January is the month when maintenance budgets meet the reality of outages. You can plan every minute of a turnaround—and still lose hours to one thing: rework at the joint. A leaking flange, a stripped stud, or a snapped bolt doesn’t just slow a crew down; it can bring a project to a halt. It stretches downtime, adds risk, and creates extra sign-offs nobody has time for. Industrial Bolting offers torque and tension training to help crews tighten the first time correctly—especially when schedules get aggressive.

Common Bolting Mistakes (And Why They Happen)

Most crews aren’t careless—they’re rushed. These are the problems we see when shutdown pressure hits:

Torque ≠ Tension

Torque is an indirect measurement. Friction changes everything: lubrication, surface condition, washer setup, thread fit. If the crew assumes torque equals clamp load, you can end up with under-tight or overstressed fasteners.

Sequence Matters

Even on a “simple” flange, the pattern matters. Incorrect sequencing can distort gasket compression and create an uneven load path. In fact, ASME builds its bolted flange joint training programs around these basics because they work.

Job-Ready Tools Only

If the reaction gear doesn’t fit, the sockets aren’t staged, or calibration isn’t current, crews lose momentum—and control—quickly. Instead of moving through a smooth tightening sequence, the job turns into stop-and-go troubleshooting with resets, tool swaps, and second-guessing torque values. And once that slowdown starts, congestion increases, fatigue sets in, and risk climbs—right when the outage clock is running.

Tighten with Confidence

Industrial Bolting provides torque and tension operational training that helps crews tighten with confidence—especially during outages when fatigue and time pressure creep in. It’s practical, hands-on, and built around real work: flange joints, exchangers, rotating equipment, and structural bolting.

Contact Us

Contact Industrial Bolting at (888) 781-2007 to schedule training for your crew—or get help with tool rentals and sales, torque tool calibration, torque tool repairs, and other services. We serve teams nationwide from our locations in Westfield (IN), Merrillville (IN), Muskego (WI), Toledo (OH), and Alton (IL).   Drumheller, Jeff. Fundamentals of Torque-Tension and Coefficient of Friction Testing. White Paper no. 21. Farmington Hills, MI: PCB Load & Torque, Inc. (MTS Systems Corporation), 2021. https://www.pcb.com/Contentstore/mktgcontent/WhitePapers/WPL_21_Fund_Torque-Tension.pdf.