Bolt condition monitoring
27/04/2021
Valley Forge & Bolt, based in Phoenix, USA, is taking its SPC4® Load Indicating Technology to a new level with the UHF Band RTM™ Meter, a wireless bolt monitoring system.The UHF Band RTM Meter operates in 433/868/915 MHz frequencies, which includes the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) frequency. This wireless sensor detects and collects the tension level in a bolted joint, as read by the company’s SPC4 fastener, and then relays the data to a facility’s condition monitoring/supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. Users can also program the sensor to take measurements at prescribed intervals and send alerts if a bolted joint falls out of chosen tension parameters.
There are several scenarios in which the UHF Band RTM Meter’s capabilities will pay dividends for users. The first is that the meter facilitates close monitoring of new fasteners during and immediately after installation. The early hours after an initial tightening sequence can be critical to long-term performance because an unexpected loss of tension can affect bolt life.
Valley Forge & Bolt states that, for the first time, the bolt is starting the conversation about whether it needs maintenance or inspection. Managers can also program alert windows during ‘interest’ periods, such as times of suspected greater vibration in a process, to gauge how fasteners are reacting.
With a web-based user interface, users can change parameters for each wireless sensor remotely. “These features have never before been available in a bolting wireless product,” said James Brooks, Valley Forge & Bolt’s Head of Engineering and Business Development. “The UHF Band RTM Meter is a game changer.”
SPC4 fasteners make it possible to measure the actual tension from within a fastener, providing ‘real-time’ knowledge of critical joint tension and performance from installation and through a fastener’s life. A variety of sensors and meters are available to read, display and relay this tension information.
