The Aerospace Industry and the Captive Fastener
The manufacture of appliances, furniture, and even automobiles was revolutionized with the invention of the captive fastener. Fasteners themselves have been around for some time, as a fastener is really anything that helps hold two objects together. For example, a bolt and a screw are types of fasteners. But the captive fastener is something different. The captive fastener is embedded in one part of the object and then the other part of the object is then anchored inside the fastener.
Aerospace fastener manufacturers have found the captive fastener to be an enormous amount of help because one of the best things about the captive fastener is that it helps eliminate the need for extra materials. The traditional means by which pieces of equipment that require fasteners are put together will sometimes need extra pieces of wood or metal to be fastened together properly. Depending on the project, using extra materials can be problematic. Captive fasteners come to the rescue because these types of fasteners are often used in areas where it would be very difficult to use a screwdriver or a wrench to make sure the fasteners are secured. Instead of needing the extra pieces to hold the components of an object together, the captive fastener allows for objects to remain connected securely. It is not hard to understand why the aerospace industry would find so much promise in a captive fastener. There are so many intricate parts on machines like the space shuttle, supersonic airplanes, and even satellites, that to be able to safely anchor parts together is of ultimate importance.
Aerospace fastener manufacturers have found an excellent way to help the aeronautics industry construct machines that have the potential to revolutionize life as we know it. Because something like a moon rover can be constructed in more efficient and cost saving ways, the aerospace industry can devote more time to exploring unknown frontiers.