Hydraulic Technology Worldwide

Controlled Bolt Tightening Training Course

Hand-out

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Controlled Bolt Tightening Training Course Overview

Section 1

Introduction to bolted joints

Section 2

Preload

Section 3

Tightening Methods

Section 4

Torque Tightening

Section 5

Bolt Tensioning

Section 6

Bolt Equipment Instruction Sheets

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Section 1: Introduction to Bolted Joints

Flanged Connections

Bolted Joints / Flanges

The main method for connecting separable parts such as pipe-work, machinery & valves

Required to form a seal between pressure containing joints.

Gaskets

Bolts
Most common method for joining a flanged connections

Bolted connections exist in many forms in many applications across industry, such as in pipe work, cranes, machinery etc. where there is a need to separate the joined components for future maintenance work. Flanged joints are common in pressure containing vessels. Inserted between each of the flanges in a connection we usually find a gasket. This is required to effect a seal between the joint members and will vary depending on the application and service of the joint itself. More common types of gasket are soft cut for low pressure, low temperature applications and Spiral Wound and Ring Type gaskets for high pressure and / or high temperature applications.
Bolting a High Pressure Injection Molding Press

Gaskets are typically used in pressure containing joints

Tightening wheel nuts on an earth moving vehicle

The bolts create a clamping force between the joint members sufficient enough to prevent them from separating or leaking. When a bolt is tightened, either by a direct force (Tensioning) or by a torsional force acting on the nut (Torquing), it responds elastically - as do the flanges. In effect both the joint members and the bolt behave like springs, one being compressed and the other stretched (See the diagram opposite). When tightened the bolts have acquired a stored energy this is known as the preload. It is this stored energy which allows the bolts to maintain the all-important clamping force after removal of the Tensioner or Torque Wrench.
The bolts are stretched while the joint is compressed

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Section 2: Preload

Bolting arrangement

Preload
Load retained in a bolt after tightening process has been completed

Caution !
It is important to achieve the correct preload for a bolted joint. Too much load and the joint components could be damaged, too little and the joint could fail.

The bolting arrangement is designed to provide a uniform clamping load across the joint. In order to achieve this the preload applied to each bolt is critical. Too much and the bolts and joint members could be damaged. Too little and the joint will fail. The preload is required to firstly seat the gasket and secondly withstand the parting forces applied to the joint in operation. Under-tight Over-tight

Bolt Loosens due to cyclic loads or vibration

Cracking

Flange Rotation Necking Sealing face surface damage

Over compression of gasket

No compression

The parting load is a combination of factors including the natural elasticity of the joint and gasket materials, the pressure applied internally from the medium the vessel carries and any external bending moments the joint may be subject to. There are many standards for joints which dictate the quantity & size of bolts to be used and often the bolt material and coating. There are standard bolt preloads for common flanges such as those which comply with the ANSI or API specifications. In the case of special engineered joints, the required preload will normally be specified at design stage.

Pressure

Pressure

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Section 3: Tightening Methods

Hydraulic Torque Wrenches

Flogging
Applying preload to a bolt and nut assembly via the nut using a hammer and spanner.

Torque Tightening
Applying preload to a bolt and nut assembly via the nut in a controlled manner using a tool.

Bolt Tensioning
Applying preload directly to the bolt by stretching it axially using a tool.

The correct assembly and tightening of a bolted connection is vital if you are to achieve a sound joint. Firstly the joint members (and in the case of pressure containing vessels the corresponding gasket) must be of the correct specification and free from damage and secondly the bolts must be of the correct size and grade to withstand the preload and subsequent operational loads they...

... may be subject to. Once the joint members are brought together and the bolts have been fitted, you then have to tighten the bolts and apply the required preload. There are many methods available to do this: Flogging, Torquing and Tensioning are the most common.

Flogging: Flogging is the creation of tension in a bolt by the turning of the bolts nuts. The nut is turned manually using a hammer and spanner. Flogging is fast becoming an unorthodox method of tensioning a bolt, due to two main reasons: Safety : Since Flogging is simply hammering a spanner as hard as possible it is easy to cause serious accidents especially when working in close confines. Unreliability: The amount of preload achieved by flogging is effected by varying factors e.g. the length of the flogging spanner or extension and the amount of force applied, which in itself will vary greatly from person to person and bolt to bolt.

