Quarter-turn fasteners that remain captive to a panel are helping
astronauts and cosmonauts overcome the annoying and potentially damaging
problem of lost or misplaced screws in space
The MIGMAS (MIcroGravity MAss Spectrometer) has been used onboard the
Mir space station for several years, analysing the corrosive effects of
the space environment on metals. The original equipment, developed in the
early 1990s in Austria by Graz University and the Seibersdorf research
centre, was held together by standard metric screws.
When a new version was built, the design team looked for an alternative
fastener that offered quicker and easier accessibility to the equipment's
internals. They turned to Southco Europe, who supplied 80 quarter-turn
fasteners to replace the original screws. These were chosen for their
ability to withstand high gravity/high vibration testing (10g at
2,000Hz). In addition, the quarter-turn fastener was available with a
press-in receptacle that fitted the equipment's existing aluminium blind
holes.
Once installed, the fasteners remain captive to the cover or panel, so
there is no chance of them dropping out. With a single quarter-turn, the
fastener pulls the panel shut and with a quarter-turn in the opposite
direction, releases the panel.
Back to Fasteners and Adhesives April 1999
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