Revolutionising Bolt Load Monitoring with InterBolt
Precision. Safety. Reliability.
Bolted connections are critical in heavy industries where structural integrity is non-negotiable. A single loose or improperly tightened bolt can lead to costly downtime, compromised safety, and potential failure. That’s why InterBolt force sensing bolts and studs are transforming how industries approach bolt load monitoring—bringing real-time, high-accuracy data to installation, maintenance, and ongoing operations.
What is InterBolt?
InterBolt is a miniature, high-accuracy, low-cost bolt load sensor embedded directly into a bolt or stud. Designed for real-time monitoring, this wireless, battery-powered technology eliminates the need for manual periodic inspections, ensuring bolts are accurately tightened during installation and throughout their service life.
InterBolt force sensing bolts and studs allow predictive maintenance by continuously monitoring bolt load, helping industries reduce costs, improve safety, and prevent asset failures.
InterBolt Technology
Ensuring the integrity of bolted connections starts with accurately measuring bolt load. Traditional methods required technicians on-site, using costly, fragile, and wired instrumentation, making them impractical for many applications. InterBolt eliminates these challenges with a high-accuracy bolt load sensor embedded directly into the bolt or stud.
Onsite Monitoring
To quickly verify bolt load, InterBolt provides two methods for monitoring bolt load onsite: inbuilt LED indicators on the InterBolt end cap and through wireless connectivity to the InterBolt Tablet App.
Remote Monitoring
To eliminate the need for bolts to be periodically inspected on site, bolt load measurements from InterBolt can be remotely monitored, in real-time with no technicians on site.
InterBolt Technology
InterBolt for bolt load monitoring
Ensuring the integrity of bolted connections starts with accurately measuring bolt load. Traditional methods required technicians on-site, using costly, fragile, and wired instrumentation, making them impractical for many applications. InterBolt eliminates these challenges with a high-accuracy bolt load sensor embedded directly into the bolt or stud.
Key features:
- Real-time bolt load verification during installation to ensure accurate tightening
- Remote bolt load monitoring, eliminating the need for manual inspections
- Continuous and high-accuracy data to predict bolt failure and enable proactive maintenance.
How does it work?
Bolts act like springs: they stretch slightly when tightened, generating clamping force that holds joints together. InterBolt measures this elongation using an embedded gauge pin principle, converting it into an accurate bolt load reading.
- No onsite calibration required: InterBolt is factory-calibrated across its full load and temperature range
- Not affected by bolt length variations, making it a universal solution for bolted connections
Instant Load Verification with LED Indicators
InterBolt features built-in, high-visibility LED indicators for quick and simple load validation:
- Flashing red: Bolt load too low
- Flashing green: Bolt load within target range
- Flashing red/green: Bolt load too high
- Solid red: Bolt load exceeds proof load, risk of permanent elongation
These LEDs allow for bolt load verification in seconds, eliminating the need for bulky tools or external power sources. Even from a distance of 20 metres, operators can confirm load status at a glance.
Onsite Bolt Load Monitoring
For more precise load measurements, InterBolt connects wirelessly to the InterBolt Tablet, providing real-time visualisation of bolt load data. The LoRa wireless network ensures seamless connectivity, even when used with bolt tensioners or obstructed by equipment.
Remote Bolt Load Monitoring
InterBolt periodically transmits bolt load data to a remote network via the InterBolt Gateway, providing continuous monitoring without the need for onsite technicians. The InterBolt Cloud platform allows bolt load data to be:
- Stored: Complete bolt load history from installation to decommissioning
- Analysed: Automated alerts when bolt load deviates from safe parameters
- Visualised: Bolt load overlayed on a 3D asset model for pinpoint accuracy in maintenance planning
Each InterBolt Gateway can support thousands of connected InterBolts within a 1 km wireless range, ensuring cost-effective scalability.
Long-Lasting Battery Life
- 15-year battery life: No maintenance required
- Quick 30-second battery swap: Replace the end cap without loosening the bolt
Wireless Range
Using LoRa wireless technology, InterBolt achieves:
- Up to 1 km range with a single gateway
- Optimised power efficiency for extended battery life
- Reliable data transmission, even in obstructed environments
Unlike alternative solutions that require multiple gateways and repeaters, InterBolt delivers seamless long-range connectivity with minimal infrastructure.
InterBolt Accuracy
InterBolt offers best-in-class sensor accuracy at 95%, with a maximum 5% error margin accounting for hysteresis, non-linearity, and repeatability.
- Factory-calibrated to maintain precision across temperature fluctuations and operational lifespan
- Supplied with a calibration certificate for compliance and quality assurance
InterBolt: Any Bolt, Any Stud, Any Industry
Wind Energy: Frequent inspections of bolted connections are crucial due to extreme dynamic loads. Current methods consume a significant portion of maintenance budgets and expose technicians to hazardous conditions. InterBolt enables remote monitoring, reducing the need for manual inspections while ensuring turbine reliability. By implementing InterBolt in just 10-20% of critical bolts, operators gain valuable predictive maintenance insights, which lower costs and eliminate downtime.
Rail Infrastructure: Vibration-induced bolt failures and costly, high-risk manual inspections are major concerns. InterBolt ensures rail bolts remain secure by providing real-time preload verification and remote monitoring. This shift from time-based to condition-based maintenance reduces technician exposure to dangerous trackside environments and significantly cuts maintenance costs. A collaboration with Tracksure demonstrated that InterBolt reduced technician time on-site by over 90%.
Mining Industry: Mining equipment operates under harsh conditions, including extreme vibration and dust, making bolt reliability critical. Traditional torque-based tightening is inconsistent due to friction variations. InterBolt provides precise bolt tightening and continuous remote monitoring, eliminating unnecessary shutdowns and reducing production losses. A deployment on a mining sieve transitioned inspections from periodic to condition-based monitoring, effectively preventing failures and maximising asset uptime.
