--- title: "What Are Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) Used For?" description: "Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) (DIN 436) are used for spreading a bolt head or nut over enough timber to stay below the crushing strength of the wood across…" url: https://engineeringhardware.com/applications/square-plate-washers-din-436/ source: Engineering Hardware & Fasteners --- # What Are Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) Used For? Washers · DIN 436 · Application guide Typical applications, the industries that specify square plate washers (din 436), and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint. Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) are used for spreading a bolt head or nut over enough timber to stay below the crushing strength of the wood across the grain. They are manufactured to DIN 436, and selection is driven by the nominal bolt size, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment. - **Primary duty:** Spreading a bolt head or nut over enough timber to stay below the crushing strength of the wood across the grain - **Governing standard:** DIN 436 - **Nominal bolt size range:** M10 to M24 - **Category:** Washers Application notes are general engineering guidance. Verify the property class and any approval requirement against your own design calculation. ![What Are Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) Used For? application image](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Square-Plate-Washers.webp) Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) are used primarily for spreading a bolt head or nut over enough timber to stay below the crushing strength of the wood across the grain. 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 DIN 436. Stocked across roughly M10 to M24, they cover general to heavy-duty work. ## Typical Applications for Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) The most common settings where these are specified: - **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. - **Bolted structural joints:** spreading load over soft or oversized holes and protecting the surface. - **Vibration applications:** spring and serrated types that maintain tension under cyclic load. 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This product spans M10–M24; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size. - **Type & OD:** Select flat for load spreading, spring/serrated for anti-loosening, or fender/large-OD for soft or oversized holes. - **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 DIN 436. Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers. ## Installation & Assembly Practice - Place the washer under the rotating element (usually the nut) so tightening does not score the surface. - Chamfered-hole side of a hardened washer faces the bolt head fillet. - On serrated-flange hardware, do not add a plain washer — it defeats the serrations. ## Common Selection Mistakes with Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) - Relying on a spring washer for locking on class 8.8+ joints — at high preload it flattens and adds nothing. - Choosing an OD too small for soft material, so the head pulls through or embeds. ## Where Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) Are Not the Right Choice A washer does not replace a locking feature on its own in severe vibration, and a spring washer adds little clamp on high-strength joints. Custom manufacturing · Made to drawing ## Need a square plate washers (din 436) outside the standard range? Bearing area is usually the reason for a special washer: a larger outside diameter to spread load into a softer material, or a thicker section to resist dishing. Made by stamping or punching. Minimum order from 2,000 pieces; samples within 7 days of drawing approval. [Custom washer manufacturing](https://engineeringhardware.com/custom/washers/)[Send a drawing](https://engineeringhardware.com/custom/washers/#rfq) ## Technical Drawing Dimensioned line drawing of M10 Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) to DIN 436. Side view and top view, drawn to the dimensions in the table below and redrawn for any size selected. - **Inner diameter d1 (mm):** 11 - **Side length (mm):** 40 - **Thickness t (mm):** 3 - **Bearing area (mm²):** 1505 - **Bearing vs DIN 125 washer:** approx. 5.4x - **Material:** Steel, hot-dip galvanised ## Dimensions & Specifications (DIN 436) | For bolt size | Inner diameter d1 (mm) | Side length (mm) | Thickness t (mm) | Bearing area (mm²) | Bearing vs DIN 125 washer | Material | Reference standard | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | M10 | 11 | 40 | 3 | 1505 | approx. 5.4x | Steel, hot-dip galvanised | DIN 436 | | M12 | 14 | 50 | 4 | 2346 | approx. 5.8x | Steel, hot-dip galvanised | DIN 436 | | M16 | 18 | 58 | 5 | 3110 | approx. 5.1x | Steel, hot-dip galvanised | DIN 436 | | M20 | 22 | 68 | 6 | 4244 | approx. 5.2x | Steel, hot-dip galvanised | DIN 436 | | M24 | 26 | 80 | 6 | 5869 | approx. 5.3x | Steel, hot-dip galvanised | DIN 436 | 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](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/09-wire-rod-feed-cold-heading-machine.webp) 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](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/03-thread-rolling-machine-bolt-production.webp) 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](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/05-heat-treatment-baskets-black-bolts.webp) 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](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/23-zinc-plated-bolts-treatment-basket.webp) 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 are Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) used for? Spreading a bolt head or nut over enough timber to stay below the crushing strength of the wood across the grain. They are supplied to DIN 436. ### Which industries use Square Plate Washers (DIN 436)? They are commonly specified in vibration applications, timber & soft materials and general machine building, among other sectors. ### How do I choose the right size of Square Plate Washers (DIN 436)? Match the nominal size to the mating thread or hole. This product is available from M10 to M24; the full dimension table on this page lists each size. ### Do Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) actually stop bolts loosening? Spring and serrated washers help maintain tension under light vibration, but for critical joints a prevailing-torque locking nut or adhesive is more reliable. Flat washers mainly spread load and protect the surface. ### Can I get a quote for Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) 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. ## Related Pages Product page: [Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) — specifications & sizes](https://engineeringhardware.com/fastener/square-plate-washers-din-436/) ### Square Plate Washers (DIN 436) Specification Guides ### Related Fastener Applications