Standard bolts maintained using Ultrasonic Technology (UT) from Boltstress has proven a reliable and economical choice when compared to SmartBolt and Aligner Bolt. Read on to find out why.
Nature of Bolt Failure
Truth be told; most people do not view fasteners and bolts with much regard. However, people in the mining industry and other industries using large equipment do put a lot of thought into bolts. Often when equipment fails, the first thing to bear the blame is the bolt or fastener. Generally, equipment fails during installation or in the course of equipment operation. Dealing with a failure during installation is easy, but things can get tricky if the equipment was already in operation with costly production delays and safety risks. You need to find out what happened or may happen to the bolt. There is also the question of accessibility of failed joint or part. Ultrasonic Technology is a small portable unit and is a great option for measuring bolt tension when accessibility to bolts is difficult.
"SmartBolt" Technology
The SmartBolts most popular feature is the built-in indicator that provides a visual signal of the bolt tension at a glance. These intelligent bolts are popular for their innovative technology that indicates the load thus ensuring safe installation. These bolts have a way of indicating the clamp load regardless of whether they are stationary or being fastened. SmartBolts® are popular in this area, but there are other brands such as RotaBolt and SPC-4. While these bolts do not require extra equipment to measure tightness, in our experience they are more prone to failure compared to the standard bolt or the Aligner Bolt. Therefore, new SmartBolts need to be purchased more frequently and they cost significantly more than the standard bolts.
"Aligner Bolt" Technology
A point load within the head shoulder of a misaligned bolt leads to high bending stresses and ultimately, cracking/failure of the bolt. The Aligner Bolt comes with a special design that ensures the absence of the point load. The Aligner Bolt is therefore the least likely of them all to break and crack, however the Aligner Bolt requires specialist measuring equipment. Not everyone will want to use this component because of budget constraints and the need for specialist measuring equipment.
Looking at all three options critically, we think that the most economical method is using the much cheaper standard bolt that can be accurately and efficiently tested using the ultrasonic technology.
Standard Bolts with Ultrasonic Technology (UT)
The use of non-destructive techniques (NDT) is spreading fast in the equipment inspection arena every passing day. In this method, a technician can use an ultrasonic stress monitor to determine elongation, stress and load in a tightened threaded fastener.
Ultrasonic technology ensures use of standard bolts without compromising safety or increasing costs. It is an economical method given that Aligner Bolts are much more expensive than standard bolts and the rate in which SmartBolts fail. Many industries are opting for this solution from Boltstress for these reasons:
- No need to replace existing bolts with specialist bolts
- Prevents bolt failure
- Reduces shut down duration with preventative bolt testing
- Involves safe and light tooling procedures
- Complies with existing regulations and standards
- Enables cost effective savings through simple repairs-no unnecessary replacements
- Standard bolts more affordable the next two options
Use Ultrasonic Innovative Technology
How do I know my bolts are tight? Boltstress has the answer to the drawbacks associated with SmartBolts and Aligner Bolts. We conduct a wide range of bolt tests using UT technology. We have highly experienced personnel that use state-of-the-art UT equipment. Ultrasonic Technology provides information on a bolts tension prior to a failure occurring.
Boltress has over 26 years in the field! You can trust us because over these decades, we have prevented failures and dealt with failures on heat exchangers, grinding mills, F1 racing cars and crushers and more. We are proud of our excellent customer reviews and reputation in the industry.
It is time to end this and similar concerns. Boltstress offers reliable ultrasonic bolt alignment and measurement to keep industries running seamlessly. If you are interested in getting bolt tension in your critical components monitored by the experts, do not hesitate to call today. This is the best way to ensure uninterrupted performance and growth of your business.
