Assembly In Action: Snowmobile Fasteners Torqued Correctly
After much research, the company chose Mountz Inc.'s (San Jose, CA) TorqueMate 200, which is portable and fits in a person's hand. Now, the company no longer relies on impact and clicker wrenches, and over- or under-torquing a fastener is no longer a concern. The TorqueMate shuts off at a specified torque for consistent effi-ciency. The quality control people now have the ability to measure tool performance, giving repeatability and accuracy. It is digitally operated and allows use of many external transducers in different areas of the plant.
The engineering department uses the TorqueMate to evaluate fasteners and develop new clamping methods. They can now simulate a particular joint in one of their vehicles and then try to get the fastener to jam, strip or break to test its strength.