Which Benefits Do Hydraulic Tensioners Offer?

A hydraulic tool to tighten bolts offers a simple, quick, and safe method to tighten large-diameter bolts with high and precise preloads. It doesn’t use the force of torque or require a violent turning of the nut bolt, similar to impact wrenches, flogging spanners, and hydraulic torque wrenches. Friction is the most common cause of damage.

How to Use a Hydraulic Bolt Tensioner?

When choosing a suitable hydraulic bolt tensioner for your job, you must examine the factors that affect the application of tension. It is essential to consider the bolt’s diameter, the nut size, the washer thickness, the grade of the bolt washer diameter, washer diameter, the length of stud protrusion which is unrestricted, and the required load for the bolt. 

After that, you should review the technical specifications to ensure it provides the hydraulic pressure needed to reach the desired preload speed.

Hydraulic Tensioner Steps

• The bolt tensioner should be placed over the open section of the bolt stud until it is in close contact with the Flange.

• The tensioner’s puller is threaded to each load cell until connected to the piston.

• Hydraulic hoses link each tensioner.

• Apply the appropriate hydraulic pressure to preload the bolt before it stretches.

• The tensioner will come with a locking collar, which will be turned by turning a tommy bar that pushes the nut against the joint.

• The nut should be pushed down the joint’s edge until it’s secure.

• Release the pressure from the tensioner of the hydraulic bolt.

When the hydraulic bolt tensioner relieves the pressure and is taken off, the stud bolt’s tension gets removed. As springs, they return to their original shape by expanding. It clamps onto the joint to create the correct seal.

The tensioning of bolts using hydraulics provides:

Accuracy – extremely excellent bolt load tolerance accuracy, typically 5% or more. There is no frictional loss to be considered or the need for lubrication. It is simple to determine the load transfer rate and avoid overload.

Speed – The tools are high-speed to install and use. Multiple bolt tensioners can be hydraulically actuated in parallel for simultaneous tensioning.

Uniformity – Tensioning multiple bolts simultaneously assures that the same force is applied to every bolt.

Safety – No problems with reaction points or pinch points. The security engineered into Boltight systems is superior to the safety standards in the industry.

The ability to adapt – With adaptor kits, single tensioning equipment can be utilized to cover a wide range of bolt sizes.

Cost efficiency – By combining the above factors, hydraulic bolt tensioning offers an operational benefit to the customer.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, hydraulic tensioners provide numerous advantages, making them valuable tools in diverse industries and applications. Hydraulic tensioners allow for precision and controlled application of tension, which results in consistent and precise tightening of fasteners and bolts. 

This prevents issues like bolt relaxation or over-tightening, which could result in malfunctioning equipment or compromising security. Hydraulic tensioners also benefit from speedy, effective operation, decreasing the time needed for tensioning jobs and increasing productivity overall.