Advanced Torque Auditing Methods

The traditional method of auditing bolted joints has been to perform hand torque audits on an assembled part. This method may often reveal very little or no information regarding the cramping force that is holding the joint together, which is the true aim of joint analysis. A new method of auditing uses torque and angle characteristics to determine the integrity of the joint. This method, called M-Alpha, can let the auditor monitor both residual torque and tension values in the joint, as well as, remove the user-dependent variable from the auditing process. Author: Jeff Drumheller, RS Technologies, Ltd., Farmington Hills, MI.