CRITICAL PATH BOLTING
WHEN THE CLOCK IS RUNNING,
EVERY BOLT IS ON
THE CRITICAL PATH.
During a shutdown, turnaround, or outage, the joints that come apart and go back together decide whether maintenance finishes on schedule — or bleeds into overtime, lost production, and unplanned risk.
WHY
A LATE BOLT
IS A
LATE OUTAGE
TARGET OUTCOME
CRITICAL PATH BOLTING IS ON TIME
Critical Path Bolting refers to the strategic use of high-performance bolting tools during plant shutdowns, turnarounds, and maintenance outages. It's a simple idea with high stakes: the right tools ensure bolted joints are disassembled and reassembled quickly, safely, and accurately — preventing delays on the critical path and reducing safety risks.
Maintenance teams don't control how long an outage window is. But they do control how fast and how safely the bolting inside it gets done. When disassembly and reassembly move on schedule, the rest of the plan holds. When they don't, everything downstream slips with them.
THE PROCESS
THE CRITICAL PATH BOLTING PROCESS
1
Equipment Outage
Equipment is taken out of service at the start of a shutdown or routine maintenance.
2
Disassemble Equipment
Quickly and safely loosen flange joints or bolted encasements — often the first critical step.
3
Perform Asset Maintenance
Routine maintenance proceeds without delay.
4
Assembly Site Equipment
Tighten bolted joints back to exact specifications using accurate torque loads
5
Complete Maintenance
Successful completion with no critical path delays and no safety risks.
HOW
HOW HYTORC KEEPS CRITICAL PATH BOLTING ON SCHEDULE
Hydraulic torque and tension tools engineered around three requirements every outage demands.
01
Productivity
02
Quality
03
Safety
What
THE CRITICAL PATH BOLTING LINEUP
Hydraulic, battery, and pneumatic torque tools plus the pumps that power them — every clearance, torque range, and application on your critical path.
HYDRAULIC TORQUE WRENCHES
[HIGHEST TORQUE, HEAVY-DUTY JOINTS]
Hydraulic tools deliver the widest torque range and the most precise, repeatable output in the lineup — the standard for the largest, highest-stakes joints on the critical path.
EDGE-S
[Square Drive Tools]
Torque: 178 – 11,291 ft-lbs.
(241 – 15,308 N·m)
The workhorse. A simple 3-moving-part design, tried and tested for over 30 years.
STEALTH
[Limited Clearance Tools]
Torque: 278 – 34,722 ft-lbs.
(377 – 47,067 N·m)
The most advanced low-clearance, slim-design tool, with a dual-piston powerhead and hands-free operation.
XLCT
[Limited Clearance Tools]
Torque: 243 – 59,110 ft-lbs.
(330 – 80,145 N·m)
The world's best-selling limited-clearance bolting system, in service since 1992.
VERSA
[Limited Clearance Tools]
Torque: 178 – 11,291 ft-lbs.
(1356 – 49,868 N·m)
The most economical limited-clearance torque wrench, built for hex, 12-point, and castle-nut sockets.
MXT
[Square Drive Tools]
Torque: 118 – 37,100 ft-lbs.
(160 – 50,296 N·m)
The world's best-selling industrial bolting system, in service since 1990.
ICE
[Square Drive Tools]
Torque: 117 – 5,360 ft-lbs.
(159 – 7,267 N·m)
The most advanced hydraulic bolting system, with auto-release and total-freedom uniswivel.
AVANTI
[Square Drive Tools]
Torque: 115 – 138,510 ft-lbs.
(156 – 187,777 N·m)
The widest torque range in the HYTORC line, with a patented reaction drive and optional torque & angle dial.
MXT+
[Square Drive Tools]
Torque: 1,359 – 12,148 ft-lbs
(1,842 – 16,468 N·m)
Extended-reach MXT platform with rear and coaxial reaction arm options for restricted access.