Torquing Torquing in principle is the same as flogging, in that preload is created by turning the nut down the stud, except that rather than use a hammer and spanner, a mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic machine is used to rotate the nut and induce the preload. The use of these machines is safer and provides greater control, accuracy and repeatability when applying the preload. Bolt Tensioning: Bolt tensioning applies a force directly to the bolt and stretches it axially eliminating most of the factors which provide control problems when torquing. A stretch is applied directly to the bolt and is retained by the bolts nuts. This provides the clamping force necessary across the joint.

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Section 4: Torque Tightening

Hydraulic and Manual Torque Wrenches

Torquing
Applying tension to a bolt and nut assembly via the nut in a controlled manner using a tool.
1 1 8 4 3 4 2 6 2 Torque Sequence 7 3 5 4 10 6 2 11 7 8 12 1 5 9 3

In order to illustrate the torque process and the complexities associated with it we will assemble an imaginary flange and look at the problems as they arise.

A) Assembling the parts: We start by roughly aligning the flanges so that we can insert the bolts by hand. When we have inserted the gasket and finished pushing and pulling on the flanges their mating faces are not perfectly in alignment. B) Tightening the first bolt: When we torque the nut either using manual, pneumatic or hydraulic wrenches we are doing work, ideally all of this work would be converted to load in the bolt & nut and those portions of the joint members which surround it. If this was so all of the input work would end up as clamping force, sadly however this is not the case. Typically only 10% of the input work is converted to the clamping force, the remaining 90% is lost through friction between nut and bolt threads (40%) and nut and joint faces (50%). This is an over simplification of the loses as there are literally 100's of factors which attribute to only a small percentage of work done being converted to the clamping force. The most common are listed across.
If we were to apply the full torque to the first bolt we would be in danger of point loading the joint and damaging the joint members.

Now we are going to apply a "snugging torque" to run down the nuts and pull the joint members together. This is usually done by hand and just "nips" the bolts. This is done in a cross or star pattern, as shown in the diagrams above.
Friction: The coefficient of friction is very difficult to control and virtually impossible to predict with any accuracy as there a number of variables which can effect it: The hardness of all parts. Surface finishes. Type of material. The thickness, condition and type of plating, if present. The type, amount, condition, method of application, contamination and temperature of any lubricants being used. The speed with which the nut is tightened. The fit between threads. Hole clearance. Presence or absence of washers etc. Geometric Variables: The face of the nut is seldom perpendicular to the axis of the threads, nor are the bolt holes drilled exactly perpendicular to the face of the joint. Weight Effect: Heavy or misaligned joint members resist being pulled together. This may not effect the amount of preload applied to the bolt, but it will reduce the amount of input torque that gets converted to clamping force. Hole Interference: If the hole is misaligned or undersized it will take some effort merely to pull the bolt through the hole. This can reduce the amount of torque available to create preload. Interference Fit Threads: If the threads are damaged or have tight clearance it can take some torque to run the nut down the bolt. The Mechanic: Let us not forget there are people involved here too. The results we get for a specified torque will vary greatly from operator to operator due to human factors e.g. Is he well trained, does he care about what he is doing, is the job easily accessible, can he see the dial on the gauge, and of course fatigue. Tool Accuracy: We must also remember that the equipment used will have a degree of error in accuracy.

Therefore we apply the torque in stages: 1/3rd, 2/3rds & full torque.

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Section 4: Torque Tightening

C) Continuing the First Pass: We're now go on to tightening the remaining bolts in the joint and apply the first pass torque (= 1/3rd of the final torque), and we follow the cross pattern as above. Load Scatter: Imagine again the flange assembly as springs the joint is a large spring connected by rigid top and bottom plates to bolts (smaller springs). Lets assume miraculously that we have tightened bolts 1 & 2 to exactly the amount of preload we require. These two bolts are partially compressing the joint spring. When we tighten bolts 3 & 4, again magically to the exact amount of preload required - the same as in bolts 1 & 2, we have 4 small springs compressing the joint spring. If bolts 1 & 2 retained their full preload when bolts 3 & 4 were tightened we would now have double the compression in the joint spring, however this is not the case, when we tighten bolts 3 & 4, bolt 1 & 2 are allowed to relax a little as the joint is also being compressed by bolts 3 & 4. At this point bolts 1 & 2 have a slightly lower load than bolts 3 & 4 even though they had exactly the same amount of preload applied. Now if we go on and tighten bolts 5 & 6, bolts 3 & 4 will relax a little and 1 & 2 relax further still. This coupled with problems of achieving the required preload from the applied torque results in the scatter of loads seen in our joint after the first pass.

