FADU Training UpdateFADU Training Update FADU Training Newsletter.pdf · FADU for Chevron Refining...

- John M. Jenco

Charlotte, NC. USA

Looking back, 2012 was a

good year for FADU sales and

continued market penetration

for this advanced training

technology. We delivered

another 13 units to customers

last year, with several of those

un its to in ternat iona l

customers in Singapore,

China, and the United

Kingdom. Late last year, we

also began delivering new

FADU with the much-

requested strain-gauged bolt

(SGB) protective shroud. For

those that do not have this

Across The Desk...

Summer 2013Summer 2013

FADU Training UpdateFADU Training Update

Points of Interest:

Installing v2013 Successfully

The New Paradigm in v2013

FADU User Group Interest?

Inside this issue:

Is It Time For a FADU Users

Group? 2

The New v2013 FADU User

Interface Software 3

The New Gasket Compres-

sion Study (GCS) 4

The New Torque-Preload

Study (TPS) 5

The New Mechanic’s Judg-

ment Study (MJS) 6

The New Assembly Method

Comparison Study (AMCS) 7

GCM/TPM Setup Using the

RTJ Spacers 7

Copyright © JJENCO, Inc. 2013. All Rights Reserved.

very useful device, it is

avai lab le as a h ighly -

recommended option that can

be easily installed by the user

and prevents expensive

accidental damage to the SGB

electrical connections.

In addition to adding to the

international user base, the

FADU training technology

continues to be adopted by

Installing v2013 Software Successfully Before jumping right into

talking about all the great new

features included in the new

v2013 FADU software

release, a few words up front

are necessary to assure that

you make the transition easily

and as pain-free as possible.

First, to avoid any problems

later, you’re going to want to

do a ‘clean’ install of the new

software. This involves

removing all of the old

software components from

your computer. Some of this

Windows can do for you

automatically, but a few steps

are going to be necessary for

you to do manually. Don’t

worry. They’re easy.

To begin, from the ‘Start’

menu, launch the Windows

‘Control Panel’ and select

‘Uninstall Programs’. (Use a

more direct means if one is

available to you.) Scroll down

the l i s t o f in s t a l l e d

applications and select ‘FADU

Version...’. Click on the

‘uninstall’ button and follow

any screen prompts that arise.

You want to uninstall the

entire application and any

related components.

Next, repeat the same

procedure for any National

Instruments applications, such

as ‘National Instruments

Sof tware ’ . (32 -b i t OS

installations may also need to

delete ‘Personal DAQView

D r i v e r s ’ , ‘ P e r s o n a l

DAQView’, and ‘PostView’

applications as well.)

Once Windows has finished

automatically deleting these

applications. Close these

dialog boxes, open Windows

Explorer, and navigate to

‘C:\JJENCO\’. Delete this

directory entirely.

NOTE: IF YOU HAVE

SAVED ANY LOG FILES TO

THIS DIRECTORY (*.TXT),

MOVE THEM TO ANOTHER

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Is It Time For a FADU Users Group?

FADU Training Update


Flange Assembly Demonstration Units (FADU) are now in use on every continent except Australia

and Antarctica. Heavily concentrated in the commercial centers and industrial areas of southern Cali-

fornia, throughout the Houston, TX metroplex, the eastern United States, and Britain, FADU are also

in use in Brazil, Spain, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Thailand, China (Taiwan), and Singapore.

End-users represented are engaged in refining, petrochemical, power generation, metals & mining,

trade unions, and of course, gasket manufacturers. Given the broad geographic distribution of FADU

and the diverse representation of end-user interests and applications, the question begs whether it

might be useful to form a FADU Users Group for the purpose of sharing tips, standardizing training

concepts, and furthering the education of those interested in understanding gasket joint behavior, as-

sembly considerations, and improving the quality of bolted joint assembly techniques and associated

instructional training.

An additional area of application and interest, of course, lies in the performance of various basic re-

search pertaining to various assembly considerations with gasketed flange joints. A number of current

FADU users have applied their imagination in order to achieve some impressive research results using

their units.

As the manufacturer, JJENCO would be happy to facilitate a Users Group organized and directed by

end-users. In addition to this annual newsletter, we can envision additional UG communications bene-

fiting end-users, as well as perhaps an annual training seminar or workshop focusing FADU operation,

standardization of training concepts, improving training effectiveness, research applications and results,

and suggested improvements to the FADU platform itself.

Anyone interested in leading or participating in a FADU Users Group beginning in 2014, please contact

John Jenco ([email protected]) to discuss your interest or offer your suggestions.

