Is The Torque You Use Important When Fastening Bolts?

If you are to use a hex tap bolt in an industrial setting, one of the most important things you will need to keep in mind when using it is how much torque you need to tighten it. This is especially so when you are involved in precision engineering, such as when installing engines of […]

If you are to use a hex tap bolt in an industrial setting, one of the most important things you will need to keep in mind when using it is how much torque you need to tighten it. This is especially so when you are involved in precision engineering, such as when installing engines of various types. In such cases, how much torque is used in installing the hex tap bolt will determine a lot including how long it’s likely to last.

What are the consequences of not installing the bolt to the right torque?

When there is less than needed stress on the bolt when it has been installed, this could be an indicator that it has not been fastened properly. This then leads to a host of other problems including the risk of having the bond that it is supposed to tighten coming loose. In other instances, the bond being fastened might need to have properties such as being relatively waterproof. If the tension within the tightened hex tap bolt is not enough, it could admit some water into the bond. Tightening the bolt with too much torque also has a number of complications, including running the risk of having the bolt snap under the pressure. It could also make it more difficult to undo the bolt later on.

 
How to go about it the right way

This then means that when you need to use fasteners such as a hex tap bolt, issues such as how much torque to use when fastening it should always be thought through. Fortunately, there are various ways of finding out how much torque needs to be applied when tightening specific hex tap bolts. One of these is by consulting the fastener distributors that the fasteners are bought from. Most of them offer specs sheets that contain all this information, making it a lot easier for one to make a call on how tight the hex tap bolt should be. This information is also available from the manufacturers of the device you are trying to fasten. In the case of an engine, for instance, the manufacturer will usually specify which types of bolts to use in fastening it, as well as how much torque to use for bolts in specific areas of the engine mounting.

The issue of precision

In some cases, how much torque you need to apply to the hex tap bolts will not be a major issue, and you can afford to take a few liberties when tightening them. However, when installing most equipment, you will need to adhere to strict guidelines governing this. For this reason, it would make sense for you to invest in a torque wrench which gives out a reading of how much torque you are applying on each hex tap bolt to ensure that it’s not too tight or too loose. These can also be rented out from a variety of hardware stores that provide this service. The key issue is that unless you are absolutely sure that you don’t need to be very accurate with this, it would be important to take reasonable steps in ensuring that you use just enough torque.