Abstract
When a threaded fastener is tightened, the torque-tension relationship is highly sensitive to two friction components: thread friction and head friction. In this study, we carried out friction experiments and analyses to determine the optimum clamping torque setting for bolt joints. First, we measured the coefficients of thread friction and head friction under the same running conditions of the bolt clamping process for lubricated and non-lubricated bolts. We also measured axial tension through bolt clamping tests using lubricated and non-lubricated bolts attached to a strain gauge. Finally, we compared the experiment and theoretical results.