Residual torque, also known as breakaway torque, is the force that remains in a tightened joint after it has been tightened. This is the determining factor for how tightly a joint has been tightened and is extremely important for quality assurance.
It's a fact of life: Quality Assurance is vital to retaining your customers. However, improving the quality of a product can be overwhelming. So, where should you start? Almost any quality check conducted can improve the quality of your products, but performing quality audits on the joints may be the best place to start, and there are a few good reasons for that, including:
- Optimizing production
- Catching issues before the product is delivered
- Delivering the highest product quality
Read on to discover how performing quality audits on joints with Atlas Copco’s Quality Assurance tools and solutions can make a big impact on quality in your assembly.
Reason #1: For production optimization
They say ignorance is bliss. However, this is not the case when it comes to your manufacturing plant. Data and KPIs are essential to flagging potential tightening inconsistencies and keeping everything running smoothly. In fact, the joint check is the most important Quality Assurance task because it provides detailed information about the real torque left by the tools in production. This information is essential to fine-tune the product process and maintain the highest possible product quality during assembly.
If done properly, residual torque checks can help you understand if dynamic torque is to be increased or decreased on your tightening tools. In this way, you can take a more proactive approach to improve and maintain the highest possible product quality in your assembly.
Reason #2: To catch issues before the product is delivered
Catching issues with product quality is critical before the product is sent out to customers. Of course, you can visually check a product to look for defects, but how much can you discover about a screw by visually inspecting it? A more obvious defect would be easy to catch but imagine trying to detect less noticeable defects or quality issues. For instance, a screw that has too little torque to withstand normal use would be very hard to detect in such a way. This is where a residual torque check would be useful. These checks will catch these faulty joints before they reach customers.
Reason #3: To achieve high product quality
During the design and prototype phase of a product, engineers will define the clamping load for each joint. But how do you set the production line correctly so that you have the right clamping load? Well, this is another instance where residual torque checks can be helpful. These checks on the prototype help find the relation between clamping load and dynamic torque. This relation will help set the production line and define the tools the application requires.
Luckily, Atlas Copco's smart STwrench digital torque wrench has a patented algorithm for residual torque checks. By analyzing the trace from a joint in real-time, the tool will vibrate to alert operators when the residual torque point is found, thus reducing overloads and ensuring the quality of the product is maintained.
To learn more about our Quality Assurance solutions or to schedule a Walk the Line evaluation for your facility, be sure to contact Atlas Copco today!