Patent Granted

Manufacturing Engineering, Feb 2005

Fastener supplier RS Technologies (Farmington Hills, MI) has been awarded a patent for its M-Alpha threaded fastener tension auditing system.

Designed by RS Technologies founder and president Ralph Shoberg, the M-Alpha is a system that records torque, friction, and fastener rotational angle during an assembly process. Shoberg developed the first rotary torque transducer electronic package in 1968.

A computer-controlled DC electric motor drive inputs to a torque-angle sensor. The sensor output shaft couples to the bolt portion of a fastener to be tested while a "research" head traps the nut. The research head contains a torque sensor and an axial load cell. The torque sensor indicates frictional loads and the axial cell indicates clamp force.