Shaft power components


The torque of the town

Third Quarter 2024 Shaft power components

Bolt and Engineering Distributors (B.E.D.) is pleased to announce its new distribution agreement with torque and tensioning company Bolt Torque, which has a comprehensive range of manual, hydraulic, electric and battery bolt torque, and bolt tensioning solutions. This strategic partnership was announced just ahead of Electra Mining Africa 2024, where Bolt Torque and their principals, PLARAD Torque and Tension Systems from Germany exhibited. It marks a significant addition to B.E.D.’s industrial product and solutions portfolio, enhancing its ability to provide cutting-edge bolting solutions to a diverse range of industry sectors, including ship repair, wind farms, oil and gas, and mining.


Angus Houston, sales director and project manager at Bolt Torque and PLARAD representative for southern Africa.

Mike Giltrow, CEO of B.E.D. expresses his enthusiasm for this exciting collaboration: “As a leading fastener supplier to industry for the past four decades, we have naturally always recognised the importance of bolt torqueing and tensioning. However, without the right supplier expertise, we were cautious. Fortunately, Bolt Torque fits the bill perfectly, and is willing and able to work with us, leveraging our mutual bolt-related strengths and synergies.”

Angus Houston, sales director and project manager at Bolt Torque, shares Giltrow’s enthusiasm. “We have been searching for a legitimate national distributor for some time, and this collaboration with B.E.D. is a match made in heaven. With nine established branches, and an excellent existing customer base that aligns perfectly with our key target markets in mining, energy, power, oil and gas, it is ideal. The clear customer service orientation and passion of B.E.D.’s nationwide team fits our own operational ethos and approach perfectly,” says Houston.

Enhancing service offerings and capabilities

This new distribution agreement is set to enhance B.E.D.’s service offerings and capabilities significantly. Giltrow elaborates: “When bolting or fastening becomes specialised, involving for example, larger diameters, high tensile materials, stainless steel and other complex materials, we can now ensure that bolts or fasteners are properly tightened. We can also offer customers rental equipment with certification, providing a turnkey solution − a real ‘turn-bolt’ service.”

Existing and potential customers can expect several specific benefits from B.E.D.’s distribution of Bolt Torque’s offerings. “B.E.D.’s reputation for quality and service will now extend to torqueing and tensioning opportunities nationwide,” says Giltrow. “We will therefore be adding to the quality of our fasteners by ensuring they are correctly tightened, avoiding problems like overtightening that can lead to failures. Factors such as lubrication and galvanising can also affect torque values, and our experts will guide customers through these considerations.”

B.E.D. customers can now also benefit from calibration services at a contracted SANAS-certified calibration laboratory in Cape Town. B.E.D. can supply and calibrate torque tools and tensioners of any brand, not just the ones supplied by B.E.D. This includes force calibration for torque tools up to 20 000 Nm, single-stage and multi-stage tensioners, measuring gauges, and a wide range of electronic and measuring devices.

‘Bolting on’ to opportunities

“Specific projects and industries that will benefit from this distribution agreement include upcoming renewable energy projects, refineries, and mining,” says Houston. “Our products have several key advantages, such as attractive daily rental offerings and the high-quality, globally-recognised PLARAD Torque and Tension Systems from Germany. Our long-term rental pricing is also very cost-effective for companies that do not wish to invest capex, but require the service.

Houston adds that Bolt Torque’s new tooling options are among the world’s leading brands, particularly for the wind, power, and oil and gas sectors.

Bolt Torque ensures the quality and reliability of its equipment and services through rigorous standards and experience. “With over 30 years of expertise in bolt torqueing and tensioning technology, we ensure that only the highest quality tools are rented out. We will also have spare equipment available at B.E.D. offices to ensure readiness in case of an urgent customer requirement,” he says.

Great expectations

Houston concludes with high expectations for Bolt Torque’s collaboration with B.E.D. “Going forward, we will have rental tools and key PLARAD tools available from all of B.E.D.’s branches, including the latest PLARAD Battery Tools wind turbine tensioners. The sky is the limit,” he says.

For more information contact Bolt and Engineering Distribution, +27 14 597 7500, [email protected], www.bolteng.co.za




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Cogged raw edge belts
SKF South Africa Shaft power components
SKF’s cogged raw edge belts are ideally suited for essentially any industrial application that runs on ISO wedge and classical V-belt pulleys.

Read more...
Taking reliability to the trenches
SKF South Africa Shaft power components
SKF’s maintenance-free Y Bearing Unit has significantly extended equipment uptime for key customer Gibela, a leading level 5CE CIBD-rated civils company with more than ten years of experience in the field.

Read more...
Quick couplings to prevent leakage
Shaft power components
Research and development in the quick coupling industry is advancing beyond functionality, and is focusing on manufacturing leak-free quick couplers which also minimise impact on the environment.

Read more...
Nord-Lock’s CE marked securing washers
Bearing Man Group T/A BMG Shaft power components
The Nord-Lock range of securing washers, distributed and supported by BMG, is the only brand on the market that currently displays the CE quality mark of approval from leading global authorities.

Read more...
Navigating the cosmos with precision
SKF South Africa Shaft power components
As the next-generation Very Large Array navigates towards its key science goals, SKF’s technology is playing a pivotal role in charting the stars. SKF is providing key components for the next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), a $2 billion telescope system that aims to peer deeper into the universe than ever before.

Read more...
Automatic lubrication in industrial machinery
Shaft power components
The SAL Elite single point lubricator is a reliable and efficient solution for automatic lubrication in industrial machinery. It is distributed by ISO-Reliability Partners, a leading provider of reliability and lubrication systems.

Read more...
Wedge belts for tough conditions
Bearing Man Group T/A BMG Shaft power components
BMG’s extensive range of Fenner power transmission components encompasses high-performance Fenner Quattro Plus Twin Wrapped (QPTW) wedge belts, that transmit 30% more power than the standard Fenner drivebelts.

Read more...
NSK bearings help pet food plant raise OEE
Shaft power components
When a major UK pet food producer wanted better machine utilisation with the aim of raising its overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by three points, it decided to ask experts at bearing specialist NSK if they could evaluate processes and systems to help with this improvement goal.

Read more...
Anti-surge valves
Valve & Automation Shaft power components
Anti-surge valves meet the most stringent requirements, and in the event of a disturbance must open lightning fast, with precise positioning and absolute reliability. One of the world’s leading compressor manufacturers selected Arca anti-surge valves for its compressor stations at a steel mill in Taiwan.

Read more...
SKF’s successful raid action in Cape Town
SKF South Africa Editor's Choice Shaft power components
Authorities, with collaborative support from SKF, recently conducted a large and highly effective raid on a very well-known bearing seller of SKF bearings in Cape Town.

Read more...