![]() USING AN IMPACT GUN OR WRENCH ON A STURTEVANT RICHMONT TORQUE TESTER IMMEDIATELY VOIDS THE WARRANTY. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD AN IMPACT GUN BE USED ON A STURTEVANT RICHMONT TORQUE TESTER. Pulse-operated pneumatic tools and battery-powered tools can be tested and calibrated using System 8 and TorqTronics 2. Please note: Sturtevant Richmont TorqTronics 2 and System 8 (and their predecessors are equipped with filters designed to filter out electrical interference or "noise" given off by battery-powered tools during the testing process. Without that tool being within the specified tolerance, quality would be significantly impacted. On deeper review, we found the protective plate for the radio was bent, and the entire electronics housing was bent.Ī quick look into the results log showed that the last use of that 1200 Series digital torque wrench had taken the transducer up to 960-foot-pounds. Recently, we had a 400 foot-pound Exacta 1200 Series digital torque wrench come back to us with a note stating that the wrench wasn't working.Īt first glance, the wrench looked fine. Remember, torque wrenches can be taken out of tolerance when they are used as a hammer, dropped, thrown, or are taken over their rated capacity. In today's economy, it costs as much as twelve times as much to acquire a new customer as it does to keep an existing customer. How long does it take to regain your reputation for quality? How much does that cost? ![]() The cost of the warranty and repair work along with delayed or lost orders, or lost customers far outweigh the cost of calibrating torque tools. Yet, we frequently hear the question, how often should I calibrate my torque tools? Some companies are concerned about the costs of calibration. Typically that is every 5,000 cycles or once a year, whichever comes first. How Often Should I Calibrate My Torque Tools?Īs members of the ISO torque committee, we support the ISO standard for calibration intervals. While this real-life situation does not include torque tools, it does highlight the importance of maintaining the integrity of a calibration program. And, if the entire issue was not fully remediated, the FDA promised that executives would be jailed and the company would be shut down. The FDA came to the company with guns drawn. The result? Devices were designed based on inaccurate readings. How could you know the results were accurate? How could you know the results were out of tolerance? That also means they weren't calibrated to the standards. ![]() The scientists did not want to give up their instruments, and as a result, they were not calibrated within prescribed times. How important is calibration? In 2001, a company making a medical device had a lapsed calibration program. The lower your quality score, the higher those invisible numbers for losses tend to be.Ĭalibrating your torque wrenches, torque screwdrivers, and power tools is an important part of quality assurance. You probably don't have a line item for lost reputation, delayed or lost orders, or even lost customers. There is likely a line item in your P&L for warranty and repair work. They "bump test" every tool, every day, to ensure that the intended torque value is the value that is being applied at every fastener.Īt one time, quality was viewed as a cost center. Some companies employ a daily torque tool verification program. Unless the torque wrench has obviously been damaged, you can't look at a tool and know it is not within tolerance. Calibration is the cornerstone of quality when it comes to torque application.
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