Onsite Monitoring
Historically, measuring bolt load required costly, wired instrumentation that was prone to human error. InterBolt simplifies the process with two efficient onsite monitoring methods:
- Built-in LED indicators on the InterBolt end cap for instant load validation.
- Wireless connectivity to the InterBolt Tablet App, providing real-time data on multiple force-sensing bolts and studs.
These solutions enable fast, accurate bolt load measurements without complex setups, heavy tools, or external power sources.
Embedded LEDs
InterBolt features super bright LEDs in the end cap for simple and fast verification of bolt load. The LEDs represent how close the measured bolt load is against the target load of the application. Simply wake up the device using a magnet and then look at the LEDs:
Flashing red – Bolt load too low
Flashing green – Bolt load in target range
Flashing red/ green – Bolt load too high
Solid red – Bolt load is above proof load of the fastener and permanent elongation of the fastener is possible.
The LED indicators enable bolt load validation in seconds without the need for heavy or cumbersome tools, an external power supply and complex setup procedures. Even without a clear line of sight to the end cap, the LED indicators can be seen from 20m away.
The bolt load thresholds for the LEDs can be configured onsite using the InterBolt Tablet and alternative LED colours are possible for specific applications.
InterBolt Inspect App & Tablet
The InterBolt Inspect app visualises bolt load data onsite and offers three main views:
- List View: Displays bolt load data for multiple InterBolt sensors.
- Single View: Provides detailed measurements of a single bolt.
- Configuration View: Allows users to adjust sensor settings as needed.
The app is preloaded on the InterBolt Tablet, a rugged Android-based industrial device with a 100m wireless range, IP67 ingress protection, and 12-hour battery life. It functions in extreme temperatures (-200°C to 600°C) and includes various mounting options for field use.
How to Activate InterBolt
To preserve battery life, InterBolt operates in low-power mode until activated. To wake the device, simply wave a magnet over the LED area. The LEDs will illuminate, and the device will begin transmitting data to the InterBolt Tablet. Once activated, bolt load measurements are recorded and visualised instantly.
Without activation, InterBolt transmits data at predefined intervals (typically once per hour) for remote monitoring.
Remote Monitoring
InterBolt enables real-time remote monitoring of bolt load, eliminating the need for onsite inspections and reducing human error. The InterBolt Gateway and Cloud System provide:
- Automated alerts are sent when the bolt load exceeds safe limits.
- Data storage for long-term bolt performance tracking.
- 3D visualisation of bolt load trends on an asset-wide scale.
By shifting from manual checks to cloud-based, condition-driven maintenance, industries reduce downtime, minimise risks, and optimise efficiency.
InterBolt Gateway
The InterBolt Gateway collects data from InterBolt sensors via a LoRa wireless network and transmits it securely to the InterBolt Cloud. It features:
- IP67 protection for harsh environments.
- Multiple mounting options (pole, magnetic, VESA, DIN rail).
- Plug-and-play setup with a built-in web server for configuration.
InterBolt Cloud
The InterBolt Cloud platform is an intuitive dashboard where bolt load data is:
- Stored: Complete historical data from installation to decommissioning.
- Analysed: Alerts generated when load exceeds safe thresholds.
- Visualised: Bolt performance overlaid on a 3D model of the asset.
For companies with existing condition monitoring systems, InterBolt data can be integrated via API at the Gateway or Cloud level.
Historical bolt load
InterBolt logs all bolt load measurements over time, providing essential insights into:
- Initial installation load verification.
- Settling or embedding losses post-installation.
- Vibration-induced loosening or fatigue over the asset’s lifespan.
Maintenance records are stored digitally, providing operators with a comprehensive history of inspections, maintenance actions, and alerts.
3D Modelling
The InterBolt Cloud platform maps bolt load data to a specific asset location, overlaying this data onto 3D models of structures such as wind turbines and excavators. This enables operations teams to quickly pinpoint faults and assess the impact on surrounding bolts.
Actionable Maintenance Insights
With automated alerts, InterBolt notifies operators when a bolt load exceeds a predefined threshold. These alerts include fault type, location details, and direct links to historical bolt load graphs, allowing engineers to visualise performance trends over time. Configurable alert severities ensure that teams can prioritise maintenance actions accordingly, reducing the risk of failure.
Additionally, alerts can be sent via email or SMS, ensuring immediate response to potential issues.
Digital maintenance records
InterBolt Cloud stores a full history of onsite activities from installation to decommissioning. The historical bolt load graph displays maintenance events with timestamps and technician details, allowing teams to track performance, correlate data, and make informed maintenance decisions.
Why Choose InterBolt Force Sensing Bolts and Studs?
- Eliminates manual inspections and reduces human error
- Ensures precise tightening during installation
- Prevents failures with predictive maintenance insights
- Real-time remote monitoring for improved safety and efficiency
- Scalable solution for any bolted connection; any bolt, any stud, any industry
Additional Benefits
- 15-year battery life with no maintenance required
- LoRa wireless communication with up to 1km range
- Super bright LED indicators for quick load verification
- Seamless integration with onsite and remote monitoring systems
Industries Benefiting from InterBolt
- Oil and Gas: Offshore platforms, pipelines, and refineries
- Aerospace and Defence: Aircraft and structural fasteners
- Heavy Machinery: Mining equipment, turbines, and excavators
- Automotive and Transportation: Railways, bridges, and structural components
- Power Generation: Wind turbines, nuclear plants, and hydroelectric facilities
Contact us today to learn more about force sensing bolts and studs.