Where joints lose preload

Rotating machinery

• Compressors
• Fans and blowers
• Gearboxes
• Generator sets
• Machine mounts

The problem

Rotating equipment produces continuous vibration at its mounts, flanges and housings. Foundation bolts, casing joints and coupling guards can lose clamp force over months of running.

Re-tightening usually has to wait for a planned stop, and a loose mount can raise vibration further, which speeds up wear on bearings and seals.

Design intent

SmartBolt is intended for joints like these, where vibration is constant and access between stops is limited.

Mining and processing equipment

• Vibrating screens
• Crushers
• Feeders
• Conveyors
• Mills

The problem

Screens, feeders and crushers are built to shake or impact material, so their own structure sees heavy cyclic loading. Side-plate connections, liner bolts and structural joints are regularly found loose at inspection.

These machines often sit in dusty, hard-to-reach places, and a failed joint can stop a whole processing line.

Design intent

SmartBolt is intended for joints that are loaded by the machine's own working motion.

Energy equipment

• Wind turbine towers and nacelles
• Generators
• Transformers
• Power plant auxiliaries

The problem

Large bolted connections in energy equipment are inspected and re-torqued on fixed schedules, often with specialist tooling and crews.

Many of these joints are expensive to reach: at height on a wind turbine tower, offshore, or at remote sites, where each visit costs time and output.

Design intent

SmartBolt is intended for connections where each inspection visit is costly and joints must hold between visits.