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THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
MICHAEL MOWINS MAXIMIZING DRIVER TOOL CONTACT TO OPTIMIZE FASTENER INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL from page 146
THE ASYMMETRIC LOBES OF THE EXTERNAL MORTORQ® SUPER BOLT HEAD PROVIDE LARGE CONTACT SURFACES WITHOUT THE
TALL HEAD HEIGHT REQUIRED FOR HEX AND 12 POINT HEAD BOLTS.
The increased removal wall area provided enough
torque transmission to assure that the fasteners could
be removed even when it took twice the torque to remove
them than it did to install them. Because the unique
curved wing walls provided so much contact area the
depth of the recess could be reduced, making it ideal for
the 100° flush head fasteners and the newer 130° flush
head being adopted in composite applications.
Leading innovators were quick to test the new drive
system and found applications for it on platforms ranging
from commercial aircraft, military aircraft, space craft,
and jet engines. An additional benefit was discovered
when aircraft maintainers inadvertently damaged the
head of a MORTORQ fastener with an incorrect tool, but
found that they could still remove the fasteners with
the correct MORTORQ driver. The large contact area on
the removal wing wall made the system very damage
tolerant.
Once the concept had proven itself in the aerospace
world, it was time to see if the benefits could translate
to industrial and automotive fastener applications.
Initial automotive applications with the original design
provided some improvement, but the requirements for
long tool life on the production line were a challenge.
In aerospace fastener applications, it is always best if
the weak link in the system is the driver bit because if
a maintenance mechanic breaks the bit they can always
get another from the tool box. If the recess is the weak
link and when it is damaged the stuck fastener must
be drilled out requiring the aircraft to be taken out of
service resulting in lost operating time and revenue. In
automotive and industrial applications, it is preferable to
almost perfectly balance the capability of the driver and
the recess. The result is that the driver is quite strong
and will last a long time keeping the assembly line
running without unintended shut downs. This required
a modification to the original MORTORQ design to
balance the driver and recess potential. The result was
the MORTORQ Super high strength spiral drive system
where the shorter broader wings of the driver tool are
balanced with the added torque capability that the
unique curves wings provide.
In one automotive application the MORTORQ Super
system replaced a hex lobe drive fastener and driver.
The hex lobe system had bit failures that occurred
between 5 and 11 times per shift in a tough application
on a seat track. When the MORTORQ Super fasteners
and drivers were used the driver failures were virtually
eliminated and preventive maintenance bit changes were
done once a week to avoid unscheduled line stoppages.
The success of this system has spread through high
performance racing, transmission applications and
various industrial and automotive tier assemblies.
Once the high strength spiral had proven itself in the
recess, it was time to look at externally wrenched bolts
to see if similar benefits could be achieved.
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