The first bolt-making machine was made in France in 1568.
Nuts, bolts, screws or nails hold together almost everything imaginable. From toys to automobiles, furniture to skyscrapers and everything in between, they all depend on these metal fasteners. Nuts and bolts are manufactured in a large variety of sizes. The head of a bolt is measured between the sides of the hexagon. Standard American nuts and bolts graduate in size at 1/16-inch intervals. Bolts and nuts are also measured by their diameters. This measurement is taken across the widest opening that the threads make. Although nuts and bolts are relatively tiny, several machines are used to make them.
Forging Screw Press
These presses are designed to make any kind of bolt head. The head of the bolts are forged or hammered into shape. The press operates by using a die attached to a threaded shaft. This shaft has a long arm at the top, which is swung very rapidly--usually in an upward direction--to force the metal into shape. The forged pieces are then ejected through the lower part of the press. The first screw presses used were hand operated. Later, they were powered by steam and afterward by water.
Taps and Dies
Taps and dies are cutting tools that create screw threads from solid materials such as metal and wood. Taps are used to cut nuts, which are known as the "female" part of the "nuts and bolts" pair. Dies are used to cut the "male" portion of the pair, which is the bolt. Cutting the threads in a hole is a process called tapping. Using a die to cut is called threading.
Chamfering Machines
Chamfering refers to cutting or beveling the edge of material such as metal. Chamfering machines can create any variety of edge shapes, such as round, square and double-ended. Most chamfering machines will run metal bars at least 9 to 17 feet long and 1/4 to 2 inches in diameter. Some businesses use machines for commercial purposes that not only chamfer the material, but also stamp the completed pieces.