CHOOSE WHEN
- Torque requirements exceeds 8000 ft-lbs
- Joint count is high and accuracy tolerance is tight
- A hydraulic pump and hoses are practical for the work area
BATTERY TORQUE GUNS
[PORTABILITY, ACCESS, AND DATA CAPTURE]
Cordless tools trade some top-end torque for freedom of movement — no hoses, no compressor, no pump — plus built-in data recording for traceable results.
CHOOSE WHEN
- When Air Supply & Electric Supply is not available
- When during critical path, you need something fast
- Torque documentation per joint is required
- Mobility between scattered joints matters more than raw torque
LION
[Transducerised]
Torque: 15 – 700 ft-lbs.
(20 – 949 N·m)
18V cordless torque tool with built-in data recording, compatible with conventional sockets.
LGX
[Transducerised]
Torque: 200 – 3,000 ft-lbs.
(271 – 4,067 N·m)
Compact 36V tool with a lighter profile and simplified interface for fast bolting.
LST
[Transducerised]
Torque: 15 - 8000 ft-lbs.
(20 - 10,847 N.m)
Most Advance tool with big power — rundown and torque modes with torque & angle functionality.
PNEUMATIC TORQUE GUNS
[HIGH-VOLUME, CONTINUOUS DUTY CYCLES]
Air-powered multipliers run continuously without recharge downtime, making them well suited to repetitive bolting across many identical joints in a single outage.
JGUN
[Single Speed]
Torque: 50 – 7,900 ft-lbs.
(68 – 10,711 N·m)
Achieve final torque in one tool, with low vibration and repeatable results.
JGUN
[Dual Speed]
Torque: 194 – 8,285 ft-lbs.
(263 – 11,236 N·m)
Switch between rundown and final torque in one tool, with low vibration and repeatable results.
DIGITAL JGUN
[Single Speed]
Torque: 194 – 8,285 ft-lbs.
(263 – 11,236 N·m)
The world's first torque-adjustable pneumatic multiplier with digital readout and FRL-free operation.
CHOOSE WHEN
- The job involves many repetitive joints back-to-back
- When during critical path, you need something fast
- Continuous run time matters more than cordless portability
HYDRAULIC TORQUE WRENCH PUMPS
The power source behind every torque wrench in the lineup
JETPRO
[Electric/ Pneumatic]
A 2-stage driven pump that gets the job done all the time.
HY-SERIES
[Electric/ Pneumatic]
A 4-stage driven pump built to reduce cycle time, with semi-automatic operation.
HY-SERIES
[Electric/ Pneumatic]
A 4-stage driven pump built to reduce cycle time, with semi-automatic operation with MORE POWER !
LIGHTNING
[Battery/ Electric]
Battery-operated pumps for speed and reliability, including data-capturing LIGHTNING-Smart.
MORE WAYS TO BRING THE JOB BACK ON SCHEDULE
NUTS
Pure tension: Stretches the bolt axially without introducing harmful twisting torque to the stud.
High accuracy: Delivers precise bolt load accuracy within ± 5% of target specifications.
Zero galling: Prevents thread damage because the inner sleeve does not turn against the bolt under heavy load
WASHERS
Straight axial load: Aligns action and reaction on a single axis to prevent bolt bending and side-loading.
Even load distribution: Larger surface area distributes load uniformly and protects flange surfaces from embedment damage
No backup wrench needed: Companion friction washers lock the opposing nut to prevent rotation without extra manual tools
SIMULTORC
Parallel Joint Closure: Clamps opposing bolts at the exact same time to close flanges straight and evenly.
No Gasket Damage: Distributes pressure uniformly so gaskets and flange faces do not warp, pinch, or break.
Faster Assembly: Cuts total job and maintenance time by more than half through fewer tightening passes.
SEE CRITICAL PATH BOLTING IN ACTION,
BEFORE YOUR NEXT OUTAGE.
Tell us about your application and a HYTORC specialist will follow up to schedule a live or on-site demonstration.