The distinction between a bolt and a screw is commonly misunderstood. There are several practical differences, but most have some degree of overlap between bolts and screws. The defining distinction is in their intended purpose: Bolts are for the assembly of two unthreaded components, with the aid of a nut. Screws in contrast are used in components which contain their own thread, and the screw may even cut its own internal thread into them. Many threaded fasteners can be described as either screws or bolts, depending on how they are used. Bolts are often used to make a bolted joint. This is a combination of the nut applying an axial clamping force and also the shank of the bolt acting as a dowel, pinning the joint against sideways shear forces. For this reason, many bolts have a plain unthreaded shank (called the grip length) as this makes for a better, stronger dowel. The presence of the unthreaded shank has often been given as characteristic of bolts vs. screws, but this is incidental to its use, rather than defining. CBC is Australia’s biggest and best distributor of bolts and nuts. We have Australia’s largest range of bolts and nuts from world-leading suppliers such as EziTite, Hobson, Macsim, Donaldson and Brighton-Best. Whether you need high or low tensile bolts or nots, or bolts and nuts for anchors and rivets… we’ve got it! Visit one of our branches today – our friendly staff are ready to help you.