Plug- and-play electric torque wrench

Electro Motive Diesel (EMD) locomotive engines used to haul minerals such as iron ore for Australian mining, minerals processing and resources companies, are benefitting from Enerpac’s Electric Torque Wrench (ETW) when performing bolting tasks.

The ETWs are used to torque crab bolts – a critical component of EMD locomotive engines that holds the power assembly to the engine. To further enhance flexibility and efficiency, a sliding reaction arm was fitted to the ETW of an EMD from Downer Rail. The sliding reaction arm is designed for applications where the distance to an adjacent reaction point or bolt centre are widely spaced and uneven, making it difficult to use a standard reaction arm.

“It’s an evolution from the tooling we were using,” said Brian Munro, Depot Manager, Downer Rail. “The ETWs are lighter and easier to use, plus a single technician can now perform a task that previously required two people. Another major advantage for us is that the ETW constantly records what it is doing, eliminating the time- consuming task of manually recording each torque reading. This is a big time- saver.

“The tools are plug-and-play, which makes them highly efficient. We’ve had so much success with them on the crab bolts that we’re looking into other areas where they can save us time too, such as turbo gear drive bolts, crank shaft bolts and other major bolts on locomotive engines,” he said.

The ETW – in maximum torque capacities from 1625-8135Nm (1200- 6000 ft-lbs) – incorporates the latest advanced SMART safety and efficiency technology based on Enerpac’s 50 years of experience as an industry leader in bolting solutions and is fully backed by Enerpac’s extensive service and distribution network throughout Australasia and New Zealand to facilitate optimum reliability and safety compliance.

ELECTRIC TORQUE WRENCHES

The ETW has a high speed continuous rotation, which allows it to perform the job faster than manual methods. It is built with a low friction planetary gearbox to minimise wear and extend uptime. The user can input a nominal torque value followed by a specific angle of rotation, allowing for functionality, efficiency and ease- of- use.

The ETW complements Enerpac’s Pneumatic Torque Wrench and comprehensive range of hydraulic torque wrenches and bolting tools, which is highly valuable to companies seeking time-saving choice, consistency of quality and traceability of outcomes. DETAILS, NEVILLE STUART. PH: 021 667 716, EMAIL: NEVILLE@ENERPAC.CO.NZ