Torque wrenches enable engineering marvels. In automotive assembly, they allow for screws, nuts, and bolts to be tightened to exactly the right specifications to hold for several thousands of miles of driving—without being so tight that they damage the fastener or become hard to remove. In commercial refrigeration repair, they tighten valves to the tightness…
In 2012, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) set the world of science abuzz and the hearts of futurists everywhere alight by announcing that they had detected neutrinos moving faster than light. The excitement built when they managed to repeat the test with the exact same results. When a thorough inspection of the equipment…
When confronted with a fastener that just won’t turn, most of us reach for an impact wrench. However, while impact wrenches are capable of high torque outputs, they lack precision. When loosening a stuck fastener, this doesn’t matter much. But the unpredictable torque of an impact wrench can leave a fastener too loose or too…
Almost everyone has had the experience of buying an expensive bit of machinery—like a shop lathe, a high-end computer, or even a car—and having it fail catastrophically shortly after the purchase. Usually, this is enough to keep us from ever using that product again and maybe even from considering using any other product from that…
Working with wrenches can be one of the most relaxing and rewarding experiences. Bringing every part and component together and tightening all the bolts precisely on spec to form a single goal-oriented device is close to Zen meditation—that is, when you have the proper tools. If you don’t, then turning wrenches is a nightmare of…
Precise torque control is absolutely vital in assembly and repair. Screws, bolts, and nuts must hold in place as machinery starts up, vibrates, and experiences forces from different directions. Whether these fasteners hold is determined by the torque that is applied to them. If it is too little, then vibrations can easily loosen a fastener.…
A lot of people feel nervous as they walk down the boarding ramp to catch their flight. In fact, up to 25 percent of Americans experience some fear of flying and will spend their trip across the sky with a white knuckle grip on their armrests. Nearly all of them will find that their fears…
When little things go wrong, they can have a big impact. Think about it: the biggest fire that’s ever burned was started by a single spark. An inch of reach or an ounce of force can alter the outcome of the Super Bowl—and the millions of dollars riding on it. Or think about Gavrilo Princip,…
What’s the difference between a regular screwdriver and a torque screwdriver? Torque screwdrivers can detect and limit the amount of force they apply to a screw; regular screwdrivers can’t. Why is that important? Because if you don’t apply enough force to a screw, it can fall out of the hole. If you apply too much,…
Assembly lines are mesmerizing to watch. Components large and small enter a factory and flow together into the main production line where, step-by-step, they become finished products. While it is a process similar to the course of a river, the flow is powered by human energy and ingenuity. Like a river, an assembly line is…