A captive fastener is a special screw that locks into a pre-drilled hole in order to create a permanently secure hold. They feature a head and external threading similarly seen on small screws. They’re different because they can be fastened and unfastened without having to remove it from the pilot hole. There are several head for you to choose, cheese head, cap head, csk head, oval head, pan head and hex head. Also different grooves are available, like slotted groove, phillips grove and torx pin groove. 

How to use captive screw

To install a captive screw on a panel using a retaining washer, the screw is first passed through a hole in the panel. The washer is then screwed onto the captive screw, until the reduced diameter section is reached, retaining the screw on the panel.

Benefits of captive fasteners

There are a few benefits with using captive fasteners. Because of the permanent hold, they create with the pilot hole, these screws are less likely to suffer from age-related degradation. They also offer a high level of protection against stress and vibration that can loosen traditional screws. Captive fasteners are ideal for manufacturing companies due to their inexpensive cost.