Maintenance Tips to Extend Torque Wrench Equipment Life and ROI

Maintenance Tips to Extend Torque Wrench Equipment Life and ROI 

A torque wrench is a highly developed form of the common wrench. It has the specialty that it can be preset to achieve a specific torque value while nut, bolt, or lag screw tightening. Torque wrenches are broadly classified into 3 types:- beam type, click type, and electronic type. Torque wrench finds uses in all types of industries like Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Infrastructure, Automotive, Defense, Aerospace, etc. 

They are the most important bolting system in the world of industrial bolting

It finds usage in all industrial sectors. The main thing to remember is you can  tighten fasteners up to a certain predefined torque setting through a special internal spring arrangement, unlike the normal spanner.

The sole purpose of the torque wrench is to apply the fed torque accurately during work. In this sense, you may go ahead and purchase the most expensive one available in the market hoping to get a good ROI over a long time. But unfortunately, that’s not how this works out.

So, here’s how this goes - just like all other machines and equipment to keep producing the desired results, your torque wrenches have to be maintained periodically to enhance their shelf life.

Here are 5 Torque Wrench Hacks to earn good ROI:

Selecting Accessories

Using torquing tools and compatible accessories with their counterpart is necessary. Listed below are some of the things to be kept in mind.

  • The use of extension bars or pipes that change the effective length should be restricted.

  • Only use head extensions or offset heads designed for the torque tools

  • Only use sockets, bits, and adapters that are compatible and assure to withstand usage torque limits.

Prior to Use

Having a good technical knowledge of the job is very important so as to prevent damage to the equipment.

  • Collect details of the usage torque value and check with your wrench’s maximum torque specification to see if you have selected the correct one. 

  • Over-torquing is the most common problem faced while bolt tightening. It can cause irreparable damages both to the torque wrench as well as the bolt threading. So one has to ensure to keep a safe margin on the rated capacity and preset the torquing value accordingly for each application.

  • In the case of adjustable tools, be cautious to match the units of measurement with the tool's scale and confirm if the torque value is set properly.

  • Check for any observable physical damage.

  • Before directly applying to the job, ensure a few trial tests by clicking a few times to check if the spring works perfectly or not so that it gives consistently better results with repeated applications.

Apply Proper Force

Bolt tightening does require a lot of force but it has to be applied systematically.

  • You should strictly apply force in the direction indicated on the body of the wrench.

  • Be careful to check if you are using it for the correct purpose:- the majority being normal tightening applications and some applications require angle or torque setting.

  • Don’t use torque tools repeatedly to loosen fasteners.

  • Force has to be applied at the optimal position.

  • Torque is calculated by (length x force), so the effective length is crucial to ensure the application of a balanced force.

  • You should also keep in check the position where you are grasping as this might affect the moment. A grip neither too close nor too far away is necessary to apply a stabilizing force.

  • After hearing the Click, Stop.

  • Stop applying more force after the Click as this may cause over-torquing.

  • A linear force has to be applied so as not to generate unwanted momentum which may have adverse effects.

Things to Avoid

Here are some things you must avoid to ensure good ROI.

  • Do not use it for hammering purposes or anything other than its sole purpose.

  • Avoid over-torquing.

  • As mentioned earlier, do not use unnecessary length and head extensions.

  • Never use it without proper confirmation on calibration.

  • Be sure to remove grime, dust, or grease from the ratchet head after use to avoid creating unintended momentum.

Torque Wrench Storage


How you store your tool is also important in enhancing its long life. DON’T just go through it in your toolbox after your job is done. Given below are a few suggestions.

  • For Adjustable types, after use make sure to move graduation to the lowest setting to take tension off of the spring as this will slow the gradual ageing of your spring.

  • Store in a case or an environment that is not wet, humid, or thermal extremes to avoid corrosion.

  • Keep it clean only with a dry cloth.

  • Keep it separate from other tools so that it does not get damaged.

Torque Wrench Calibration:

Keep track of your number of tightening cycles on the job. This will allow you to plan the maintenance cycle. The normal guarantee for a tool is up to 100000 cycles or 1 year, whichever comes up faster. But with proper maintenance, you can increase its life ten folds. For example, you can maintain and adjust the tool every 100000 cycles.

Conclusion

Torque Wrench are specialized tools and require proper care to maintain precision and accuracy. To ensure this, torque tools should be checked periodically. At least once annually, but should be reviewed more often if subjected to frequent use and as per accuracy requirements. 

Hope the above-mentioned hacks benefit you to get the best results from your tools.




Content Sources :- ABSGroup

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