By RAD Torque Systems As we move through 2021, the effects of the last year can be felt across all industries. However, despite some major disruptions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the global wind industry still managed to achieve a record year. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, 2020 saw a 53% year-on-year…
Why do bolts loosen?
By Julie Pereyra, Sales Engineer, Nord-Lock Group Depending on the application, bolt loosening can have profound consequences. One loose bolt can bring a whole production plant to a standstill and cost a company thousands. In other applications, loose bolts can pose a significant safety hazard. So, why do bolts loosen? Broadly speaking, there are two…
How galled fasteners may affect wind-turbine O&M
By Patrik Lundström Törnquist & Anders Söderman BUMAX Galling is a form of wear that is caused by metal surfaces in gliding contact with one other, such as the many bolts and fasteners holding rotor blades together in wind turbines. With potentially disastrous and costly effects resulting from galled fasteners seizing or even subject to…
HYTORC’s TORCsafe portal lets users track bolting equipment
HYTORC, which aims to make industrial bolting safer and simpler, provides a complete suite of on-site services to improve productivity through scheduled calibrations, repairs, preventative maintenance, loss prevention, and operator training. The company currently offers the largest mobile service fleet in North America, helping to eliminate project downtime or potential losses associated with shipping tools…
New Equalizer flange tools offer easier wind-turbine tower assembly
Enerpac announces the Equalizer portfolio of tools for easier wind-turbine flange assembly and maintenance. The Equalizer tools provide a safe, cost-effective, and simple solution for flange alignment, flange spreading and flange pulling applications. The flange alignment tools can be used to resolve bolt-hole rotational or lateral misalignment that can occur within flange joints inside turbine…
Enerpac expands its series of bolt tensioners
Enerpac, a global provider of heavy lifting technology and high-pressure hydraulics, now offers the new HM-Series HydraMax and updated GT-Series Hydraulic Topside Tensioners for bolt tightening. Both product series are engineered to achieve accurate bolt-load in single or multiple tensioner configurations, delivering the most reliable bolt tensioning with extreme performance on critical joints. “Field-proven HydraMax…
Enerpac to offer Equalizer’s pumps & flange maintenance tools
Equalizer International has officially became a part of the Enerpac family. This new addition to Enerpac’s bolting product line includes a wider range of high-quality flange maintenance tools. Enerpac’s new line of Equalizer-branded tools provides a safe, cost-effective method of maintaining flange joints. The innovative product range includes flange spreaders, flange alignment and pulling tools, and…
Nord-Lock steel washers offer high salt-spray resistance and reliability
Corrosion is a growing concern across industries, and particularly the wind-power sector, where harsh conditions such as heat, humidity, and air pollution are combined. The Neutral Salt Spray Test (NSST according to ISO 9227) is one of the most established methods to verify corrosion resistance. Nord-Lock Group has officially raised the corrosion resistance on all…
Enerpac introduces next-generation tensioning pumps
Enerpac, an international producer of high-pressure hydraulics, introduces its new electric tensioning pump. The ZUTP1500-S Series with a pendant-operated solenoid valve is ideal for multiple bolt tensioning applications and allows for single-person operation. The operator can pressurize and retract the tensioner directly from the pendant. The pump achieves high-pressure without the need for an intensifier.…
Three ideas for safer, more efficient bolting jobs
By Craig Walker Contributor If you’ve ever pinched your finger when bolting items together, you know the feeling’s unpleasant. I had a painful pinch reattaching the rear wheel of my son’s bicycle after repairing the flat. I can only imagine injury from pinching a finger when bolting the tower of a wind turbine together. Lucky…
The LION Gun offers precision bolting system with built-in data recording
HYTORC aims to make industrial bolting safer and simpler. To this end, the company recently introduced the LION Gun, which it describes as the world’s first affordable precision bolting system with built-in data recording. Simply set the desired torque output on the LION Gun’s display and pull the trigger to get precise, repeatable torque without…
Is that bolt tight to the right…load? Ultrasonic sensor tells
By Paul Dvorak, Editor Windpower Engineering & Development A recently introduced handheld device has the ability to monitor and display the elongation, stress, and load on a wind-turbine fastener. Developer Hydratight says its BoltScope Ultra is for applications that call for accurate bolt loads, such as those in the wind, nuclear, other power-generation industries. It…
Hands Free Bolting Specialists offer new safety tools
There is a common misconception that safety comes with a high price tag and extended working procedures, however, when compared to the many other expensive indirect costs, including the potential number of injuries and lost work hours, the desire to implement preventative measures becomes an easy decision. Safety specialists, Hands Free Bolting Ltd., maintain an…
How to recognize fretting corrosion and what to do about it
Scott Eatherton / CEO / Wind Driven LLC Question: What is the quickest way to find the weak points in a mechanical design? Answer: Install it in a wind turbine. It’s not a joke. Load spectrums in wind turbines are unique. The wide variations in wind speeds produce wide ranges of shaft torque, nacelle motion, and…