Evaluating the Influence of Material Properties and Hardness on Tightening Torque

A Crawler Dozer is a tracked machine that uses a mounted blade at the front to move materials. Different blades (S-blade, U-Blade, Angle blade, PAT blade) are used for moving large amounts of soil, debris, and stones. Each blade is designed for a specific requirement/application. The blades are equipped with ground engaging (GET) tools, such as cutting bits or a set of cutting bits, to help protect the shovel and other earthmoving tools from wear. Torquing hardened plates of bolted joint components is essential to ensure uniform load distribution and prevent premature failure. Therefore, selecting the proper torque is an important parameter. This study focuses on analyzing various parameters that impact the final torque on the hardened surface. This will help understand the torque required for specific joints. Several other parameters considered in this study include hardware material, coefficient of friction, end bit and cutting-edge material, and their hardness. Understanding the influence of surface hardness on bolted joint torque is crucial for optimizing performance, reliability, and longevity of bolted connections in various engineering applications.