Captive fasteners meld with the material into which they are joined through a process known as cold forming. Once joined, the fastener and the material are permanently fused into a single entity.
Captive screws are fasteners which remain attached to a panel or parent material, even after they are disengaged from the mating panel or part. They meld with the parent via cold forming, and then fuse with the panel or part into a single entity.
