RotaBolt  Assurance Through Measurement

Innovative Bolting Technology

Assurance Through Measurement

leak-free environments

maintenance-free regimes

assured structural integrity

instant checking

constant monitoring

improving safety

achieving reliability

increasing performance

saving money

enhancing design

extending life

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The Science of Meaurement

90% of all bolted joint failures can be attributed to low bolt tension on installation tightening. Achieving and maintaining the correct installed design
tension will eliminate failures from fatigue, vibration loosening, structural slip and pressure containment.

Bolted joint reliability technology is an established science but the vast majority of bolted joints in engineering are tightened in an uncontrolled
manner; the bolt tension achieved at the end of the tightening cycle is unmeasured and unknown.

Traditional tightening practice measures something else - tightening power or the effort applied. The belief is that there
is a reliable correlation between the equipment tightening power and the residual bolt tension achieved - there is no reliable correlation.

RotaBolt® technology is the science of measurement. It accurately measures tension so that it can be correctly
achieved, maintained and monitored. With the right joint design, component quality and installed tension, integrity
of the bolted joint is assured.

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Global Presence

• Manufacturing in the UK, USA and Taiwan

• Global sales and distribution network

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RotaBolt  1 ®

A standard bolt is converted with a RotaBolt indicator and RotaCap. Component materials are compatible with
the parent bolt to nullify in-service thermal and galvanic effects.
It is 100% load test calibrated with an accuracy of ±5%. As the fastener is stretched under load, internal air-
gap technology locks the RotaCap at the specified, load test calibrated tension value.
As soon as tension reduces, the RotaCap immediately rotates freely, to give a clear indication of tension loss.

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RotaBolt   2 ®

RotaBolt 2 provides an even greater range of tension control on installation tightening and in-service
checking, by offering two tension settings in a single sensor.
A dual load indicator cap has an outer cap for high tension setting, and an inner cap for low tension, giving
the choice of an operational tension range, either for overload or maintenance control.

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RotaBolt  Vision
®

The Vision gives a clear, visual indication of loss of tension across the bolted joint.
Using the same internal air-gap technology, it has a specially developed indicator which appears as an
unbroken yellow line across the head of the fastener.
As soon as any tension is lost, the indicator instantly rotates by ninety degrees to show a distinct right angle
break in the yellow line. This is clearly visible up to 25 metres away and is ideally suited for locations where
access is restricted and close inspection difficult.

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Breakbolt  ®

Breakbolt successfully delivers an accurate breakaway mechanism as a primary safety feature and has been
used on specialist sub-sea applications.
The Breakbolts are engineered to break at a pre-set Ultimate Tension Stress (UTS). They have a specially
machined waist, which reduces the cross sectional area, allowing the bolt to shear once it has reached the
necessary tolerance. The bolts are tested to destruction at an independent test house and are certificated to
their desired UTS.

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Sub Sea Structure
Case Study 1

RotaBolt technology is performing a vital role in the Valdemar and Roar Gas Lift projects for Maersk Oil in the Tyra field, on the Danish
Continental Shelf about 250km offshore from Esbjerg, Denmark.

In 2014 Maersk awarded TechnipFMC an installation contract for the gas lift projects.
The aim was to improve production volume – which had been declining – by the
fabrication and installation of two new riser caissons on the Valdemar BA and Roar
unmanned platforms. These risers enable import of lift gas to be injected into the wells
to reduce the density of the fluids so that they flow more easily. When the produced
goods are out of the well, the lift gas is removed from the hydrocarbons and then
reinjected back into the well.

The projects were executed in 2015 by Maersk Oil Denmark with TechnipFMC in Norway
acting as contractor, and with Denmark-based SubC Partners acting as subcontractor
for installation of three large clamps and associated brackets, to fix the gas lift bundle to
the caisson, using RotaBolt technology.

An order was placed with RotaBolt by TechnipFMC in March 2015 for the manufacture,
testing and supply of fasteners ranging in size from M36 to M58 with minimum proof
loads of 490kN to 1459kN. The decision was based on numerous important factors,
including RotaBolt’s offshore track record (RotaBolts have been used in subsea
applications for over 30 years with no reported issues) and the technical merit of its
proposals, the very high pre-load accuracy of the fasteners, its use of top quality
materials, and a comprehensive proof-test loading programme.

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Offshore Structure

Case Study 2

The Nobelwind offshore wind farm is being developed by Nobelwind NV, a joint venture of Parkwind, Sumitomo and Meewind. Belgium
based marine construction experts Jan de Nul Group, secured the contract for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation
of 51 monopile foundations for the 50 wind turbines and one substation.

Located on the Bligh Bank 46km off the Belgium coast, over 4000 M72 Hex Head Bolts
converted with the RotaBolt 2 tension control system were required on this project for
approximately 50 turbines generating 3.3MW each. 100% RotaBolts are specified to connect
the Monopile (MP) and the Transition Piece (TP’s) on this Offshore Wind Farm Project.

The decision to go for a flanged MP-TP connection is in line with a general trend in the
market where a bolted connection is considered to present less structural risk than the
traditional grouted connection. The introduction of the RotaBolt 2’s will further de-risk the
installation and operational aspects of this bolted connection.

