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Bolts · ASME B18.2.1 · Application guide

What Are Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC Used For?

Typical applications, the industries that specify hex flange head cap screws, unc, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint.

Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC are used for inch hex flange head cap screws with UNC threads. They are manufactured to ASME B18.2.1, and the choice of size, property class and finish is driven by the load in the joint and the environment it sits in.

Primary duty
Inch hex flange head cap screws with UNC threads
Governing standard
ASME B18.2.1
Screw size range
1/2" to 7/16"
Category
Bolts

Application notes are general engineering guidance. Verify the property class and any approval requirement against your own design calculation.

What Are Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC Used For? application image

The primary duty of Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC is inch hex flange head cap screws with UNC threads. Below: the sectors that specify them in volume, the checklist used to select the right size and material for the application, installation notes, and the known limits of the type. Stocked across roughly 1 to 7, they cover general to heavy-duty work.

Typical Applications for Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • Automotive: US vehicles.
  • Heavy trucks: chassis fixings.
  • Equipment: inch machinery.
  • HVAC: units built to inch standards.

How to Specify Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC for Your Application

  • Size: Match the nominal size to the mating thread or hole. This product spans 1–7; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size.
  • Strength class: Choose the property class (e.g. 8.8, 10.9, 12.9 or A2/A4 stainless) for the load and environment, and tighten to the matching torque so the joint relies on preload, not friction.
  • Environment: For damp, coastal or chemical exposure prefer A4/316 stainless or a suitable coating; indoors, plated steel or A2 is usually sufficient.
  • Standard: This product is supplied to ASME B18.2.1. Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.

Installation & Assembly Practice

  • Tighten to the torque for the size and property class with a calibrated wrench — the joint is held by preload, not by the thread friction alone.
  • Ensure at least one full thread projects beyond the nut after tightening, and never re-use a bolt that has been tightened into yield.
  • Under slotted or oversized holes, fit a hardened washer so the preload does not relax into the hole edge.

Common Selection Mistakes with Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC

  • Specifying class 12.9 "to be safe" in a corrosive environment — high classes are more sensitive to hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion; 8.8 hot-dip galvanized often outlasts them outdoors.
  • Choosing a length that puts the shear plane through the threaded portion when a plain shank (partially threaded bolt) was available.
  • Mixing stainless bolts with plated-steel nuts: the joint loses its corrosion logic and can gall or seize.

Where Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC Are Not the Right Choice

Not for permanent joints that will never be opened (a rivet or weld is cheaper), and not where the head must sit flush — use a countersunk screw instead.

Custom manufacturing · Made to drawing

Need a hex flange head cap screws, UNC outside the standard range?

Where the standard stops, the drawing takes over: fine pitches, left-hand threads, partial threading, and property classes above the catalogued grade where material and heat treatment allow. Made by cold heading or hot forging.

Minimum order from 2,000 pieces; samples within 7 days of drawing approval.

Custom bolt manufacturingSend a drawing

Technical Drawing

Customize the parameters below — every spec field is editable, and the drawing redraws to match the values you choose. Changing the size will snap the other fields to that size's standard values; you can then override any individual value.

Dimensioned line drawing of 1/4" Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC to ASME B18.2.1. Side view and top view, drawn to the dimensions in the table below and redrawn for any size selected.
b0 (mm)
19.05
Pitch P (mm)
1.27
c (mm)
0.953
dc (mm)
14.287
kw (mm)
2.857
r1 (mm)
0.318
Width across flats s (mm)
9.525
Length range l (in)
3/8"~4"
Sends the selected values to the quote form below.

Request a Quote

The form below follows the current technical drawing configuration. Change the drawing values above and the request details update automatically.

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Specification
Business Information

Dimensions & Specifications (ASME B18.2.1)

Sizeb0 (mm)Pitch P (mm)c (mm)dc (mm)kw (mm)r1 (mm)Width across flats s (mm)Length range l (in)Reference standard
1/4"19.051.270.95314.2872.8570.3189.5253/8"~4"ASME B18.2.1
5/16"22.2251.4111.19117.4623.5720.39712.71/2"~4"ASME B18.2.1
3/8"25.41.5871.42920.6374.2860.47614.2871/2"~5"ASME B18.2.1
7/16"28.5751.8141.66723.8125.0010.55615.8753/4"~5"ASME B18.2.1
1/2"31.751.9541.90527.3845.7150.63519.053/4"~6"ASME B18.2.1
5/8"38.12.3092.38133.7347.1440.79423.8121"~6"ASME B18.2.1
3/4"44.452.542.85740.4818.5720.95328.5751"~6"ASME B18.2.1

Video: What Are Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC Used For? in use

Third-party video, selected automatically for this topic. It is not produced by Engineering Hardware and is not a specification source — use the tables on this page for dimensional data.

Inside the plant

Manufactured in our own plant

This part is cold-formed, threaded, heat-treated and finished in-house. The stages below are where its class and finish are actually decided.

  1. Wire rod feeding into a cold heading machine
    01

    Cold heading

    Wire rod is drawn to size and cold-formed into blanks. Forming rather than cutting keeps the grain flow continuous around the head, which is where a bolt is most likely to fail.

    Head dimensions and under-head radius checked at set-up and per shift.

  2. Thread rolling machine producing bolt threads
    02

    Thread rolling

    Threads are rolled between hardened dies rather than cut. Rolled threads are stronger in fatigue than cut threads and hold pitch and flank angle far more consistently across a batch.

    Go / no-go ring gauges to ISO 965 tolerance class 6g.

  3. Baskets of bolts staged for heat treatment
    03

    Heat treatment

    Quench-and-temper brings carbon and alloy steel to the property class ordered — 8.8, 10.9 or 12.9 — with the furnace charge tracked so a finished lot can be traced back to it.

    Core hardness and tensile tested per lot to ISO 898-1.

  4. Zinc plated bolts in a treatment basket
    04

    Surface treatment

    Zinc, zinc-nickel, hot-dip galvanizing, black oxide, phosphate and Dacromet, selected against the service environment rather than against the price list.

    Coating thickness and neutral salt spray hours to ISO 9227.

Frequently Asked Questions

What material should Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC be for outdoor use?

For damp, coastal or chemical environments specify A4 (316) stainless or a suitably coated steel. For indoor or dry use, A2 (304) stainless or zinc-plated steel is normally adequate.

Are Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC made to a recognized standard?

Yes — they are manufactured to ASME B18.2.1, so dimensions are interchangeable between suppliers when you quote the standard on your order.

What are Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC used for?

Inch hex flange head cap screws with UNC threads. They are supplied to ASME B18.2.1.

Which industries use Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC?

They are commonly specified in equipment, hvac and automotive, among other sectors.

Can I get a quote for Hex Flange Head Cap Screws, UNC in the size and material I need?

Yes. Use the technical drawing and quote form on this page to set the size and options, then send the exact configuration to our team for pricing and lead time.