Tohnichi is seeing an increase in demand for its Tire Wheel Nut Tightening Management System (TWMS) as a groundbreaking product that prevents wheel detachment accidents in truck maintenance facilities.
TWMS combines a dedicated torque wrench for tightening wheel nuts on large vehicles such as trucks with a device that wirelessly transmits tightening torque and a tablet with dedicated software that allows for easy setting of axle numbers, tires, and bolt counts. Wireless communication enables centralized data management even in multi-pit operations. They also offer a kit to convert the standalone product, the TW2 torque wrench for tightening large vehicle wheel nuts, into TWMS.
Conventional large torque wrenches require two people to handle and align due to their weight, making bolt alignment difficult. TWMS torque wrenches are self-supporting, eliminating the need for someone to hold the main body during operation, allowing for single-person operation and easy alignment in all directions. Tightening can be done with manual force alone, without the need for electricity or air, thanks to the gear ratio. When the set torque is reached, a "click" sound indicates completion of tightening. They are also compatible with right-hand/left-hand threads, JIS/ISO standards, and dual tires.
The dedicated software supports tightening operations and post-50-100 km retightening. Users can register data such as license plate images and vehicle numbers for management. Setting parameters such as axle numbers, tires (dual/single), bolt counts, and upper/lower limits of tightening torque is easy from the screen. Tightening results are color-coded for easy visual confirmation. Users can register vehicle models, and settings based on data such as specified tightening torque by vehicle type published by the Japan Trucking Association are possible.
Wheel detachment accidents due to loosening or breakage of bolts have become a social issue. Inadequate maintenance, such as not tightening to the specified torque, is said to be one of the causes of accidents. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Japan Trucking Association are promoting awareness activities for tire inspection and maintenance to prevent accidents. In this context, there has been an increasing demand for self-supporting torque wrenches for large vehicle wheel nut tightening. Taking advantage of IoT technology in torque wrenches, the company developed TWMS, which wirelessly communicates and manages data from these self-supporting torque wrenches for large vehicles, providing evidence data. They have been expanding sales by appealing at automotive-related exhibitions and increasing adoption by major maintenance facilities.
A developer stated, "While there has been significant demand for torque wrenches alone in the past, we have developed a system that can manage data when combined with software. For example, it is possible to centrally manage data across remote factories. We will continue to improve the software to make it even more user-friendly."
