Docking, Mating & Fastening
Vibration Resistant Fastener
Product Features
Honeybee Robotics developed a Vibration-Resistant Fastener under funding from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The fastener pairs a standard bolt with a modified nut whose threads feature a flat end and an included angle that differs from the bolt’s thread angle. This difference in included angles creates a clearance between the two thread forms until pre-loading, at which point the crest of the nut bites into the root area of the bolt thread in an elastic deformation process, providing a secure hold even under large vibrating forces.
The loading stresses (per thread) are distributed in such a manner that the possibility of a single thread failure is significantly decreased even when the threaded material is soft. The modified locking thread form design has the advantage of being bi-directional, can be used as an external or internal thread, is compatible and designed to be used with standard mating thread forms, can be manufactured cheaply and effectively as nuts, bolts or taps, and can be reused many times without any functional losses.
The fastener is fully compatible with on-orbit telerobotic and EVA astronaut operations and can withstand the rigors of launch vibrations. This fastener is ideal for use in vibration-intensive environments and wherever vibration resistance is critical or needed to prevent loss of preload and the loosening of joints.