A safety bolt is an industry standard fastener that makes use of a tensioned locking wire system to prevent unintentional loosening due to vibration and impact forces. It has one hole drilled through the head to accept a locking safety wire. The locking wire system also serves as a visual inspection aid to verify that fasteners are tensioned correctly. The safety bolt is commonly used in applications that place extreme mechanical demands on the machinery such as aviation and motor sports.
Fasteners used in machinery exposed to extreme structural stress during regular operation are prone to work loose with time due to continuous impact, vibration, and torque distortion. The failure of a critical fastener in these high-stress applications could have serious implications. A particularly simple and effective way of preventing this from happening is the use of a safety bolt system. This system is cheap, quick, and easy to use, and provides both an extra level of security and a clear visual indication of fastener integrity.
Man with a drillSafety bolts have a small hole drilled through their heads that allows for a length of purpose made wire to be looped through it and an adjacent fasteners head or other anchor point then twisted up to maintain tension on the two. The wire is inserted in such a fashion as to maintain tension in the tightening orientation of the bolt thus preventing it from vibrating loose. The wire is a malleable material that holds it shape once tensioned and will continue to maintain the locking action until removed.