<story><title>Smartbolts</title><url>http://www.smartbolts.com/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>blamazon</author><text>I’m a mechanical engineer - smartbolts are cool but rarely used in my experience. Much more commonly used are DTI washers: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;Direct_tension_indicator&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;Direct_tension_indicator&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Due to the washer style can be used with a wide range of fasteners. The most common type, in my experience, due to the ease of use, has a little bit of colored goo inside the arched cells. The goo squirts out when the specified torque is reached.&lt;p&gt;That being said, there are a lot of approaches to this same problem. Another common technique is breakaway bolts that are driven with a piece that snaps away when a certain torque is reached: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;youtu.be&amp;#x2F;lrCoi3gaLfU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;youtu.be&amp;#x2F;lrCoi3gaLfU&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>lttlrck</author><text>Smartbolts seem to be useful in applications where there is an expectation the bolts will loosen over time&amp;#x2F;the maintenance lifetime, reducing&amp;#x2F;easing inspection time.&lt;p&gt;Similar to the tell-tales used on truck lug nuts: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.dealsonwheels.co.nz&amp;#x2F;trucks&amp;#x2F;features&amp;#x2F;1302&amp;#x2F;new-tyres-check-the-wheel-nuts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.dealsonwheels.co.nz&amp;#x2F;trucks&amp;#x2F;features&amp;#x2F;1302&amp;#x2F;new-tyr...&lt;/a&gt;</text></comment>
<story><title>Smartbolts</title><url>http://www.smartbolts.com/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>blamazon</author><text>I’m a mechanical engineer - smartbolts are cool but rarely used in my experience. Much more commonly used are DTI washers: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;Direct_tension_indicator&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;Direct_tension_indicator&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Due to the washer style can be used with a wide range of fasteners. The most common type, in my experience, due to the ease of use, has a little bit of colored goo inside the arched cells. The goo squirts out when the specified torque is reached.&lt;p&gt;That being said, there are a lot of approaches to this same problem. Another common technique is breakaway bolts that are driven with a piece that snaps away when a certain torque is reached: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;youtu.be&amp;#x2F;lrCoi3gaLfU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;youtu.be&amp;#x2F;lrCoi3gaLfU&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>maxmcd</author><text>Nice video of the colored goo in action: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;youtu.be&amp;#x2F;5BMQE5XnKww?t=372&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;youtu.be&amp;#x2F;5BMQE5XnKww?t=372&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Breakaway bolts are discussed&amp;#x2F;demonstrated a few seconds earlier.</text></comment>