Fasteners, like screws and bolts, hold together much of the modern world, from airplanes to cars, washing machines to microwaves, desks to drawers, and cellphones to laptops. But those parts can cause major issues if they aren’t affixed with the appropriate amount of torque. Torqued too tightly, fasteners might break. Torqued too loosely, fasteners might come unscrewed.
To ensure fasteners don’t fail in the field, assemblers must regularly test their tools. Routine testing gives manufacturers, engineers, and others who develop, assemble, and test products confidence that their tools will perform reliably – and helps them comply with industry, national, and international safety and quality standards.
Here’s what you need to know about torque tool testing, including best practices and information about how to test your tools.
What Torque Tools Require Testing?
Any tool that’s used to install fasteners – including manual, electric, pneumatic torque screwdrivers and wrenches – must be tested routinely. Most tools click, slip, or stop automatically to signal that the appropriate torque has been reached. Over time, those settings can shift slightly and eventually result in an over- or under-torqued fastener.
The Importance of Routinely Testing Torque Tools
Improperly torqued fasteners can lead to a host of bad outcomes that range from inconvenient to life-threatening, depending on the product. A broken screw in a desk chair might trigger a recall – but a loose bolt in a car engine could lead to fatal accidents.
While consumer safety is the primary concern, cost is a secondary consideration. Defective products can become a significant expense for organizations: recalls are costly, and failing to comply with certain standards can result in fines and fees. Further, accidents and recalls can raise questions about a brand’s quality and damage its reputation.
How to Test Your Torque Tools
To ensure products are safe for the market, manufacturers and engineers must have confidence in the tools they use to assemble them. The only way to verify that tools are within tolerance is to test them with precision measurement equipment, like Series TT02 Torque Tool Testers from Mark-10.
TT02 testers are compact, user-friendly instruments that can be used to measure the torque tools produce with best-in-industry ±0.3% accuracy. The rugged devices excel in both R&D and production environments.
To test your screwdriver with a TT02 tester, place it in the universal 3/8” square receptacle and twist. To test a power tool, insert a rundown fixture in the receptacle. As you apply torque, the instrument’s display will show live and peak torque in your preferred unit of measurement: lbFin, ozFin, lbFft, Ncm, or Nm. The tester also calculates first and second peaks, which are useful for click-type and bottom-out-type tools.
All TT02 testers come with MESUR®Lite data acquisition software, which can be used to collect and tabulate data. Datasets can be easily exported to Excel.
To learn more about the Series TT02, watch the video:
Your Partner in Torque Measurement
If you work with fasteners and would like to learn how Series TT02 testers can help you validate your torque tools, speak with one of Mark-10’s knowledgeable product experts.
For nearly 50 years, professionals across industries – including packaging, education, ergonomics, and medical device, aerospace, and automotive manufacturing – have relied on Mark-10’s force gauges, torque gauges, testing machines, and wire crimp pull testers to solve their quality, compliance, and consistency challenges. Our intelligently engineered measuring equipment is easy to use and backed by our best-in-industry service and lifetime support.
