Countersunk bolts fit inside a recessed hole created by a countersink tool, allowing them to be flush with the surface of an object. They create a smooth finish and prevent sharp edges. Dimpling is another use for countersinking, increasing the structural stability of sheet metal.
Countersunk bolts are bolts designed to fit inside a countersunk hole. A countersink is both the recessed hole and hole making tool that allows compatible screws and bolts to drive flush to a surface. Countersunk bolts are mostly hidden when screwed in, because their heads are shaped to fit inside the special holes. When these holes are hollow, they look like a regular screw hole with a conical opening at the top; when filled, the only visible part should be the top of the screw or bolt.
When viewed in a cross section, a countersink looks a lot like a standard screw opening. The hole is cut and tapped in exactly the same way as a standard screw hole. The only real difference is at the top of the opening, where specialized machinery cuts a conical opening that looks a lot like a funnel in cross section. This conical opening allows the countersunk bolts to thread into the hole and opening, so that the head of the bolt is flush with the surface of the object.
There are two main reasons for using countersunk bolts. The first is to create a smooth finish on an object without the bolt heads sticking out. Some manufacturers go a step further and use the countersink to completely cover the bolt. The countersink is slightly larger than necessary and the latch ends up recessed into the opening; his head is below the surface. A material is placed on the head of the bolt and covered, probably for the life of the item.
The second reason to use countersunk bolts is to prevent sharp edges from being exposed. When you drill a hole in a material, the edges are often very sharp, especially if you’re cutting into metal. The more acute the angle, the more likely the edge is to be sharp. A traditional bolt hole is cut using a right angle, but the tapered hole used by countersunk bolts uses a much larger angle, reducing the overall sharpness of the cut. Likewise, this also removes the burrs and color shifts made when the bolt hole is initially cut.
In addition to providing the above benefits, flaring is used in other ways. One of the more common additional uses is in a process called dimpling. The conical holes are placed in the sheet metal in long rows and columns. This increases the structural stability of the metal and allows the sheets to stack on top of each other.
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