Huck fasteners

[Thedroid]

Anyone have any experience with them. I have a bucket elevator to rebuild soon, and I was thinking about giving Huck fasteners a try. The elevator takes around 1800 5/8 x 1 1/2 bolts that need to be tightened and tack welded for the install. The Hucks look to be a faster install, and might be able to hold up to the stress and vibration better than the traditional method without the need to tack weld each nut. We inspect the elevators monthly, and usually have to cut several bolts off due to them loosening up.

 

[garboui]

can you give more info on the fasteners that have been used in the past and their relative effectiveness. since you've mentioned that vibration and loosening is an issue the first thing that comes to mind id nylock hardware and self locking nuts (rely on a slight interference thread fit).

Unfortunately i can not comment on the Huck fasteners as I have no first hand experience. Though as opportunity arises I am now going to keep them in mind for testing!

 

[Thedroid]

We tack weld each nut after it's tightened so they don't really come loose. It's more of a stretch or slight wear between the mating parts.

 

[tkonetzke]

I would say hucks would be a good choice, provided you have the equipment to install them readily available. Look at the frame and components attached to frame on heavy duty trucks, many (not all) are hucked. Great strength and vibration resistance.

 

[braxx]

I've seen Huck's used and they really hold up in vibration rich environments BUT the tools to install and remove are unique. I would think you need to have a lot of "need" to justify the expense.

 

[Farmrod]

Huck bolts **** I hate removing them on freightliner frames but they do hold up very well

 

[garboui]

if its bolt stretch or part wear that's the main cause of joint loosening can wafer springs or some short stout springs be used to maintain adequate joint pressure (what is the fastening torque?)? If it is indeed wear and stretch that's causing loosening rather than nut back-off you may be in the same boat wit the huck fasteners. The spring route may just buy you slightly more time.

 

[Thedroid]

Removal is no problem, we'll cut them off with a torch when the time comes. The hydraulic tool does look expensive, but the cost of down time due to a bucket coming off and locking up the elevator could far exceed the cost very fast. Reduced installation time and possible decreased inspection frequency are also potential benefits.

 

[Rusty32]

Hold onto your *** when buying the tools to put them in, but they are a great fastener.

 

[Wakefield]

More washer stack needed? (Longer length between clamped surfaces) Belleville washers?
Are (can) huck fasteners be used with washers?

 

[customsbyjason]

we use to use them for all the chassis at freightliner to hold on all the brackets and crossmembers sucked when new guys would put them in the wrong place and we had to cut them out. we had guns that would tighting them up with hydro presser i dont remember what the presser was set at i know it was alot. ive seen trucks with million miles on them and still had the factory hucks so i dont think they would come lose. i did see a few come lose right after being installed but that was because of not being done right to start with or low presser on the gun

 

[Black89LX]

Yea idk whats so hard about torching them off... works every time for me. installation... we have the 5/8 and 3/4 at our shop. depending on the fastener location the gun might not fit into the spot (bracket in the way) so we put bolts where it is non accessible.

 

[billymade]

I worked in a trailer shop; we used the air/hydraulic guns to install them. Typically, the vendor that supplies the fasteners; would also supply the guns. I am not familiar with doing the install by hand; the guns made it relatively easy.

You might give these guys a call; seeing how they specialize in trailer repair tools/supplies... they shoudl be able to help!

http://www.rivettoolpart.com/

Many other suppliers as well: https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1....,cf.osb&fp=3c9c3fcbb39d73f5&biw=1242&bih=398

 

[p_mori7]

Huck bolts are great fasteners. Kenworth & Peterbilt use them extensively on hoods / cabs. They are available in a wide range of sizes. You can get collars with wide flanges.

Since they are a 2-piece fastener, you need to think about being able to place the bolt through the inside of whatever your are fastening together...might be hard for long rows...

Because they place an enormous amount of clamping strength, if fastening panels together, they can cause distortion or wavyness on long runs.

If I remember correctly, the gun for the 1/4" huckbolts had cost me about $700 about 10 years ago.

 

[A29]

They are one heck of a fasterner for strength. Equipment to install is expensive. You would have to do a lot of em to make it worth while.

 

[adcrawfo]

What type of environment do you work in? We use elevator bolts on all of our bucket elevators (7 total in the whole foundry) and don't really have a problem with them. But then again if we lose a bucket we torch it out and forget about it, may not be that simple in your situation.

For what it's worth we use huck bolts on our high frequency shaker to hold the pan to the frame and this shaker gets 2000+ pound castings bouncing over it 20-22 hours a day and they hold up with out a problem.

 

[Thedroid]

This particular elevator transports hot clinker in a cement plant. There are two chains on 200' centers, with 1800 5/8 bolts securing the buckets to the chains. I'm replacing the chains, and found that the manufacturer, Rexnord, now uses Huck bolts on their new elevators. Thats what lead me to start researching them. Current install method is to tighten each bolt, rotate the elevator several revs, and then retighten each nut and weld it. With 1800 bolts, this will take some time. If the Hucks can speed up installation, and break or loosen less frequently, then I wouldn't have a problem spending 2-3 grand for the tool. We have several power hydraulic units for the torque wrenches, and jack sets that may work with the tool also. There are 25 different elevators in the plant, so it would also see use performing the maintenance on these also.

Here's a few pictures of the machine in question.

This the headshaft of a different elevator but same concept

 

[Daves69]

Our shop bought a Gage Built power unit and installation tool. I think the cost was close to 10k.

http://www.gagebilt.com/installation_tools_hydraulic.htm

http://www.gagebilt.com/powerunits.htm

 

[Underdog]

How about Stover nuts. They work well on heavy equipment when I need the nut to stay put. I think you can get them in different hardness.

http://www.allensfasteners.com/detail.asp?Product_ID=00006

 

[adcrawfo]

This particular elevator transports hot clinker in a cement plant. There are two chains on 200' centers, with 1800 5/8 bolts securing the buckets to the chains. I'm replacing the chains, and found that the manufacturer, Rexnord, now uses Huck bolts on their new elevators. Thats what lead me to start researching them. Current install method is to tighten each bolt, rotate the elevator several revs, and then retighten each nut and weld it. With 1800 bolts, this will take some time. If the Hucks can speed up installation, and break or loosen less frequently, then I wouldn't have a problem spending 2-3 grand for the tool. We have several power hydraulic units for the torque wrenches, and jack sets that may work with the tool also. There are 25 different elevators in the plant, so it would also see use performing the maintenance on these also.

Here's a few pictures of the machine in question.

This the headshaft of a different elevator but same concept

I can see why you're looking at huck bolts. We have rubber belts which provide cover if we lost a bucket, not an open chain like you've got. Plus clinkers in a cement plant are a lot heavier than chunks of green sand so if they fell from a distance they'd easily take out a tail pulley.

 

[Builder302]

alcoa is one of the main suppliers, they typically sell the tools as well, depending on which huck bolt you use there is a hydraulic splitter as well, much faster than the torch.

 

[customsbyjason]

we had the hydraulic splitter as well and it was pretty cool and alot faster and cleaner than a torch

 

[Thedroid]

Hmm, I'll look at the splitters also. Sounds like one would come in handy also.