SCREWS: Security Screws

Director of Customer Success ZAGO Manufacturing Co.

Security or tamper-proof seal screws — such as the six-lobe flat head seal screw (left) and the sixlobe button head seal screw (right) — prevent unauthorized removal, thanks to a pin in the center of each drive. A rubber O-ring also forms a 360-degree, leak-proof seal.

What are tamper-proof seal screws and when should you use them?

Security or tamper-proof seal screws are vital for securing indoor and outdoor, high-asset machinery and the sophisticated components within them, such as 3D cameras and sensors.

These specialty seal screws prevent contaminants from leaking in or out of equipment. They also contain a locking mechanism that will not break or open without proper tooling, effectively deterring vandalism and tampering.

The seal difference While security or tamper-proof seal screws may resemble standard security screws — and are all inordinately difficult to remove — there is one significant and visible difference. Security seal screws feature a custom groove under the head of the screw and are engineered with a 360-degree rubber O-ring that, when tightened, squeezes outwardly to form a 360-degree hermetic seal.

After the screw is torqued, the O-ring is sealed and will not break or crack. This ensures the fastener is impervious to contaminants that may seep into and damage equipment or leak out into the environment, including:

• Liquids • Moisture • Precipitation • Saltwater • Oil • Gas • Disinfectants • Dust or dirt

Security seal screws are designed for indoor and outdoor use and can withstand harsh weather, high atmospheric pressure, and extreme temperatures (hot and cold). They’re also vibration and corrosion-resistant, and pollutant-free.

These screws often provide a more convenient alternative to permanently fastening or welding parts together. This is because

critical equipment often requires fastening, with the option to open or disassemble at a later date for maintenance.

Applications Increasingly, security and tamperproof seal screws are used to protect automated machinery from wear and tear or malfunction. They can also protect the fragile sensors that capture, store, and transmit sensitive data from physical disruption or cyberattacks.

These fasteners are often used when LiDAR (or Light Detection and Ranging, which is a remote-sensing method that uses light to measure variable distances) is employed, including for autonomous vehicles, robots and co-bots, and drones whether aerial, ground, or underwater.

A few of the industries and equipment applications that rely on security seal screws to protect hardware and components from tampering and contamination are: • Advanced manufacturing (3D printers) • Electronics and enclosures • Energy generation and utilities • Marine (3D cameras) • Medical devices • Military and aerospace • Telecommunications • Transportation

What’s ideal for certain applications is that security or tamper-proof seal screws can be removed and reused multiple times for maintenance purposes (with the rubber O-ring intact). However, they will not unscrew without the proper tooling to remove the pin.

Adding this feature prevents unauthorized users, including customers, from removing screws and attempting maintenance that should only be performed by skilled or trained personnel — such as with portable medical devices (including heart monitors or dialysis machines) or automotive software. Materials Security and tamper-proof seal screws come in six-lobe pin, socket pin, spanner, as well as one-way slotted and corrosion-resistant metals, such as stainless steel and steel alloys.

A variety of rubber O-rings are also available, and the ideal choice depends on the equipment application and environmental exposure (such as moisture or heat). Options include silicone, fluorosilicone (a variation of silicone rubber that maintains high temperature), Buna (Nitrile rubber), Viton, neoprene, and others.

Security or tamper-proof seal screws with rubber O-ring technology protect automated machinery, such as robots and co-bots, from contaminants, as well as sensitive electronic components from tampering.