Simulational and experimental study of stress in bolts work-piece

In order to study the effect of different bolts tightening sequences on the stress of bolts work-piece, the finite element simulation and stress test experiments are adopted. Three types of bolt work-piece: two, five, and frame type bolts work-pieces are studied under different tightening sequences. The stress values and distribution are obtained under different tightening sequences by simulation. It is observed that the stress distribution tendency of bolts work-piece has little change under different tightening sequences. It also notices that the tightening sequences have no effect on two bolts work-piece due to the symmetry of work-piece. In five bolts work-piece, the variation range of stress under tightening from ends to middle is smaller than that under sequence tightening, which indicates that better stress uniformity is obtained under tightening from ends to middle in five bolts work-piece. Similarly, in frame bolts work-piece, the variation range of stress under symmetrical tightening is smaller than that under sequence tightening, which indicates that better stress uniformity is obtained under symmetrical tightening in frame type bolts work-piece. Furthermore, the experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results. Moreover, the stress variation mechanism is revealed by analyzing residual preload variation under sequence tightening.