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Screws · ISO 14580 · Application guide

What Are Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws Used For?

Typical applications, the industries that specify hexalobular socket cheese head screws, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint.

Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws are used for a cheese head machine screw with a hexalobular drive for low heads that still take real torque. They are manufactured to ISO 14580, 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
A cheese head machine screw with a hexalobular drive for low heads that still take real torque
Governing standard
ISO 14580
Thread size range
M1.6 to M10
Category
Screws

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

What Are Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws Used For? application image

Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws are used primarily for a cheese head machine screw with a hexalobular drive for low heads that still take real torque. This page lists the industries and assemblies where they are specified, the selection criteria that matter for each application, installation practice, and the cases where a different fastener type is the correct choice. Parts are supplied to ISO 14580. Stocked across roughly M1.6 to M10, they cover general to heavy-duty work.

Typical Applications for Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • Control cabinets: terminal rails and mounting plates.
  • Instrument housings: low heads under covers and labels.
  • Consumer appliances: assembly-line screws with high drive torque.
  • Light machinery: guards and brackets with shallow counterbores.

How to Specify Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws for Your Application

  • Size: Match the nominal size to the mating thread or hole. This product spans M1.6–M10; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size.
  • Drive & head: Pick the drive (socket, cross, slot) and head style for the tool access and seating surface; a recessed drive resists cam-out under power tools.
  • 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 ISO 14580. Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.

Installation & Assembly Practice

  • Match the driver exactly to the recess (PH ≠ PZ; hex key sizes per ISO 2936) and keep the tool axial — side load is the main cause of stripped drives.
  • In tapped holes, engage a thread length of at least 1× the nominal diameter in steel, 2× in aluminum.
  • Set power tools to a torque that seats the head without embedding it into the mating surface.

Common Selection Mistakes with Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws

  • Under-sizing the drive for the installation torque — a small recess at high torque strips before the screw is seated.
  • Using a countersunk head in thin sheet where the countersink removes most of the load-bearing material.
  • Specifying stainless in high-strength duty: A2-70 is roughly class 7 steel, not a 10.9 substitute.

Where Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws Are Not the Right Choice

Not for high-preload structural joints (use a property-class bolt and nut), and not in thin sheet where a self-drilling or self-tapping type suits better.

Custom manufacturing · Made to drawing

Need a hexalobular socket cheese head screws outside the standard range?

Material and finish are usually what drives a special — a grade the standard part is not stocked in, or a coating chosen against a salt-spray figure instead of a default. Made by cold heading or warm forging.

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

Custom screw 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 M1.6 Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws to ISO 14580. Side view and top view, drawn to the dimensions in the table below and redrawn for any size selected.
Pitch P (mm)
0.35
a (mm)
0.7
b (mm)
25.0
Head diameter dk (mm)
3.0
dk_mean (mm)
2.9
da (mm)
2.0
Head height k (mm)
1.1
n_min (mm)
0.46
r (mm)
0.1
t_min (mm)
0.45
x (mm)
0.9
Length range l (mm)
2~16
Sends the selected values to the quote form below.

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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 (ISO 14580)

SizePitch P (mm)a (mm)b (mm)Head diameter dk (mm)dk_mean (mm)da (mm)Head height k (mm)n_min (mm)r (mm)t_min (mm)x (mm)Length range l (mm)Reference standard
M1.60.350.725.03.02.92.01.10.460.10.450.92~16ISO 14580
M20.40.825.03.83.72.61.40.560.10.61.03~20ISO 14580
M2.50.450.925.04.54.43.11.80.660.10.71.13~25ISO 14580
M30.51.025.05.55.43.62.00.860.10.851.254~30ISO 14580
(M3.5)0.61.238.06.05.94.12.41.060.11.01.55~35ISO 14580
M40.71.438.07.06.94.72.61.260.21.11.755~40ISO 14580
M50.81.638.08.58.45.73.31.260.21.32.06~50ISO 14580
M61.02.038.010.09.96.83.91.660.251.62.58~60ISO 14580
M81.252.538.013.012.859.25.02.060.42.03.210~80ISO 14580
M101.53.038.016.015.8511.26.02.560.42.43.812~80ISO 14580
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

Which industries use Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws?

They are commonly specified in light machinery, control cabinets and instrument housings, among other sectors.

How do I choose the right size of Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws?

Match the nominal size to the mating thread or hole. This product is available from M1.6 to M10; the full dimension table on this page lists each size.

What drive type do Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws use?

Drive depends on the head style — socket (hex key), cross (Phillips/Pozi) or slot. A recessed drive resists cam-out when driven with power tools; check the product head style on this page.

What material should Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws 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.

Can I get a quote for Hexalobular Socket Cheese Head Screws 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.