BoltSafe offers a force transducer that is specially designed to measure and monitor bolt load. Both during assembly and over time, usually in a bolted construction. Contrary to most force transducers available, BoltSafe uses magnetoelastic technology instead of strain gauges or piezoelectric technology. In this way, they measure the changes in the magnetic field instead. When using a BoltSafe force transducer, safety is enhanced, bolted joints are more dependable and better control over the construction is assured.
Our sensor is placed on the non-driven side of a bolted connection, preferably under a nut. As force is being applied to the sensor while tightening the bolt, minor deformations of the stainless steel washer occur. We use these deformations to measure the changes in the electrical resistance, in order to determine the bolt load at any given moment. Another application of our products is in temporary construction, where they can monitor the load in the construction to make sure that the construction doesn’t collapse. This functionality is also very useful for Structural Health Monitoring.