The 18-8 stainless steel machine screw has a plain finish and an oval head with a Phillips drive, and meets American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME B18.6.3 specifications. The 18-8 stainless steel material provides strength and offers good corrosion resistance in many environments. The material may be slightly magnetic. The Phillips drive has an x-shaped slot that accepts a Phillips driver and is designed to allow the driver to slip out of the head to help prevent over-tightening and damage to the thread or fastener. The oval head is cone shaped for a flush fit in a countersunk hole and has a slightly rounded top that sits above the mated surface.

Machine screws are threaded fasteners that are typically used with nuts or drilled and tapped (threaded) holes. Machine screws are available with a variety of head shapes, which determine how the screw interacts with the mating surface, and drive styles, which determine the type of driver required to install and remove the screw.