In a processing plant, which consists entirely of flanges, valve joints and pressure vessels bolted together, it is essential that the bolts are tight and torqued to exact specifications or else the flanges and pipes will warp and leak with potentially lethal consequences to people and the environment, says Hi-Force, a leading manufacturer of hydraulic tools.

The company has recently released the second version of BoltRight windows based software program that enables engineers consider all the variables of torque at the click of a button.
When applying torque there are many factors that affect the bolt and in turn the integrity of the joint, all points need to be considered by the engineer for example the type of steel the bolt made of, size of the nuts and bolts, type of lubrication to be used, operating temperature and lots more.
As a guide a basic chart was used by engineers to calculate essential torque figures. But a lot of “unknowns” are left out of these critical calculations. 
With BoltRight thousands of calculations are made easy for the user to provide fully certificated results for every individual bolt joint.
The programme allows user to work in metric or imperial bolt sizes and includes all of the standard ANSI/ASME, API and ISO class flanges. 
BoltRight combined with the launch of a new generation of Hi-Force hydraulic torque wrenches ensures users can consistently and continuously tighten joints correctly time after time.
This latest range of hydraulic tools is fully compatible for use with the innovative Hi-Force BoltRight software suite. 
The program will even suggest what tools to use after a particular calculation has been completed.
When the tool has been suggested, the programme will then provide a full specification of the tool, all of the calculations for the engineer to check, and a complete fully traceable torque/tensioning procedure, to print, store on the PC, or email.
The procedure also includes information such as tag location, joint tag reference, details of organisation and person carrying out the bolt tightening work.
BoltRight is also user friendly.  Basic steps effortlessly allow the user to get the required calculations quickly and efficiently. 
For example if after completing the calculation one goes back and changes the thread pitch of the bolt the calculation will change instantly.  
BoltRight can be tested from a secure password area on the Hi-Force website. The product is not sold and is free to customers using Hi-Force torque wrenches or tensioners. 
The program can even be specifically tailored to meet the customers’ requirements.
Free comprehensive training on the products coupled with BoltRight is available at the company’s head office in the UK and at regional offices internationally.  BoltRight Version 3 will be launched soon and will contain more features that will benefit users worldwide.
Commercially and technically the new Hi-Force hydraulic torque wrenches and the BoltRight software offer the reliability and consistency that is essential for customers  with critical bolted joint  requirements throughout a wide spectrum of industries.
Further information on the Hi-Force Bolting Products range can be found at www.hi-force.com.