposite is loosen.
  • torqueA turning force that makes something rotate around an axis, such as a shaft or a bolt. It equals force times distance and is measured in newton meters (N·m).
  • gasketA flat sealing piece placed between two fixed surfaces, such as pipe flanges or a cover and a housing, to stop leaks when they are bolted together.
  • vibrationA fast back-and-forth movement of a machine or structure. Too much of it can be a sign of a problem such as imbalance, misalignment or a damaged bearing.

More terms: Machine Elements

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