Page 38 - Industrial Technology October/ November 2020 issue

An Introduction to Captive Screws

Captive Screws

What is a Captive Screw?

A captive screw is a fastener specially designed to remain in place within an assembly when
the assembly is removed. In general the captive screw has a thinner diameter shank over the
length of the screw, then a larger threaded portion at the end. This means that when you remove
a panel by unscrewing the captive screw, it does not come away from the cover itself. This makes
there fasteners important when you are using them in safety equipment where you need to avoid
loose components.

For example removing a cover panel such as a guard panel from an assembly whilst performing
maintenance. The screw is required to remain with the guard so that the guard or cover can be
easily replaced.

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