Case Study: Innovative Solutions for Rail From HYTORC

A light rail maintenance team encountered significant challenges while working on essential bolting tasks in tight and confined spaces. HYTORC Rocky Mountain provided innovative solutions tailored to the unique demands of the project, enabling the team to overcome these difficulties efficiently and complete the maintenance successfully.

Challenge: Some bolts were in extremely tight spaces where standard tool configurations could not fit, leaving no room for a traditional reaction arm.

Solution: The HYTORC team designed a custom tool drive extension with a reduced diameter, allowing it to fit where standard extensions could not. Adopting the HYTORC Washer system replaced the need for a traditional reaction arm, providing a secure and efficient way to manage torquing without requiring extra room for reaction points.

Challenge: No direct access or reaction points, necessitating a specialized approach to apply torque and tighten bolts.

Solution: HYTORC engineered a custom offset link, including a male offset configuration to fit socket head cap screws. This setup allowed the team to bolt from the side at an atypical angle, using the tool at one location to torque a bolt positioned elsewhere. As with the first challenge, the HYTORC Washer and Backup Washer played a critical role in eliminating the need for a standard reaction arm, further streamlining the process.

Both solutions relied on the award-winning HYTORC Lithium Series II (aka the LST), a versatile electric torque tool capable of delivering the precision and adaptability required for the project.

Customer Impact

HYTORC’s tailored solutions helped the light rail team to overcome their bolting challenges, ensuring maintenance tasks were completed efficiently and safely. The custom drive extension and offset link gave access to previously unreachable bolts, while the use of the HYTORC Washer system eliminated the need for traditional reaction arms, making bolting easier and faster. These innovative solutions not only addressed the immediate challenges but also equipped the team with tools capable of handling similar situations in the future. The client was highly satisfied with the results, praising the effectiveness and practicality of HYTORC’s solutions in tackling their unique bolting needs.