The decision to use RotaBolt 2 was based on having accurate control during the tightening
process in order to…

• Avoid damaging the flanges in susceptible areas where shims were used to
accommodate any unevenness between the flange faces
• Safely utilise 85% of all the bolts natural strength during torque tightening
• To obtain assurance of the overall bolted joint design objective

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Pressure Containment
Case Study 3

South East Asia has become one of the biggest success stories for RotaBolt® measurement technology. The success story in the region
has been in Taiwan where leak-free operations have been achieved in a major petrochemical processing plant.

The plant is now using measurement technology on a variety of applications following a dramatic
success story on one of its combined feed exchangers at an Aroma production plant at the site.

The exchanger had leaked during hydro testing, on start up and then again during roduction. It was fitted
out with 56 RotaBolt fasteners and the leaks stopped.

This was described simply as a "miracle" by the operators who promptly initiated plans to use the
technology on a variety of reactors and heat exchangers throughout the plant. Since then thousands of
RotaBolt fasteners have been fitted to heat exchangers, pressure vessels, pipelines, reactors and steam
generators on various plants across the site.

The company has now decided to feature the science of RotaBolt measurement technology in its training
regimes and has been successful in securing support for the training from the Taiwanese government.

News of the success has also quickly spread to 60 other plants operating in the area.

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Structural Integrity

Case Study 4

RotaBolts are being used on one of the most advanced tactical military bridging systems in the world.

The latest version of the Dry Support Bridge (DSB) from WFEL uses over 1,000 RotaBolt®
fasteners to help assure its structural integrity. The DSB has a special lightweight construction
featuring a series of aluminium modules which are pinned together using steel jaws.

The design of the jaw system relies on a guaranteed clamping force across the bolted joints.

The technology is being used by the company on each of the critical friction joints because they
can be relied upon to achieve and maintain the necessary clamping force and assure structural
integrity.

The new DSB can be deployed in under 90 minutes by just 8 soldiers using a single launch
vehicle. It can span a gap of 46 metres and carry up to 120 tonnes of load.

An added benefit is that during the assembly process in the

field, the RotaCap on top of each RotaSoIt can be very quickly
and easily 'finger checked' to see that the correct tension or
load has been achieved.

The American Army has been using the original DSB system
since 2003 and the latest version from WFEL has seen an
increase in its load capacity and span.

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Vibration

Case Study 5

Caterpillar is using RotaBolt® measurement technology on special versions of its Cat® EL 2000 and 3000 Longwall Mining Shearers which
are used in very challenging underground environments where vibration is a constant factor.

The shearers have a reputation for maximum structural integrity and service life and the performance of RotaBolt fasteners has been helping
Caterpillar to not only assure integrity but also improve maintenance checking.

The shearers can cut and load more than 5,000 tonnes an hour and feature a one-piece mainframe design. Special versions of the shearers with
split mainframes are available wherever there are underground conditions that limit transportation. The mainframe is split into three separate units
and RotaBolts up to 6 metres in length are being used to join the sections together.

The technical team at James Walker RotaBolt have worked closely with Caterpillar converted mainly M64 and M80 fasteners which have ranged
from 1 metre in length to over 6 metres. In joining sections of the mainfrarnes together, the bolts are being tightened by mechanical jack
tensioners, with RotaBolts providing control and measurement of correct tension up to 250 tonnes.

Feedback from operational teams in mines across Asia and Europe has been very positive, reporting enhanced underground assembly and
disassembly as well as ongoing assured structural integrity.

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The science of bolting integrity

Fatigue
This joint diagram illustrates the effect of a cyclic, fatigue working load, FA, on a correctly loaded
joint, bolt tension FV The bolt feels only a small proportion of this fatigue load, FSA.

If the design is correct, FSA should be lower than the bolts endurance fatigue limit, ±alt

With a lower bolt tension, the bolt feels more of the fatigue loading thereby increasing the risk of
fatigue failure. If Fsa exceeds ±alt then fatigue failure will definitely occur.

Vibration Loosening
Bolts can self loosen when subjected to transverse vibration. Bolt tension creates friction grip
in fastener mating surfaces under the bolt head or nut and in the male and female thread
interfaces. In the diagram below, with low bolt tension, low levels of friction grip are generated in
the bearing interfaces.

Transverse vibration overcomes the grip and the bolt will self loosen. The loosening process
is accelerated by the bolts intemal 'offtorque'; the bolt is like a wound spring that wants to get
back to its unstressed position. At the correct bolt tension, the developed friction grip resists the
transverse shake, it cannot self loosen and the joint remains reliable.

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The science of bolting integrity

Structural Slip
The explanation for this mechanism is the same as in friction grip. Bolt tension develops friction
grip in connecting structural members, preventing slippage under service loadings be it static or
dynamic.

The bolting type used for this type of connection is commonly called High Strength Friction Grip
(HSFG) bolting. Insufficient bolt tension/friction grip increases the risk of structural slippage/failure
where the structure slips on to the bolt shank putting it in shear.

Pressure Containment Leaks

Bolted flanged joints are used to contain intemal pressure in pipeline or pressure vessels.
The bolt tension developed on tightening creates an equal and opposite compression in the joint
which has to withstand the intemal pressure trying to open the flanges.
This compression also develops the required gasket seating stress enabling the gasket to seal
effectively. With insufficient bolt tension and low joint compression, the internal pressure finds a
leak path.

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James Walker worldwide support & distribution

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James Walker RotaBolt

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Tel:+44 (0)1384 214442 Fax:+44 (0)1384 455186 Email: sales@rotabolt.co.uk

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