Tentec to Exhibit Bolt Tensioners at SMM

New bolt tensioners from Tentec answer the needs of today’s engineers using the next generation of compact flanges.

Tentec said interest has been building in its new V-Series of Compact Flange bolt tensioners since its launch at Offshore Europe in 2013, with orders now being delivered for use in many subsea and topside energy projects throughout the world.

The V-Series is a purpose-designed range of tools designed specifically for use on SPO Compact flanges and the Norsok L-005 compact flanges. The range consists of 11 bolt tensioning tools covering bolt sizes from 3/4” to 4”.

Since its introduction in 1989, the SPO Compact Flange from Vector International is widely believed to be the most effective, environmentally friendly piping joint available and now accounts for 5-7% of the market and is rapidly growing, Tentec said. However, although the preferred method of tightening the SPO compact flange bolts is by using bolt tensioning tools, due to the small size and relatively high bolt load requirements of the flanges, most conventional bolt tensioners either do not fit or do not have a high enough bolt load capacity. Tentec said it aims to answer the needs of the oil and gas industry with the launch of the V-Series Compact Flange Tensioners and has given installation and maintenance engineers a “future-proof” set of bolt tensioning tools.

The V-Series tensioners fit onto the SPO flanges as they have been designed to clear not only the elliptical profile of the flanges, but also the weld protrusion and the pipe diameter. The design team has also ensured that the profile machined tensioners would stay clear of any adjacent hexagon nut for smooth operation. The bolt load specified by Vector International is exactly met by the new V-Series for a leak free bolted joint.

Tentec has designed the tools without using bonded seals. Bonded seals are used by most bolt tensioning manufacturers to seal the hydraulic connections to the tensioner and are prone to failure. When just one of the many bonded seals used in a tensioning system fail, the whole tensioning procedure comes to a halt until the failed tiny seal is replaced. Tentec has designed out the use of these fragile seals so that this new range of tensioners no longer rely on bonded seals, improving safety and minimizing downtime.

Tentec’s Bolt Tightening Software (BTS) has been updated to include all Vector International standard compact flanges along with the correct recommended tensioning pressures. Using BTS takes away the complexity of calculating tensioner pressures and torque values, making it quick, easy and a foolproof way to avoid human error, the manufacturer said.