Using a Torque Wrench

Reading Scale and Accuracy

A torque wrench is a measuring instrument and, therefore, accuracy is a prime consideration to the user.

The best quality torque wrenches are calibrated so that the maximum allowable inaccuracy will not exceed 2 percent of the full-scale reading.

As an example, a hundred foot-pound capacity torque wrench would have an allowable inaccuracy of two foot-pounds, plus or minus, at the hundred foot-pound reading. It is important to understand that a flexible beam model torque wrench utilizing the principle of Hooke's Law in its purest sense is equipped with the pivoted or floating type handle as an added feature.

When these torque wrenches are in a rest position where no load is applied to the handle, the pointer will intersect the zero increment marking break-away torque.

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