Fourth Screw Industry Conference Covers the Entire Spectrum from Design to Assembly
The program kicked off with a tour of Herrenknecht AG, the technology leader in mechanical tunnel boring. During the tour, visiting guests learned how important reliable screw connections are for ensuring that the Schwanau-based company’s modern tunnel boring machines operate as smoothly as possible. After a traditional Baden evening, Prof. Dr. Thomas Eisele, prorector for research and transfer, welcomed the approximately 70 participants on the second day at Hochschule Offenburg and highlighted the close ties between teaching, research, and industry at the university.
Prof. Alfred Isele, head of the Screw Joints Research Group at Hochschule Offenburg, also emphasized the importance of (university) research for the international competitiveness of the region and of Germany as a whole in his introductory lecture. In times of tight budgets across the board, it is all the more important for the University and industry to work closely together, Isele explained, and he invited the company representatives present to contact the University if needed. This could then lead to something similar to the concept of a screw connection: “Namely, connecting two or more components in such a way that they function as a single component.” To achieve this, however, it is necessary to master countless influencing factors such as design, manufacturing, friction, loss of preload, and the specific component or screw system. The following presentations from industry and research showcased exciting research projects, potential applications, and solutions to problems in the areas of “Preload and Assembly,” “Leakage, Friction, and Fault Analysis,” “Sensor Technology and Intelligent Systems,” and “Materials Science and Corrosion Protection.”
To begin, Sandro Vanetta from Nord-Lock GmbH spoke about the difference between rotational and tensile preloading methods. Klaus Rappenacker from Hochschule Offenburg then explained the preload force losses in organically coated components under operating conditions. Adrian Volk from Hochschule Offenburg discussed the influence of elevated temperatures on the static coefficient of friction in painted parting surfaces of bolted joints, and Moritz Stahl from Arnold Umformtechnik GmbH & Co. KG spoke about leak tightness in bolted joints. After a lunch break that offered an opportunity for informal discussion, Shiva Kumar Manoharan from Kistler Instrumente GmbH presented on the assembly behavior of current-carrying bolted joints. Afterward, Florian Peinhardt from Hochschule Offenburg and Fabian Deeg from the Institute for Product Development at KIT presented two concepts for sensor-integrated screws designed to measure bending stress in the screw shank. Holger Junkers from Juko Technik GmbH then discussed enhanced safety in screw assembly using Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)-enabled assembly systems, while Niklas Weber from Berrang SE addressed zinc-nickel plating without annealing as corrosion protection for high-performance screws. To conclude the event, Annika Lamm and Maik Naumann from TÜV Süd presented investigations into defective bolted joints on the dry cylinders of a paper machine, as well as testing methods for high-torque bolting technology. In addition to the various presentations, there was ample opportunity for discussion and exchange.
At booths in the foyer of Building D and at machines set up in front of the building, participants were also able to learn about the latest technologies and offerings from the companies represented at the screw technology conference. In this context, the organizers would also like to thank all sponsors and exhibitors of the event.