On completion we measure the results and find that the first bolt only has about 10% of the original preload we applied. Measuring the rest returns a wide range of loading in the other 15 bolts. This is due to a phenomenon known as Load Scatter.

The Bolts are stretched while the flanges are compressed

After learning about bolt relaxation and load scatter we realise that more than one pass is required so we must repeat the exercise. Normally 3 - 4 passes are required stepping up the load in the three passes a third of the final load at a time. A final checking pass is usually carried out at full torque beginning with bolt 1 and working clockwise through each bolt. This ensures each bolt has been tightened and is at the required value.

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Section 5: Bolt Tensioning

Bolt Tensioning: We will now consider the same application and apply bolt tensioning as method of preloading the bolts. A) Assembling The Parts We start by roughly aligning the flanges so that we can insert the bolts by hand. When we have inserted the gasket and finished pushing and pulling on the flanges their mating faces are not perfectly in alignment. The aim is to ensure that there is an even gap around the flanges, so we measure it a clock faces. There is about a 1-2mm differential across the flange, we deem this as acceptable and continue. B) Tensioning Operations Unlike torquing, in bolt tensioning we place a Tensioner on each bolt to be tightened. This provides an even and uniform compression of the joint, eliminating the bolt relaxation factors noted whilst torquing. The tools are connected via short hoses in a ring system. The application of hydraulic pressure to the Tensioner develops a known load which stretches the bolts along its axis. The bolts nut will be seen to raise from the joint face as this stretch takes place. In order to retain the load developed the nuts are simply run down the stud by hand. The pressure is then released from the pump and the load is transferred from the Tensioner to the stud assembly. During this transfer a small amount of load is lost, due to factors such as Thread Deflections, Radial expansion of the nut and 'Bedding-in' of the nut on the joint. An additional allowance is therefore included in the calculations when determining the required pump pressure, this is termed the Load Loss Factor. The fundamental advantage of Bolt Tensioning is that direct axial load is applied to the bolt, inaccuracies created through friction are alleviated. Massive mechanical effort to create torque is replaced with simple hydraulic pressure and a uniform load can be applied by tensioning each stud simultaneously. Overview
Step 1 Locate the Tensioner on the bolts to be tightened. Step 2 Apply hydraulic pressure to the Tensioners. The Load stretches the bolt and the nut straddled by the Tensioner is wound down against the joint face. Step 3 Release the pump pressure and a the load is transferred to the studs nuts a clamping force is created in the joint. Remove the Tensioners

Less than 100% Tensioning Not all applications allow for the simultaneous fit of a tensioning device on each bolt, in these cases two tensioning pressures are applied.
Applied Oil Pressure Residual Bolt Load
Apply Pressure B Apply Pressure A (1st Set) Three Times (2st Set) Three Times

1st Set

2st Set

Residual Bolt Load

This is to account for a load loss in those bolts already tensioned as the next sets are tightened. The load losses are accounted for in calculation and a higher load is applied to allow the first sets to relax back to the target preload.

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Section 6: Bolting Equipment - Instruction Sheets

Equipment Operation: For information on the correct and safe use of Enerpac Bolting Products please refer to the Instruction Sheets referenced below.
UT-Series Bolt Tensioners Bolt Range from 5/8 4 / M16 M115 IS RS SS

