Four Stealth Pieces of Hardware You Never Knew Existed

When is the last time you stopped to think about the little pieces of hardware that keep your life going? Never, eh? Perhaps it is time that you took a moment to recognize just how much you rely on all sorts of those pieces of hardware, scattered all throughout your life. Read on for just a small sampling, four examples, that you may grow to appreciate after reading.

1. Bolt Cover Caps

When bolts are kept in a regularly moist area, they can be prone to rusting quickly. With bolt cover caps, they are protected from the moisture, preventing rust. They are also safer, as there is not a piece of metal sticking out, in danger of being snagged by some passerby. Walking into a bolt can be both painful and damaging to people and their belongings. Finally, bolt covers help to keep things aesthetically pleasing. Instead of that bare metal being exposed, a smooth and ergonomic cap is in its place.

2. Cable glands

Originally made from brass, these guys can now be found in a variety of metals, plastics or even rubber. They are used to safely and securely connect wires to any number of devices. They can offer a waterproof seal leading into the machine that they are connected to, or provide a secure fitting of the wire leading from the machine, making sure that it does not experience any undue stress.

3. Grommets

You may use grommets every day, and have no idea. The little metal through which your shoe lace is threaded is a grommet known as an eyelet, and is used to keep the fabric from ripping and fraying. Rubber grommets offer a safe surface for wires or rope to pass through. The rubber covers any sharp metal or jagged edges, protecting the pieces that pass through the hole. Some grommets are even made from resilient materials that can bounce back under pressure.

4. Threaded Inserts for Plastic

Threaded inserts for plastic are used in manufacturing, and can be used to offer structural integrity to two pieces of plastic that have been put together. A regular screw in plastic may not always work because the plastic may strip and not be able to hold the thread. With the threaded insert, a bolt can be inserted, holding tight to the plastic that has been pre threaded. By creating the insert to work specifically with the bolt, the integrity of the plastic is not compromised by drilling into it.