Defining Bolt Preload — Lesson 2

Bolts and nuts are used to hold two mating parts together in an assembly. For that, we need to tighten the nut on the bolts to ensure that the mating parts stay connected during the operation of the machine. This tightening force is nothing but bolt preload or bolt pretension. If it is applied inadequately, bolts can become loose and cause joint failure for the mating parts, creating leakages. For this reason, bolts need to be tightened sufficiently.

In this lesson, we will discuss how to apply bolt preload in a simulation and what aspects to consider while applying it.

Video Lesson

Alternate video link.

Handout

Here are the accompanying handout slides for this lesson.