8/12/2018 Installation Errors Part 3 - Proper Torqueing of Hold Down Bolts - VibrAlign

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Installation Errors Part 3 – Proper Torqueing of Hold

Down Bolts
"torque wrench"| aligning machinery| bolt torque| hold down bolts| maintenance reliability| Precision Shaft Alignment
By Tom Shelton on June 27, 2018

One of the most under-rated procedures of the precision shaft alignment process is the TIGHTENING
SEQUENCE of the hold down bolts on the movable machine. Also, tightening the bolts to proper
torque speci cations is many times considered unnecessary and is just not typically done. Tightening
sequence and proper bolt torque are critical to the performance of the fastener, which a ects the
performance of a machine should the fastener fail. This applies to ALL bolts.
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Torque is de ned as “induced twisting”
8/12/2018 of a
Installation bolt
Errors Partto
3 -achieve the of
Proper Torqueing proper clamping
Hold Down force. When proper
Bolts - VibrAlign

torque is applied to a bolt, the clamping force of the bolt is at its designed maximum. Torque is
applied by using a torque wrench. Unfortunately, these tend to be large and long handled. This can
make torque wrenches hard to use. Sometimes they won’t t on a bolt due to lack of clearance. Some
will say, this is due to poor engineering when the machine was designed. Our job as a mechanic is still
the same despite failure on the design engineer’s part. We still should properly torque the fasteners.
Adapters and torque tools have been created to address these issues and many tools available to
make it possible to properly maintain equipment. Some of the tools that are speci c to help torque
bolts are:

Torque wrenches of varying design.

This one is speci cally designed for use with crow’s feet.

Adapters such as crow’s feet. There are many videos on YouTube on their proper use.

Torque multiplier for high torque applications.

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 8/12/2018 Installation Errors Part 3 - Proper Torqueing of Hold Down Bolts - VibrAlign

Torque tables or apps. that are available on the internet. Google Play and iTunes have many
choices.

Learning and understanding the proper use of how each of these works.

Tightening sequence and applying proper torque is fundamentally the same regardless of the items
being bolted together; follow a crisscross pattern in multiple passes until nal torque is achieved.
Whether tightening a pipe ange, installing a vehicle wheel, or replacing a pump rotating assembly
into the volute, we should follow a crisscross pattern in multiple pass.
Torque sequence is a common-sense process that somehow eludes many of us when it comes to
tightening the hold down bolts on the movable machine during a precision alignment. I have
witnessed on numerous occasions, mechanics tightening down one side of a motor then hand the
wrenches to their partner to tighten the other side. No torque wrench involved. No sequence
followed. I don’t know why this is, but it happens all the time.
When attempting a precision alignment, within tolerances of a couple thousandths of an inch, any
unintentional movement must be controlled. A common cause of this movement is tightening the
bolts in too large of increments. I usually recommend this order:
1. Tighten the bolts to contact.
2. Hand tighten all bolts equally in a cross pattern
3. Set your torque wrench to ¼ to 1/3 the nal torque value of the fastener. Tighten the bolts in THE
SAME cross pattern. Increase torque in equal amounts until full torque is achieved.
4. If you notice movement in the movable machine (and soft foot has been corrected) start again.
Loosen bolts, reposition the machine. Divide the torque into 5 or 6 increments. If it moves again,
start again… 7 or 8 passes…. etc.

If you choose to not use a torque wrench, I would recommend one person using the wrench. Equal
tightening is more likely this way. If you have a torque wrench and can get it on the bolts, I would say
use it! This applies to tightening any bolt, but especially to control unintentional movement during the
precision shaft alignment process.

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8/12/2018 Installation Errors Part 3 - Proper Torqueing of Hold Down Bolts - VibrAlign

About the Author

Tom Shelton
Tom comes to us as the result of a positive customer experience with VibrAlign. After 16 years with Wausau
Paper in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, he was transferred to a green eld project in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. One
of this tasks was to research alignment tools. As Tom tells it, “I was amazed at the ease of use the VibrAlign
tools o ered. Then to understand the values of VibrAlign… I wanted to be part of this team.”

Tom is a Journeyman Millwright/Pipe tter with 16 years in the paper industry and customer service training
provided by Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Alan Lashley

July 6, 2018 at 10:12 am

You hit it on the Head Tom, this action will cause a mechanic to chase an alignment all day and complain
the alignment tool is bad. Common sense will tell you that procedure will not work, but yet it is done every
day and the guys know better but are in a hurry. I’ve seen it with our guys, and with contractors as well. We
had a pump contracted out to change and when it was started up by the next day all the shims had
vibrated out and the coupling had destroyed itself because the bolts had not been torqued properly, but it
was not followed up on. The vibe tech caught it on his base line and our mechanics had to go back and
redo the alignment. So there you go….. follow procedures!

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