BoltSafe offers load cells that are specifically designed for measuring and monitoring bolt load, as well during assembly as over time. They can also be used as a weighing device, for example in temporary construction and for Structural Health Monitoring. Here they monitor the load in the construction to make sure that the construction doesn’t collapse. Precisely knowing the bolt load enhances safety and control in bolted constructions and makes joints more dependable. Most load cells, and therefore also tension load cells, use strain gauges, but this is not the only available load cell technology. BoltSafe uses magnetoelastic technology, which measures the changes in the magnetic field.
When a BoltSafe load cell is used for measuring bolt load, it is used as a washer and placed on the non-driven side of a bolted connection, preferably under a nut. Tightening the bolt and applying force results in minor deformations of the stainless steel washer. These deformations cause changes in the electrical resistance, which can then be measured, just like a tension load cell. This is the data we use to determine the bolt load precisely at any given moment.