Development of size No. 4 - No. 10 mechanically locking, high vibration resistant fasteners for elimination of safety wire in missiles, satellites, and space vehicles

Enduralock proposes a project to develop the first mechanically locking, high vibration resistant fasteners in sizes of No. 4 - No. 10. Missiles, launch vehicles, and their satellite payloads undergo tremendous vibration. Safety wire is currently used to try to prevent fasteners from loosening, but this is labor intensive, and the wire is subject to breakage. Enduralock’s proposed solution would provide for more security in the mounting of electronic components and would also allow for the elimination of safety wire within missiles and satellites. This would dramatically reduce the time and cost of production, while also providing for a significant improvement in reliability. For fastener sizes of ¼” and greater, Enduralock currently offers the first mechanically locking, high vibration resistant permanent fasteners, that for maintenance are reversible and reusable with a standard hex socket. They are ideal for critical applications, as the fasteners remain locked even with total loss of preload. Enduralock fasteners survived 10x the aerospace vibration requirement for a self-locking nut, and reusability has been demonstrated to 250 cycles. Enduralock has obtained 2 new National Aerospace Standards, and it won a NASA competition last year. The challenge, however, is to miniaturize these fasteners for use in missiles and satellites.