Engineers have a language all their own. In fact, if you stood in the company of engineers while they discuss something like nut factor K values, you might be utterly lost. They clearly would know what they are talking about, but you might not. Furthermore, you might be wondering why nut factor K values are such an important topic where construction and manufacturing are concerned. You need the simplified explanation.
What K Values Are
Simply put, K values are an assessment of a material’s strength, ability to withstand pressure, withstand heat, withstand cold, withstand torque, etc. Unless these values are sufficient for the intended use of a material or product made from that material, the material or product will fail. Failure leads to dangerous situations that can cause harm and lots of other unpleasant consequences. Ergo, the K values of metal nuts have to meet certain criteria for different construction and manufacturing products.
Testing and Engineering Companies
Engineering and testing companies are hired to make these nuts. They spend hours designing them to suit a client’s needs. Then they develop some of the nuts as test products.
The nuts are then put through the battery of tests that represent what the client expects as normal wear and tear. If the nuts hold up, they pass inspection and go into production. If they fail any test, the engineers have to figure out how to improve in this area and improve the nuts overall. Specifications for the final product accompany the samples sent to a client.