Application guide for Hollow Wall Anchors (Molly Bolts) to Trade series (metal cavity anchor). The core duty of the type is fixing steelwork, plant and services to concrete and masonry, where the anchor is set in a drilled hole and its capacity is governed by the base material rather than by the steel. The typical industries, the how-to-specify checklist, assembly practice and the exclusion cases are set out below. Stocked across roughly M4 to M6, they cover light-duty and instrument-scale work.
Typical Applications for Hollow Wall Anchors (Molly Bolts)
The most common settings where these are specified:
- Fit-out & drylining: fixing to plasterboard, block and hollow wall where there is no solid backing.
- General machine building: fastening covers, brackets, motors and sub-assemblies on production equipment.
- Maintenance & repair (MRO): a stocked size for servicing existing plant where the original fastener spec must be matched.
- Fabrication & metalwork: bench and on-site assembly of steel frames, enclosures and weldments.
- Structural fixing to concrete: base plates, brackets, rails and steelwork bolted to a concrete slab or wall.
How to Specify Hollow Wall Anchors (Molly Bolts) for Your Application
- Size: Match the nominal size to the mating thread or hole. This product spans M4–M6; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size.
- Material: Choose the material and finish for the service environment — plated steel for general use, stainless for corrosion resistance.
- 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 Trade series (metal cavity anchor). Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.
Where Hollow Wall Anchors (Molly Bolts) Are Not the Right Choice
Match the fastener to the load, environment and whether the joint must be reopened; the wrong class or style is the usual cause of joint failure.
