I'm not sure what to think of this - whether it is a brilliant adaptation of technology, or an example of technology running amok. A company has developed metal bolts with indicators that change color depending on how much the bolt has been tightened. Initially created for conventional construction, these bolts are thought to eventually be coming to a neurosurgeon or orthopod near you.
One would think that the degree of tightening could be controlled just as well with a torque wrench, but perhaps there are situations where bolt tightness changes after the initial set, and these indicators would then give a visual signal that loosening has occurred. Curious.
MedGadget has more technical details, which seem to obfuscate more than they clarify.
now I can say "I have seen it all" ty
ReplyDeleteA torque wrench is generally not accurate because friction absorbs a significant amount of torque which is then not transferred to the bolt itself. However I would think that this may affect the structural integrity of the bolt enough that it wouldn't really be useful for applications where tightness and strength are both critical.
ReplyDeleteA torque wrench is much more accurate than eyeballing a color change. The wrench has a guage right on it showing precise measure. Can you picture the neurosurgeons holding up a color chart next to the bolt to compare color values?
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