Posted by: Lisa Keck
![HotWork[1] copy](/wp-content/uploads/HotWork1-copy.jpg)
How many times have you been told “No” when requesting a hot work permit for your upcoming job?
The odds are… more times than you care to remember. It’s time to change that dreaded response with a little planning and the right tools.
The reason most hot work permits don’t have a ...
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Let’s face it, up until now bolt load calculation apps for Apple and Android smartphones have left a lot to be desired. The apps either cost money or were limited and not very functional, but FASTORQ is changing all that with an exciting, free app called BoltCALC+.
BoltCALC+ is an easy-to-use and powerful tool designed to calculate ...
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Last week we looked at the Innovative technology behind the invention of the ZipNut. ™ Now it’s time to find out how ZipNut Technology has been adapted to several tools to provide faster and safer ways of operating in dangerous environments.
Radiation, intense heat and deep water subsea environments ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Lisa Keck
Like microwave ovens and personal computers, every once in awhile an invention so profound and life changing alters the world. The bolting industry is lucky enough to gain an invention of the same caliber, the ZipNut.™
A revolutionary concept in threaded connections; ZipNuts replace the time-consuming and repetitive motion of threading regular ...
Continue Reading →Do you find yourself crazier than a squirrel chasing a nut when the opposite nut turns during torque? Does your job require an extra person to hold a back-up wrench in place? Are you pushing safety limits by beating on a stuck striking wrench?
If you are fed up with the troubles associated with dangerous back-up wrenches, it’s time to consider a safer alternative.
A release-assisted back-up wrench, like the FastBAK, is a simple, hands-free mechanical device that slips over a nut and stops it from turning during ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Lisa Keck
A dry bolt can be a dangerous bolt.
This statement may seem a bit dramatic, but the plain truth is that using the proper lubricant on your threaded fasteners is more important than you may realize, especially if you work in an industry where bolt problems can significantly impact production and profitability.
Bolt failure, loose bolts, leaking joints, damaged gaskets and uneven flange alignment are the result of improper bolt preload. Even one poorly ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Lisa Keck
ARE DTIs REALLY WORTH IT?
Could something that costs 10 cents actually guarantee better bolt tension accuracy than your company’s designer?
This question sounds ridiculous to many people since they blindly trust their designer’s torque calculations. Unfortunately, the calculations they rely on to get proper tension may have been determined 10 years earlier by someone that cannot predict all bolt conditions.
In many instances, a designer can only predict some, but not all, of the conditions a bolt may encounter when ...
Continue Reading →Purchase. Break. Repair. Break. Repair. BREAK. REPAIR….
If you use bolting tools and this pattern is part of your daily work life, you are a victim of the low standards set by the hydraulic tool industry.
As an industry professional contributing to the hundreds of millions of dollars spent each year on hydraulic tools, you need to ask yourself, “Why do I accept this low standard from the tools I ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Lisa Keck
LOOSENING BOLTS: UNDERSTANDING THE NEED FOR A SEPARATE HYDRAULIC TORQUE WRENCH
What’s the harm in using the same torque wrench to make-up and break-out a nut on a bolt? Surprisingly, more than you may realize.
It’s a common misconception that a professional torque wrench can perform both functions equally well. It seems logical that a torque wrench that makes up a nut should also be able to break it out as easily as it made it up. However, this flawed logic doesn’t take certain factors into consideration and often causes productivity and safety to suffer.
The torque required ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Lisa Wildman
By Lisa Raynor-Keck
Lurking on the shelf of your shop is one of the most underestimated safety hazards you’ll encounter. It appears innocent and is often harmless until something goes wrong. Surprisingly, it’s your poorly designed flange spreader.
A flange spreader’s uncomplicated appearance is deceiving. Every year people are treated for injuries when seemingly adequate flange spreaders fail. The results can be anything from cuts and gashes to serious injuries. That’s why having a flange spreader that incorporates strength and safety into ...
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