Critical joints require controlled bolting throughout their service life to maintain performance, enhance safety, save time, and improve uptime. However, the term is more often applied to installation than to the service life of the bolted joint. Valley Forge & Bolt’s family of load-indicating fasteners makes it possible to monitor bolted joints after installation and to always know fastener tension regardless of the service interval.
While there are no bolts that tighten themselves yet, the tension-based monitoring system of Valley Forge load-indicating fasteners is a reality, offering far greater accuracy than torque-based methods. Valley Forge & Bolt offers controlled bolting with technology that makes it possible to measure the tension directly from the bolt, not relying on inaccurate torque-based measurements. Accurate to within a staggering ±5 percent of minimum yield of the fastener, and ASTM F2482 compliant, now bolted joints can tell you their exact percentage of load at any time.
This load-indicating fastener technology is available in Valley Forge products Maxbolt™ Load Indicating Fasteners and the SPC4™ Load Indicating System. Each fastener tells you its percentage of minimum yield on a zero to 100 scale using either a built-in meter (Maxbolt) or, in the case of bolts with SPC4 technology, using quick-connect meters or wireless sensors to provide a precise measure of the load.
Catastrophic joint failure is costly and dangerous, underscoring the need for accurate, consistent, and repeatable controlled bolting, yet measuring torque to determine tension is inaccurate, indirect, and inadequate.
With Maxbolt and SPC4, any technician at any experience level can achieve accurate, consistent, and repeatable bolting, not only at installation, but also throughout service life. At maintenance intervals, they will know the accurate tension in seconds and only need to tighten those fasteners that require it. Wireless-compatible SPC4 can even be integrated into a plant’s condition monitoring system for remote readings and in-use monitoring.
The result is an unbeatable joint-fastening solution that assures accurate tensioning for the service life of a fastener, increases speed of installation and maintenance, and saves labor costs—all while increasing safety and improving performance.
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