Industrial equipment, fastener and solutions supplier Bolt & Engineering Distributors (B.E.D.) and Cape Town-based bolting and tightening solutions provider Bolt Torque are partnering to improve access to various bolting, fastening and tightening tools and services for South African customers.

The partnership will enhance daily operations in various industries, including agriculture, construction, energy, manufacturing and mining by offering customers “top-quality tools and services”, according to Bolt Torque sales director and project manager Angus Houston and B.E.D. area sales manager Marina du Plessis.

“The partnership has created a strong, dependable relationship which combines specialist bolting expertise with B.E.D.’s extensive national footprint. Customers can rely on responsive support every day of the week, including in crisis situations,” says Houston.

Additionally, the tools and services will reduce the need for manual labour, minimise downtime and boost operations’ overall productivity – all while ensuring the safety and reliability of equipment, and the safety of workers. This will, in turn, lead to effective construction and maintenance of plants and infrastructure.

“Customers do not just buy a tool from us – they receive a complete service solution. We visit sites, assess what is needed and train staff if required, thereby addressing their challenges and solving their problems. This synergistic approach helps to extend equipment life, improves compliance and makes maintenance more predictable.

“It is part of B.E.D.’s commitment to provide a holistic, practical solution for safe and reliable torqueing or bolting,” says Du Plessis.

Houston adds that the partnership’s torqueing solutions are important to heavy industry, as these operations require that equipment exposed to high temperatures and vibration is sufficiently secured, protecting people and machinery and “leaving no room for the possibility of components coming loose”.

For example, if there are some loose components on a heat exchanger, with dozens of bolts, it could cause dangerous leaks and force a plant shutdown, costing millions and putting people at risk.

“Our torqueing solutions ensure that every bolt is tightened and verified according to the design standard, which protects both people and equipment,” he adds.

Fastener Innovations

The adoption of new fastener technologies is becoming more popular among global players, says Houston. This is evident in the B.E.D. / Bolt Torque partnership; as well as its introduction of original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) Tritorc’s modern bolting solutions and pipeline services to the South African market.

This includes the incorporation of battery- and electric-powered tools, which are becoming the industry standard – as they are lightweight and user-friendly – versus traditional hydraulic tools.

Houston says smart tools are also being used in predictive maintenance, as these allow for the recording of data for every bolt, to ensure that they are in the correct sequence and tightened. These smart tools can also be used to calculate the bolt torque levels and recall this stored data for future checks.

“By combining Tritorc’s technology with our local rental, calibration and service support, we ensure that our customers have . . . the latest equipment and the right back-up on site, every day of the week.”

Proper calibration is important for ensuring that a torque tool applies the exact load to which it is set, he adds.

If a tool is not calibrated properly, bolts may not be secure – creating the same safety and reliability risks as using no tool at all.

“Our South African National Accreditation System- (SANAS-) accredited facility provides trustworthy, standardised calibration locally, so customers do not have to send tools far away or risk non-compliance,” Houston explains.

Du Plessis says all Tritorc and Bolt Torque products and services are available through B.E.D.’s national service and branch network, and that maintenance and/or servicing of equipment will meet the requisite industry standards, as the B.E.D. facility is also SANAS-accredited.

Du Plessis and Houston believe that the partnership will be “fruitful”, as both companies pledge to continue offering customers throughout South Africa reliable bolting, fastening and torqueing products and services.

“By expanding our partnerships and technology offerings, we will continue helping our customers to address their challenges and solve their problems quickly and safely,” Du Plessis concludes.