HYTORC Washer System

Reliability Improvement

Problem Statement: Maintenance takes people and time, whether vehicles, aircraft, or ships. Often, there’s a tight schedule and that equipment is essential for the next mission. In the modern military, there’s a need to reduce time and personnel required for maintenance. When it comes to bolting, we have a better way that’s faster, needs fewer people, and doesn’t comprise safety. Every time a crewmember uses a reaction arm, there’s the danger of a pinch point injury. It’s estimated that out of the millions of disabling accidents that happen on the job, 1/3 of them are hand injuries and approximately 80% of those are caused by pinch points (Pinch points stats and facts., 2022).

Description of the Innovation Solution: The HYTORC Washer System (HWS) combines Reaction Washers and Backup Washers that meet ASTM F3394/F3394M standards. Unlike conventional bolting, which typically requires one person to torque the bolt and another to hold a backup wrench on the opposite side, HWS allows one person to complete the job.

When a tool with a HYTORC Washer driver is placed on the front of the flange, the outer socket engages the Reaction Washer and remains fixed. The inner socket turns the nut until the target torque is reached. On the back of the flange, the back nut doesn’t move because the HYTORC Backup Washer keeps it fixed without needing a backup wrench. This reduces personnel requirements, improves operator safety, and can accelerate maintenance and repair activities. Using this system can accelerate maintenance and repair activities.

Recently there’s been much discussion about accelerating throughput and shortening schedules. Whether building or repairing a ship, the front-end planning and timelines are key, as equipment, materials, and people must be in the right place at the right time. Even when that all goes perfectly, you still must complete the work itself and meet the schedule, requiring crew, tools, and time. Using the HYTORC Washer System reduces the number of people and time in a measurable way. It can reduce bolting time by 50% compared to conventional bolting. (Time Trial HYTORC Washer vs Conventional Bolting, n.d.).

Benefits to the DoW: Using the HYTORC Washer System can help crews turn equipment around faster. The less time equipment, vehicles, and ships spend in maintenance facilities, the more available they are for the military’s critical global operations. This gives field commanders a larger pool of equipment to pull from and more flexibility to cover multiple contingencies simultaneously.

Innovation Challenges: It can be difficult to change SOP’s across large organizations, especially when several service branches need to adopt new practices.

Technical Maturity/ Demonstration Results: This technology is used regularly in industries such as oil and gas, nuclear, wind, and power generation. Mining equipment companies manufacture new equipment with the HYTORC Washer Systems already installed. It not only makes manufacturing safer and faster; future repairs are safer and faster requiring fewer people.