Jesse Tarr / President / Windsecure Anchor bolts secure a variety of structures to foundations. Wind turbines are just one such structure. Loose anchor bolts will allow excessive fatigue the foundation’s reinforcing steel, grout, and concrete. This fatigue eventually leads to larger, more expensive problems such a grout and concrete failures, all of which jeopardize…
Where are bolts used in the wind industry?
Wind turbines, like helicopters, are fatigue machines—always vibrating and working to loosen their fasteners. More vibration will come as engineers develop longer blades to capture more wind energy and towers reach higher to accommodate them. These increased vibration levels may loosen some tower fasteners. To prevent this, engineers are looking for better ways to measure…
Bolting company celebrates 25th anniversary
Aztec Bolting Services commemorated the 25th anniversary of its opening with a company-wide celebration on Sept. 14. The event included two days of training sessions that focused on strategies of continued growth of building for the future. The company says the anniversary is a testament to the company’s vision and commitment of providing quality and…
Three ideas for more reliable turbines
Reliable equipment is needed to decrease turbine costs and downtime. Large amounts of time and resources are often spent on finding methods to reduce the risks of large components failing. Turbine gearboxes are one such example. However, more often than not, it is the small components such as seals and bolts that are central…
Hydraulic bolt tensioners
The Tentec Aero WTB is a range of hydraulic bolt tensioning tools to suit most wind turbine bolting applications. All WTB Tensioning tools have capacity to generate the specified proof load requirements as detailed in EN ISO 898-1:1999 and ASTM A490M for grade 10.9 Bolts. These tensioners have been designed with rapid tensioning in mind…
Thread locker holds bolts and zinc protects them
Bolts take a lot of attention in most machinery and more so in the always-slightly-moving wind turbines. Two recent products provide ways to hold them fast and then protect them. A high-viscosity, primerless, red threadlocker, intended for use in a wide range of heavy duty industrial applications, cures even on fasteners treated with thread lubricants…
A better coating for wind power bolts
Andrew R. Pfeifer, Metal Coatings International Inc., Chardon, Ohio, metal-coatings.com Since the 1970s, users of high strength ASTM A490 bolts were prohibited from using metallic coatings. The main reason for this restriction was the possibility of early fracture due to hydrogen embrittlement. Following research presented to ASTM Committee F16 on Fasteners and the Research Council…
How small tools generate big bolt tension
A Superbolt or multi-jackbolt tensioner is a direct replacement for hex nuts, covered nuts, and bolts. They spin onto existing bolt or stud and provide a better way to bolt up the joint. Multi-jackbolt tensioners consist of a hardened washer which protects equipment and provides a hardened, flat surface for the jackbolts to “push” against.…
A brief tour of a bolt factory
All raw materials used to manufacturer products at AA Anchor Bolt Inc, Northville, Mich., is melted and manufactured in the U.S. by certified steel mills. The company inventories over 600,000 lb of material which allows for quick turnarounds. Threading capabilities range from ¼ to 5 in. The company manufacturers rolled and cut threaded products as…