What Are Washers?

Before we get into the ins and outs of washers, it's essential to define washers. Washers are small round ring that sits on the shaft of threaded fasteners,

such as screws and bolts. Washers provide additional strength by distributing the weight load evenly across fasteners, sitting between the surface and the fastener head.

Generally, you can separate washers into three categories. These are spring washers, plain washers, and locking washers. Typically, washers are made of mild steel

or plastic and provide corrosion resistance, increasing the strength and durability of a fastener.

There are several ways that we protect washers, screws, nuts and bolts against damage from corrosion. Here's a quick guide:

Metal coatings: We use corrosion-resistant or protective metals like zinc, cadmium and nickel to protect against wear and tear. Zinc-plated washers essentially

provide a layer to erode before the washer, increasing the washer's lifespan.

Electroplating: This process uses electrolysis deposition using silver or chromium as a protective layer.

Phosphating: Phosphating is a process that uses zinc phosphate as a resilient and abrasive surface to protect against corrosion.

Chemical plating: Chemical plating provides a high degree of protection against corrosion and abrasion using nickel phosphor alloy.