What is a “QA Torque Wrench”?

We have manual torque wrenches capable of very accurate and sophisticated measurements, including peak torque, break-a-way torque, angle, and even operator movement. This is enabled by adding transducers, encoders, gyros and software to a highly accurate manual torque wrench. While these can be used for production tightening, many models are designed for auditing and measuring already-tightened fasteners, and thus referred to as Quality Assurance (QA) products.

QA wrenches typically start at a few hundred dollars, with many popular wrenches in the $1,000 to $8,000 range. They can also communicate wirelessly to store data and/or tie in to various line control and M.E.S. systems. Atlas Copco, Tohnichi, Sturdevant Richmont, Crane and others offer excellent choices. Auditing and Error Proofing are then available on many levels to ensure proper assembly, reduce warranty and leaks and feed data for Manufacturing 4.0 initiatives.