EKINSUN is a custom parts manufacturer that turns security screws to drawing: a drive that is not sold in bit sets, a head for a countersink or a pocket, a fine or inch thread, a 316L or brass body, a security drive on a bolt above M10.
A typical request: a drive for ticket machines that is not in any bit set, in M6 countersunk stainless, because pin-Torx bits are on every market stall.
Resistance is relative to the tools people carry; a custom drive is the only one that is not in a set.
Security drives, ranked by what they resist
| Drive | Resists | Defeated by | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pin-Torx (Torx with centre pin) | standard Torx bits and screwdrivers | pin-Torx bits, sold in most security bit sets | pan, countersunk, button, self-tapping M2–M8; button with shoulder M3–M6; A2 |
| Pin-hex (hex socket with pin) | standard hex keys | pin-hex bits, also in bit sets | to order |
| External tri-head (triangular) | sockets and spanners | a tri-head socket, less common | bolts M6–M10; A2 |
| One-way slotted | removal with any driver; installs with a flat blade | drilling out, or a removal tool | to order |
| Snake-eye (spanner, two-hole) | most bit sets | spanner bits, sold separately | to order |
| Clutch (butterfly) | screwdrivers | clutch bits | to order |
| Torx Plus security (five-lobe with pin) | Torx and pin-Torx bits | licensed five-lobe bits only | to order |
| Custom drive (proprietary recess) | every bit set on sale | the matching tool we make with the screws | to order; the only drive that is not in a set |
| Breakaway head (shear nut / shear bolt) | removal without destruction | drilling | to order |
Need security screws in a size, thread or material no catalogue lists? EKINSUN is a custom parts manufacturer: we make security screws to your drawing, sketch or sample, 304 (A2) stainless steel or steel, from 1 piece, quoted in 12 hours and shipped duties paid. Already a catalogue size? Ask us too, we may have it in stock, and larger quantities cost less per piece. All custom fasteners
Standard security screws
| Head | Drive | Size range | Common materials | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan head machine screw | pin-Torx | M2–M6 | A2 | general panels |
| Pan head self-tapping | pin-Torx | M2–M6 / M3–M6 | A2 | sheet-metal covers |
| Countersunk machine screw | pin-Torx | M2–M8 | A2 | flush faces |
| Countersunk self-tapping | pin-Torx | M2–M6 | A2 | flush covers in sheet |
| Button head | pin-Torx | M3–M8 | A2 | domed low head |
| Button head with shoulder | pin-Torx | M3–M6 / M3–M10 | A2 | the shoulder stops prying under the head |
| Hex bolt, external tri-head | tri-head | M6–M10 | A2 | public fixtures, lockers, signage |
| Pan head, hex | pin-hex | to order | A2; steel | — |
| Machine screw | one-way slot | to order | A2; brass | bathroom partitions, grilles |
| Flat head | snake-eye | to order | A2 | — |
What to send for a security screw that is not standard
- The threat: casual tampering, vandalism, or a determined removal, it decides the drive.
- Head: pan, countersunk, button, shoulder, hex, and the head diameter or countersink.
- Thread and pitch, length, and what it screws into (metal, a threaded insert, sheet with a tapping thread).
- Material: A2 for outdoor, 316L for coastal and washdown, brass for one-way in bathrooms, hardened steel where drilling must be slowed.
- Whether a matching driver is needed with the screws, and how many.
- Quantity.
