Hytec and Power Team get torqueing

Hydraulic systems & components

1st Quarter 2015 Hydraulic systems & components

When industrial projects company, Bühler, needed a series of bolts to be torqued to precise levels within a strict deadline, they contracted Hytec in Durban to manage the process. This safety-critical assignment formed part of a larger project to install a new port loader at Durban’s main commercial harbour, which will load export grains directly onto vessels. The SPX Bolting Systems torque wrench from Hytec company, Power Team provided the solution.

“The sheer size of the grain loader meant that torqueing the platform’s slew rings into place required a highly specialised approach,” said Francois Ras, Power Team technical sales representative. “The slew ring connecting the base to the boom weighed well over a ton and was designed to carry in excess of 200 tons, so it was critical to eliminate point loading and load scatter by following a calculated torque sequence.”

With the slew ring assembly made up of 144 bolts, the sequence involved lubricating each bolt and increasing the torque value on every pass until the specified 1650 Nm of torque was reached on every bolt – totalling 576 torques over the four passes. To remain within the two-day project timescale, Hytec needed a specialised torque wrench package that could firstly keep up with the high speed demands and secondly torque each bolt precisely to exact levels at every stage of the sequence, ensuring the components were secured without any possibility of distortion.

“The combination of the low clearance torque wrench from the SPX Bolting Systems hydraulic torque wrench range and the Power Team PE55TWP Series hydraulic torque wrench pump was the only tool-pump suitable for the job due to the confined spaces. The wrench had the torque range required to cover and accurately apply the three-stage torque settings and provided the speed to complete the project in the scheduled time,” added Ras. “The integral cooler on the pump also ensured that the pump was able to run continuously, eliminating the possibility of overheating and unplanned downtime.”

The end result was that by the time the assignment was finished, Bühler was able to move onto the next step of the project with full confidence that correct and equal torque had been applied across the inner and outer slew ring bolts. This was supported by certification supplied with the wrench and power pack and signed off documentation.

Following conclusion of the project, the equipment was returned to Power Team for inspection, full test and recertification on the Power Team certified and calibrated torque wrench test bench, ready for the next project. The tests and inspection also served to verify the value of the project.

For more information contact Ian Bennett, Power Team SA, +27(0)11 723 6800, [email protected], www.hytecgroup.co.za

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Hydraulic systems & components

Hytec and Power Team get torqueing

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