Effect of Friction on plastic Tightening Of Bolt

Objective:
The objective of this theory is how friction plays a vital role in tightening of bolts.

Content:

Introduction about friction

What is Torque?
What is plastic tightening?
Effects of re-using the Plastic limit tightened bolts.
Effects of friction on tightening of bolt.
Formula relation between torque & clamping load.

Arun Prakash.N

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Effect of Friction on plastic Tightening Of Bolt

FRICTION:
Friction is the force resisting the object from motion. When friction is more resistance to
the object is high. For example at 0% friction object tends to move freely where as 100% of
friction objects tends to been at rest.

TORQUE:
The force that required to rotate an object in angular motion is called Torque.
Torque = F*L
Whereas F= Force
L = Length
Unit of torque is Nm.
:
INTRODUCTION ABOUT PLASTIC TIGHTENING:
Before going to plastic tightening, its important to know the concept of Elastic limit &
plastic limit.
Elastic limit:
The object tends to elongate when being stretched, and it can regain its original shape
or size when being relaxed. For example when you stretch a rubber it tends to elongate, there
you can notice its change in length and when you stopped stretching the rubber , it will regain its
original shape. This phenomenon is called as Elastic limit.
Plastic limit:
The object tends to elongate when being stretched, and it cannot regain its original
shape or size when being relaxed. For example, When you mold and stretch a plastic , you can
notice its size or shape being changed and once you stopped stretching the plastic, it will not
regain to its original shape. This phenomenon is called as plastic limit.

Arun Prakash.N

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Effect of Friction on plastic Tightening Of Bolt

PLASTIC TIGHTENING:
Plastic tightening is simply called as torque to yield tightening (TTY).
When you apply torque to the bolt, bolt starts to elongate (change in length) and
this will generate clamping force and hold the objects. When you loosen the bolt
it will regain its elongated length, this is called as Elastic limit of bolt. When you
tighten the bolt beyond its elastic limit (Torque to yield tightening) the bolt tends
to get deformed and move into Plastic limit. When you loosen the plastic limit
reached bolt it wont regain its elongated length.

Plastic tightening is also called as Angular Torque Tightening, since after

applying initial torque; the bolt will be rotated to certain angle. For example after
applying 29Nm, the bolt will be rotated to 90. When bolt is rotated to 90 the bolt
will reach its plastic limit. Ref fig 1.1 for better understanding. (Note: The amount
of angle the bolts have to rotate is designed by the bolt designer, since angle of rotation
varies based on bolt strength, material etc...)

0 to 90

Plastic limit

Torque Nm

29 Nm

Elastic

TTY

Break point

Fig 1.1
Plastic tightening of bolts are used majorly in Engine assembly for tightening
cylinder head bolts, connecting rod bolts, Main bearing cap bolts, Flywheel bolts
etc.
This kind of tightening is mainly carried out in engine moving parts or joints which
hold the moving parts, for example Cylinder head bolt which with stands the
whole engines vibration, Flywheel bolts holds the moving flywheel etc...

Arun Prakash.N

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Effect of Friction on plastic Tightening Of Bolt

EFFECTS OF RE-USING PLASTIC LIMIT TIGHTENED BOLTS:

From above theory, it is very clear that plastic limit is the maximum limit that bolt can
withstand the load or elongation.
When bolt is tighten beyond the plastic limit, bolt tends to get break.
If you reuse the already tighten bolt (which has reached plastic limit) bolt tends to get
break
Re-usage of already tighten bolt may result in less clamping force, which may create
failure in joints.

Certain TTY bolts can be used twice or thrice based on the bolt design.

TTY tightening is mostly carried where the tighten joints has to withstand more load,
hence failure of joints may result in very bad accident.

Arun Prakash.N

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Effect of Friction on plastic Tightening Of Bolt

EFFECTS OF FRICTION ON TIGHTENING OF THE BOLT:

Friction plays a vital role in Bolt tightening process. Clamping load of a bolt mainly
depends upon the co-efficient of friction.
Consider fig 1.2 as bolt being assembled in a some X joint. The figure shows how friction
& clamping load distributed while tightening. When you apply 100% torque, 50% applied
torque will be dispersed to overcome the friction at bearing surface, 40% torque to
overcome the friction at threaded portion and finally only 10% of torque will taken for
generating the clamping load.
For example 24Nm torque is being applied. See below
distributed.

how the torque being

To overcome Friction on bearing surface = 12 Nm

To overcome Friction on threaded portion = 9.6 Nm
Clamping load
= 2.4 Nm
Hence the friction distribution should be 50% at bearing surface, 40% at threaded
portion & 10 % for clamping load from 100% of applied torque. If there is any change in
the friction distribution itll effect the clamping load of the bolt.

Friction on bearing
surface 50%

Clamping load 10%

Arun Prakash.N

Friction on threaded
portion 40%

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Effect of Friction on plastic Tightening Of Bolt

FORMULA RELATION BETWEEN TORQUE & CLAMPING LOAD

Let us consider,
Let applied Torque be T= 24Nm
Co efficient of friction be k=0.14
Nominal dia of bolt be d= 0.008m
Clamping load (Ft) = T/(K*d)
= 24/ (0.14*0.008)
= 21428.75

Note: same formula can be altered and different values can be calculated i.e. Ft*(K*d) = T.

Arun Prakash.N

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