Read the pitch before you order the security screw. Lay a steel rule along ten thread crests and divide by ten: 10 mm over ten pitches is a 1 mm pitch (M6 coarse), 12.5 mm is M8 coarse, 15 mm is M10 coarse, 17.5 mm is M12 coarse. A reading that is not a round number of millimetres is an inch thread, and a reading that is shorter than the coarse pitch for that diameter is a fine thread. If diameter, pitch and the size range in the table all agree, the part is a standard size: buy it off the shelf, or have it made to order from 1 piece. If any of the three falls outside the table, we make it to your reading. The full measuring routine, including the inch traps
Where the security screw catalogue stops
| What you need | In the catalogue? | What we make |
|---|---|---|
| Pin-Torx pan, countersunk or button screw M2–M8 in A2 | Yes | Buy it from stock, or have it made to order from 1 piece. No one-off competes with a formed pin-Torx screw, and bits for it are on every market stall, which is the point to remember. Standard parts: ask us too, we may have them in stock. |
| Tri-head security bolt M6–M10 in A2 | Yes | Standard sizes: buy them off the shelf, or have them made to order from 1 piece. Standard parts: ask us too, we may have them in stock. |
| A drive that is not in any bit set, a proprietary recess with its own driver | No | Recess machined on turned screws; driver made with the batch; from 1 piece. |
| One-way, snake-eye, clutch or Torx Plus security in a size, head or material the standard skips | No | Turned with the recess machined. |
| A security screw in 316L, brass, titanium, or hardened steel to slow drilling | No | Same geometry, your material; hardness to the drawing. |
| A security bolt above M10, or a security screw in a fine or inch thread | No | Turned; drive machined; thread to your reading. |
| A breakaway (shear) nut or bolt sized for your torque | No | Machined with the shear groove set to the torque you specify. |
| A security screw in aluminium 6061 or 7075 | No | Not offered: an aluminium security drive strips before it resists, and we say so. |
Materials
| Material | Designation | Where it fits here |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless 304 | 1.4301 / A2 | the standard security screw; outdoor fixtures |
| Stainless 316L | 1.4404 / A4 | turned to order for coastal and washdown installations |
| Free-machining stainless | 303 / 1.4305 | custom turned security screws with milled drives |
| Hardened alloy steel | 42CrMo4 / 1.7225, quenched and tempered | slows drilling and grinding; zinc-flake or black finish |
| Brass | CW614N / C36000 | one-way screws for bathroom partitions and grilles |
| Titanium | Grade 5 | turned for weight-critical secured panels |
| Aluminium 6061 | AlMg1SiCu | the panel; not the screw |
| Aluminium 7075 | AlZn5.5MgCu | not a security screw material |
Related pages
- fastener types chart, all families with standard and size range
- screw head and drive types, head and drive types chart
- tapping and thread-forming screws, pin-Torx tapping screws
- panel screws that stay in the panel, screws that stay in the panel
- ISO 4762 cap screws and their hex keys, hex-socket screws
- Special fasteners, non-standard fasteners of every kind
Frequently asked questions
With the matching bit: a pin-Torx or pin-hex bit with a hole in the tip, a tri-head socket, or a spanner bit for snake-eye screws. One-way slotted screws have no removal drive and come out with a screw extractor. Common security bits are sold in sets, which is why a drive nobody stocks resists better, see the drives ranked above.
One with a drive that is not in any bit set: a proprietary recess with its own driver. Pin-Torx and pin-hex resist casual removal but their bits are sold everywhere; one-way slots resist removal but can be drilled; snake-eye and clutch bits are less common but still sold. Hardened steel slows drilling as well.
No; the pin in the centre of the recess blocks a solid bit. A pin-Torx bit has a hole for the pin. The reverse works: a pin-Torx bit drives a normal Torx screw.
Standard pin-Torx and tri-head screws are A2 stainless. 316L, brass and hardened steel versions are turned to order.
Yes. A proprietary recess is machined on turned screws in 303, 316L, hardened steel or brass, and the matching driver is made with the batch, from 1 piece.
EKINSUN is a custom parts manufacturer that turns tamper-resistant screws and bolts with pin-Torx, pin-hex, one-way, snake-eye, clutch, tri-head and proprietary drives, in 304 and 316L stainless, hardened steel, brass and titanium, from 1 piece, with a quote within 12 hours.
No list price; the drivers are the recess machining, the material, whether a driver is made, and quantity. A batch of A2 countersunk screws with a snake-eye drive is a short turning and milling job; a proprietary drive with its tool is priced as a small tooling project plus the screws. The quote separates the two.
Send the threat, the head and the thread
What it must resist, head and countersink, thread and pitch, length, material, whether a driver is needed, quantity. From 1 piece, quote within 12 hours.