Washer . Flat or slightly conical piece, thin disc-shaped with a central hole, commonly used in nut-screw joints. This term comes from the French rondelle . In some countries flat washers are known as guasa or rondana (Mexico, Colombia), guacha (Panama), huacha (Peru), golilla (Chile). Several of these denominations are a corruption of the English washer .
Applications
Circlip washer to retain shafts or bearings.
Washers for screws . The washer is placed under the nut , and its main function is to prevent the nut from turning on the material it tightens, preventing it from deforming. Some types of washers have a special conformation that prevents the nut from loosening. The internal hole depends on the size of the screw for which they are intended.
Washers for tightness . There are also washers specially designed to facilitate the hermetic sealing of a joint (caps, water taps, pipes ), for which they are made of plastic or other flexible materials.
Types of flat washers
Flat . They are the most commonly used and their thickness depends on the type of joint they are intended for.
Pressure . Most used are not closed ring, helically, made of a metal of spring high strength. Its ends end in sharp edges and one produces grip on the supported piece, and the other on the nut, preventing it from loosening.
Conical . This type of washer is thicker towards the center, which makes it more resistant to the nut without deforming.
Star or serrated . They have serrated edges in the center or on the periphery, with a slight curvature that allows them to adhere more firmly so that the nut does not come loose.
Of circlip . It is a special type of non-closed washer, used, for example, to retain a shaft or a bearing. At each of its ends it has a small hole to be opened with a special clamp.
