MechKit
The Journal
A Bolt Carries Load on Its Stress Area, Not Its Shank
A bolt does not carry load on its shank diameter. It carries it on the tensile stress area — a smaller effective section that accounts for the thread…
A Hydraulic Cylinder Pulls Weaker Than It Pushes
A hydraulic cylinder does not produce the same force in both directions, and the reason is geometric rather than hydraulic: on the way out, fluid pushes on…
Torque Is a Proxy for Preload — and a Poor One
Torque is not what holds a bolted joint together. Preload does — the tension in the stretched bolt clamping the parts. Torque is just the most convenient…