Better craft personnel performance and lower site maintenance costs are now just a “click” away, thanks to CHUCK, the new Bolting Data Unit from Hex Technology.
Hex Technology’s CHUCK captures readings from instrumented bolts and relays those bolt load values wirelessly to any computer or mobile device. The version shown here is connected to 16 bolts.
CHUCK lets craft assembler trainees see the unseen by showing them readings for the bolt load achieved when torque is applied to an application. This lets the essential, but often misunderstood elements of a bolted assembly, visible — such as the effects of elastic interaction, alignment, lubrication, and inconsistencies known as “bolt scatter” — far easier to grasp.
The unit’s many applications for crew demonstration, training, and testing are why professionals say CHUCK is like having a “Flight Simulator for Assemblers.”
CHUCK pairs with instrumented bolts to provide its readings. Bolt load data instantaneously relays from the unit to any laptop via Wi-Fi. Users can log in and see CHUCK’s data in a visual, intuitive, user-friendly display environment. The result: you can see and understand what’s happening inside bolted assemblies. This fuels greater buy-in from crew members and better execution on fundamental (but often overlooked) best practices of bolting.
“For a crew learning the reality of what happens inside a bolted flange joint, seeing is believing,” said Scott Hamilton, CEO of Hex Technology. “CHUCK shows in vivid detail why the steps in a site’s procedure matter and how they affect the final result. It’s an essential tool for training and assessment — and nothing prevents leaks or lost productivity better than a well-trained workforce.”
CHUCK is compatible with any appropriately sized flange that uses 5/8″, 3/4″, 7/8″, 1″, 1-1/8″, or 1-1/4″. It is available to end-users, vendors, and contractors, as part of Hex Technology’s Bolted Flanged Joint Assembly digital training program.
Those who enroll in this program also receive access to Hex Technology’s catalog of computer-based training courses, which includes specific certification tracks for every staff level from front-line assembler, to QA/QC inspectors, to site subject matter experts (SME)s. All curriculums are based on ASME PCC-1 Appendix A.
CHUCK is available now and is already being fulfilled to multiple major U.S. refiners and NGLs.
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