E-Series Torque Multiplier Five tool sizes cover standard ANSI & API Flanges Bolt Range from 3 / M20 M90 S-Series Hydraulic Torque Wrenches Standard Square Drive Wrenches Torque outputs up to 34079 Nm W-Series Hydraulic Torque Wrenches Standard Low Profile Hexagon Wrenches Torque outputs up to 20337 Nm SQD-Series Hydraulic Torque Wrenches Square Drive Torque Wrenches Torque outputs up to 27000 Nm HXD-Series Hydraulic Torque Wrenches Hexagon Cassette Torque Wrenches Torque outputs up to 24210 Nm Hydraulic Nut Splitters Models available to split all standard A/F sizes Angled head design Flange Alignment Equipment ATM 3 , ATM 1 ATM 5 Flange Spreading Tools Hydraulic & Mechanical Versions available Up to 12 Ton capacity per spreader EIS70116-1a EIS70116-1a L2493 EIS70115-1 L2626 EIS70115-1 L2626 L2494 EIS70105-2 L1453 RPS70103-1 L1456 EIS59111-1 RPS59107-2 EIS59111-1 L2685 EIS59114-1 L2685 EIS59113-1 L2684 L2677 L2677 -

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Section 6: Bolting Equipment - Instruction Sheets

Equipment Operation: For information on the correct and safe use of Enerpac Bolting Products please refer to the Instruction Sheets referenced below.
PMU-Series Portable Electric Torque Wrench Pumps IS L1750 RS L2132 SS -

PTE-Series Portable Electric Torque Wrench Pumps L2085 L2087 -

ZU4T-Series Electric Torque Wrench Pumps L2616 L2624 L2610, L2617 L2625 L2596

ZA4T-Series Air Hydraulic Torque Wrench Pumps L2675 L2673 -

PTA-Series Air Hydraulic Torque Wrench Pumps L2504 L2505 -

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Hydraulic Technology Worldwide

Africa ENERPAC Middle East FZE Tel: +971 (0)4 8872686 Fax: +971 (0)4 8872687 Australia Actuant Australia Ltd. Tel: +61 297 438 988 Fax: +61 297 438 648 Brasil Power Packer do Brasil Ltda. Tel: +55 11 5687 2211 Fax: +55 11 5686 5583 Toll Free: Tel: 0800 891 5770 Canada Actuant Canada Corporation Tel: +1 905 564 5749 Fax: +1 905 564 0305 Toll Free: Tel: +1 800 268 4987 Fax: +1 800 461 2456 China Actuant China Ltd. Tel: +86 21 5866 9099 Fax: +86 21 5866 7156 Tel: +86 10 845 36166 Fax: +86 10 845 36220 Central and Eastern Europe, Greece Enerapc B.V. Tel: +31 318 535 936 Fax: +31 318 535 951 France, Switzerland francophone ENERPAC, Une division de ACTUANT France S.A. Tel: +33 1 60 13 68 68 Fax: +33 1 69 20 37 50

Germany, Austria and Switzerland ENERPAC GmbH Tel: +49 211 471 490 Fax: +49 211 471 49 28 India ENERPAC Hydraulics (India) Pvt. Ltd. Tel: +91 22 2756 6090 Tel: +91 22 2756 6091 Fax: +91 22 2756 6095 Italy ENERPAC S.p.A. Tel: +39 02 4861 111 Fax: +39 02 4860 1288 Japan Applied Power Japan LTD KK Tel: +81 48 662 4911 Fax: +81 48 662 4955 Middle East, Turkey and Caspian Sea ENERPAC Middle East FZE Tel: +971 (0)4 8872686 Fax: +971 (0)4 8872687 Russia and CIS (excl. Caspian Sea Countries) Tel: +7-495-9809091 Fax: +7-495-9809092 Singapore Actuant Asia Pte. Ltd. Tel: +65 64 84 5108 Tel: +65 64 84 3737 Fax: +65 64 84 5669 Toll Free: Tel: +1800 363 7722

South Korea Actuant Korea Ltd. Tel: +82 31 434 4506 Fax: +82 31 434 4507 Spain and Portugal ENERPAC Tel: +34 91 661 11 25 Fax: +34 91 661 47 89 The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Baltic States ENERPAC B.V. Tel: +31 318 535 911 Fax: +31 318 525 613 +31 318 535 848 United Kingdom and Ireland ENERPAC Ltd. Tel: +44 (0)121 50 50 787 Fax: +44 (0)121 50 50 799 USA, Latin America and Caribbean ENERPAC Tel: +1 262 781 6600 Fax: +1 262 783 9562 User inquiries: +1 800 433 2766 Distributor inquiries/orders: +1 800 558 0530

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