In a simple three step process, iTITE identifies the maximum limit of bolt stress allowable on custom or ANSI flanges and populate this data into an easy to read graph that displays limiting factors for the flange size entered. The system provides for the maximum bolt stress allowable without damaging the following components:

The flange
Based on finite-element analysis, the system catalogs the FEA results of ANSI flanges and uses that data to identify the point at which plastic deformation or flange rotation will occur. Based on that data, it is compared to other factors and a recommended bolt stress is safely reduced below that level. The assembly data will be specified as a bolt stress without risk of deflection or mechanical failure.

The bolts
Based on the material of the bolts, iTITE determines how much bolt stress can be generated. The system also takes into account the nut factor, or “K” factor used when torque is the method used in assembly.

The gasket
iTITE calculates the gasket stress based on the gasket type selected and the size of the gasket based on ANSI dimensions or custom values the user inputs. The system calculates gasket stress into bolt stress based on the flange dimensions entered providing the user with the final limiting factor. The system has been in use since 2011. For more: http://alltite.com/

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Many companies make the same mistake every year assuming their torque tools are accurate and in working order. They also assume factory torque charts are correct and a certified gauge ensures tool accuracy. It’s a hazardous assumption because calibrated power tools frequently are not performing as expected.

Although there are other ways of establishing the tension on a bolt, torque is used most often. Such tools include hydraulic and electric torque wrenches, torque multipliers, and manual wrenches. After the required yearly calibration, tool owners usually get a certificate detailing the particulars which also verifies the quality of the equipment.

Technicians with mobile calibration equipment say they can calibrate all makes and models of torque wrenches up to 25,000 ft-lb. The computer, just behind the Mobil- Cal technician, lets him sign into the company’s online system, identify the tools that need calibration, and follow the step-by-step ISO procedures for the task.

Certificates are also needed after turbine assembly. For instance, during mechanical-completion inspections, inspectors with OEMs must work through punch lists. The OEM inspector will look for training records and calibration sheets for the tools used. Also, internal quality reviews conducted by companies will need to see the calibration sheets. What’s more, companies go through a process to become ISO certified and having a documented calibration process is part of ISO procedures.

Most technicians keep the calibration forms handy in a three-ring binder–kept…somewhere. If proof of certification cannot be produced, the technician may be forbidden to use the tool on the job site until it is. That could be a problem for the technician who may have to resort to a manual tool for the day, and accept a significant loss of productivity.

Engineers at Alltite Total Bolting Solutions may have an answer to the problem in an online service that tracks tools, their calibration, and certification. One goal is to get rid of the easily lost certification forms and make them more readily accessible.

The MobileCal sample calibration report lists the values measured and calculated for a hydraulic torque wrench.

For example, the Customer Portal-Calibration chart lists all the tools in a particular facility. “This could be a single wind farm, a region, or all the tools that need calibration for a particular company,” says Alltite CEO Tom Smith (alltite.net). He adds that the program was devised with two sides in mind. On the calibration technician’s side, data and procedures assist with calibrating torque tools step-by-step to ISO standards 6789 and 17025.

Clients, says Smith, see and manage all their calibrations through the online portal. A user name and password lets customers access the data. Customers search by their calibration ID, printed on a sticker placed on their tool at the last calibration. Users might also search by calibration-due date, or the tool and equipment type. Smith says the program can be customized for particular needs.

Benefits are that the company’s quality-control person would see the entire fleet of tools to make sure they are compliant. The paperless system lets users get away from chasing the sheet of paper that usually comes with calibrations.

An alternative method at some large companies is to send equipment to its lab where it’s calibrated and sent back with a folded sheet of paper or calibration certificate. But the wind industry is so wide spread, says Smith, a technician could be in Pennsylvania one week and Minnesota the next. “If he’s hunting down this piece of paper, he’s losing time and money. With this system he can log into the portal, find the tool in question, pull up the certification in standard or metric units, and print or download it. It’s also viewable on smart phones.

The Expires column on the Calibrations and Search page of Alltite’s TorqueWare customer portal tells which tool in the fleet is next up for calibration.

The calibration reports show measured and calculated values, such as the torque to pressure ratio, as-found readings, as-left readings (after adjustments), serial number of the wrench, and more. “Another plus is it provides a quality program for an entire organization,” says Smith. “With the online system, it drives consistency across all business units and eliminates variance by having a single quality program. Without something like it, a company with 15 different sites could have 15 different vendors and possibly gaps in their quality program. This program wraps all calibration, certifications, and documentation into a single point which give clarity and consistency to the organization.

The portal also gives an inventory list so companies can allocate their resources. For instance, one site may have half of a company’s torque equipment, when in fact it’s more needed elsewhere. Smith says he’s yet to find a company that can track all its tools, and is 100% accurate. A frequent discovery, for example, is that more than 65% of clicker torque wrenches don’t meet OEM specifications.

WPE

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E-RAD electric torque guns come from New World Technologies Inc, Abbotsford, B.C., Canada. Model 2000 has a 1-in. square drive that can deliver from 250 to 2,000 ft-lb. The unit is less than 13.25-in. long and comes calibrated with a control box, 15-ft of cable, and a standard reaction arm. The unit delivers smooth continuous torque at 10.5 rpm, a significant increase in speed over hydraulic wrenches. Noise levels, at 70 dB, are lower than those for hydraulic versions.

When the crew chief started looking for a more efficient method, the suggestion came in to try an electric torque gun. One version of such a tool, the E-RAD 2000, was recommended by a representative from Alltite Total Bolting Solutions (alltite.net). “The device applies torque with ±3% accuracy and ±2% repeatability, and because it is electric, it can store the torque applied to each bolt in a file that can be downloaded later,” says John Smith, Alltite CEO.
The E-RAD version of an electric “pistol grip” torque gun is manufactured by New World Technologies Inc (radtorque.com) and is intended for high torque and angle measurements. “The gun uses an AC Servo brushless motor coupled to a patented 490:1 gear multiplier to generate the high torque,“ says New World Application Engineer Curt Kehler. “The E-RAD operates by precisely measuring and controlling the current output of the ac servo motor. This precise measurement and control allows for high degree of accuracy and repeatability. An internal CPU stores a torque-versus-current calibration curve so that when the motor reaches a required torque as identified by electrical current, the motor shuts off. In house tests show the gun gets better than ±1% of a required torque value.” To control the application of the additional angle, the gun’s ac servo motor drives an encoder which tracks and records 4,096 points on a 360° rotation of the motor drive.

The maintenance company ordered the torque gun with an option to define torque and the angle sequence. The defined settings are stored using an 8-channel selector switch on the gun’s control box. All defined settings can be locked out using a removable key so unauthorized personnel cannot change them. Basic data collection, which is included, records the set torque, set angle, and provides the actual torque applied and angle turned. To eliminate of user error, an LED indicator on the tool handle displays and a red light to indicate an incomplete torque cycle and a green light when the torque cycle completes.

The maintenance firm says the electric gun provided a return on investment within the first month because its speed allowed the crew to finish the maintenance job in half the time usually spent, and then it took only half the labor of a hydraulic wrench.

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