# Tightening Steps

The availability of tightening steps, monitors and restrictions depends on the license installed on the controller.

## General Parameters

The following step parameters are common for many of the step types. The parameters are set in the step properties window which is displayed when selecting a step in the tightening program.

Parameter | Description
--- | ---
Name | Name of the step.
Rotational direction | Each of the tightening steps can run either forward, that is to make a tightening, or reverse, to loosen the screw slightly. The arrows indicate this direction. Many of the tightening steps have a direction hard-coded to forward, for example Tighten to Angle, or Tighten to Torque. Steps such as Loosen to Angle or Loosen to Torque have their direction automatically set to reverse. The reverse setting is not allowed for tools configured with Gear Front Attachment (GFA) of type open end. The tightening direction of the tightening program must be the same as the tightening direction of the open end tool for a tightening to be allowed to be run. It is possible to assign a loosening program to a tightening program for an open end tool, but if the direction switch is set to run the loosening program, the tool will be locked.
Step category | For each step, there is an option to choose a step category. By selecting step category, the NOK tightenings will be listed in the event result view with related detailed status together with the corresponding multistep error information. If no selection is made, the detailed status will be set to uncategorized multistep error. The related detailed status can be customized.
Angle window | A joint is considered Hard if the screw is tightened to its full torque and it rotates 30 degrees (or less) after it has been tightened to its snug point. A Soft joint rotates 720 degrees or more after it has been tightened to its snug point. The hardness parameter defines the Angle Window for the gradient calculation. The harder the joint - the smaller the angle window.
Speed Ramp / Acceleration (only available in ToolsTalk 2) | For most of the steps it is possible to specify how the acceleration to the target speed should be achieved. Three different settings are possible; Hard, Soft and Manual. The acceleration defined will be used whenever a step is started. Regardless whether the tool is already running with speed at the beginning of the step, the ramp will be used to accelerate to the target speed of the step. This will be the case even if the speed at the start of the step is higher, or lower than the target speed.
Speed ramp - Hard and Soft mode | Hard: 2000 rpm/s (Speed Ramp between 1000 and 10000 rpm/s is a Hard acceleration.) Soft: 500 rpm/s (Speed Ramp between 200 and 1000 rpm/s is a Soft acceleration.)
Speed ramp - Manual mode | Speed: Default value: 60 rpm Minimum limit: > 0 Maximum limit: ≤ Tool Max Speed Acceleration: Default value: 500 rpm/s Minimum limit: > 0 Maximum limit: ≤ Tool Max Acceleration
Using speed shifts | 1−5 angle triggers or torque triggers can be defined during a step, where the speed will shift. Within one step, all the speed shift triggers are based on the same property, that is either torque or angle. They cannot be mixed within one step. The Torque triggers and Angle triggers must be less than the step target, depending on the type of the step and the trigger type. The Torque trigger and Torque speed also validate against the Max torque and Max speed of the tool. A warning or error indicator occurs whenever the Speed Shift settings exceed either the tool max values, or step max values. The Torque triggers and Angle triggers must be less than the step target, depending on the type of the step and the trigger type. The Torque trigger and Torque speed also validate against the Max torque and Max speed of the tool. A warning or error indicator occurs whenever the Speed Shift settings exceed either the tool max values, or step max values. It is possible to push the settings to the tool when a tightening program has a warning, but not when a tightening program has an error (fault) indicator. The speed shifts can be added in the Configuration field. To add a speed shift: In the dialog box of a step that can have speed shifts, select Add speed shift. Then, select an angle range or a torque range. The Speed Shift Angle/Torque fields open. Add values according to the table below: Angle/Torque trigger: Must be > 0 Speed: Must be > 0 Speed ramp type: Hard or soft
Brake type | The braking behavior of a multistep tightening program can be controlled at two possible locations in the program: in a step preceding a reversal of direction of the tightening, and/or at the final step of the tightening program. At other locations in the tightening program, the braking parameters will not be available in the step's general settings. Braking can be set to either Ergo stop or Inertia. Inertia will brake the tool completely, while Ergo stop will allow for a more ergonomic slowing down of the tightening. Inertia has no additional parameters. Ergo stop parameters: Adaptive brake: Set the Adaptive Brake to On or Off Ramp time: Only available when Adaptive Brake is set to Off. Insert time in ms.
Exclude in MCT mode | The Exclude in MCT mode option can be turned on for steps in a Multistep program. When using the MCT mode for a Multistep program, steps with Exclude in MCT mode turned on will be excluded. Setting the Exclude in MCT mode option to on in such a way that there is no break before a wait step or direction switch will result in an error in runtime when in MCT mode. Termination Paths and Repair paths are ignored on fixtured systems, i.e. if they are triggered the tightening will be marked as NOK MC tightening. MCT mode is only to be used when testing. Make sure MCT mode is disabled before returning the tool to the production line.

The following tightening steps are not supported for tools configured with Gear Front Attachment (GFA) of type open end:

- A - Tighten to Angle / Loosen to Angle

- TrR - Loosen to Trigger Release

- T - Tighten to Torque / Loosen to Torque

- E - Engage

- SR - Socket Release

- DT - Tighten to DynaTork

- TPT - TensorPulse Tighten to Torque / Loosen to Torque

- IT - Impulse Tighten to Torque / Loosen to Torque

- IA - Impulse Tighten to Angle / Loosen to Angle

- AP - Adaptive Pulse

- ITrR - Impulse Loosen to Trigger Release

## Trace Settings

When the trace configuration is enabled on the program level, the trace resolution can be configured on step level. The setting for Trace Setting defines how the sampling should be done on each specific step.

Parameter | Description
--- | ---
Trace Setting | Program: Use the settings as defined on program level. Manual: The trace sample type from the program level will be used, that is, Time or Angle. Using a different sample rate will override the setting on the program level.
Sample Time | Choose the sample time from the drop-down list (0.25 - 1000 ms)
Sample Angle | Choose the sample angle from the drop-down list (0.25 - 20 degree)

With this trace recording the sample rates will not be the same in all the steps, instead the sample rate depends on the configuration in each step. This means the trace is divided into one trace for each step.

The maximum number of samples in a trace is 4096.

If a tightening produce more than 4096 values a down-sampling will take place. This is done by removing every second trace sample from the whole tightening and when continue the recording with half the resolution. This process will be repeated every time the 4096 sample limit is reached.

If more than 2048 in total was recorded, this process will result in a trace between 2048 and 4096 samples.

If the limit if 4096 samples is reached the configured trace sample times will no longer be followed. Instead the sample times will be doubled or quadrupled etc., depending on how many times the down sampling has taken place. Since all steps are down sampled the relation between the steps will still be the same though. If a step was configured with double sample time compared to another step, this will still be the case in the final trace regardless how many times a down-sampling has occurred.

Trace channel | Note
--- | ---
Torque | Available for all tools equipped with a torque transducer
Angle | Available for all tools
Torque Second | Only available for tools with two torque transducers
Angle Second | Only available for tools with two angle transducers
Current | Available for all tools
Gradient | Available if some step/restriction/monitor produces the gradient values

Available tools for each system type
Power Focus 6000 / Power Focus 8 | Power Focus 6000 Synchronized tightening / Power Focus 8 Synchronized tightening | Flex | IxB
--- | --- | --- | ---
ST | ST | QST | IxB
STR | STR |  |
SL | QST |  |
QST |  |  |
STB |  |  |
IxB |  |  |
Power Focus Connect |  |  |
XB |  |  |

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