FADU Global Market Penetration

The New FADU v2013 User Interface Software

Summer 2013


The new FADU v2013 User Interface Software represents a major step forward for FADU users everywhere. The

software is a complete, “from the ground up” rewrite of the existing software. This was necessary in part because

we never envisioned that the FADU would be as successful and widely adopted as it has proven to be. Originally, we

designed the FADU to address a specific request from Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (Decatur, Alabama) for a

reliable, easy to use, and state-of-the-art training mockup capable of illustrating all the key points related to effective

assembly of industrial pressure-boundary flange joints. It was going to be a ‘one off’ project.

The design, test and evaluation effort took several months, during which time we received an order for a second

FADU for Chevron Refining (El Segundo, California). The original software was not written to be particularly

expandable in terms of functionality. Likewise, both the software and hardware were developed for these [US]

customers only, and with no knowledge that the global computer industry was preparing to change from 32-bit to

64-bit operating systems. As such, when word of the FADU began to spread through trade shows and general word

-of-mouth, orders began to stream in from across the country and around the world. From that time until now, we

have had to work to overcome inherent limitations in the original software and hardware platforms. With the v2013

release, not only has the user interface been redesigned, but the more important underlying software code has been

rewritten to optimize the software and position it as a solid foundation for a well-defined software development

strategy going forward.

The New Paradigm

After the application is launched, and after the brief appearance

of the JJENCO ‘splash screen’ indicating the software version

and FADU serial number, the software opens to a redesigned

‘main screen’, which is titled the ‘Gasket Compression Study’

screen. This screen consists of the same three (3) major

elements (flange circle, stress vs. compression graph, and

vertical column chart) laid out in a more useful fashion, as well

as a few new changes and additions to the interface.

The most important change to the new user interface is a basic

change in the paradigm used. Beginning in v2013, we have

changed from a ‘main’ screen and one ‘subscreen’ (the previous

Torque-Preload screen), to the concept of ‘Studies’. In this

concept, a ‘Study’ is a standalone screen designed to support

the required data collection and display associated with a

particular experiment or demonstration. In addition, Study screens will also perform needed calculations

automatically to drive the desired display of demonstration results. Some Study screens may also provide a manual

input to enable the user to perform ad-hoc comparisons requiring calculations based upon specific user-selected

data, all on the fly. Thus, the user can tailor illustrations to specific learning points in the training.

In v2013, there are three (3) specific Studies included, in addition to the main Gasket Compression Study screen.

We envision that new Studies will be developed and added in future releases, based directly upon the needs and

suggestions of the FADU users themselves.

Another change that goes hand-in-hand with this new Studies paradigm is how screens are titled and named. You

will note that on the main screen, the screen title (appearing in the blue title bar at top) is ‘Gasket Compression

Module’, while the Study name (appearing on the gray screen itself) is ‘Gasket Compression Study’. This naming

convention was adopted to provide an easy method for end-users to quickly determine which FADU hardware

module is designed to support a particular Study. We presently only offer two hardware modules, the Gasket

...Con’t on Page 4

Gasket Compression Study Screen



The New FADU v2013 User Interface Software, con’t Compression Module (GCM) and the Torque-Preload Module (TPM), and not counting the RTJ flange module which

is really a alteration of the GCM.

However, it is easy to envision that if

more hardware modules were added

in the future, as well as additional

Studies, it could quickly become

difficult for the user to be assured of

selecting the correct module.

Unlike previous versions, the default

screen size is now 1024x768, rather

than 1280x800. This was done to

make the software compatible with

older or less expensive LCD

projectors in the marketplace whose

resolution was limited to the lower combination. Thus, v2013 software is now easily compatible with virtually any

LCD computer display on the market, making its ease of utilization more user friendly than before. This change did,

however, require that we redesign the screen element layout to accommodate this slightly smaller display format.

Finally, if a sensor is damaged and requires replacement, it is no longer necessary for JJENCO to regenerate the

entire software load. Beginning with v2013, we are now able to simply generate a new encrypted configuration file

incorporating the new sensor calibration data. This represents a significant savings in time and money for everyone.

The New Gasket Compression Study (GCS) Screen

As mentioned, the layout of the GCS screen has changed, but we have retained all of the functionality from

preceding software versions. In addition, we have moved a some items to the Edit>Options menu to clean up the

‘desktop’ and added a couple new features that users have requested. Preexisting functionality will not be covered

here.

First, we have moved and separated the ‘Zero Sensors’ and ‘Log Data’ buttons, placing them on opposite sides of

the flange circle element. We hope users that inadvertently zeroed their sensors instead of logging, or stopping

logging, their data collection will find this helpful.

We also moved the data collection input rate and control to a panel in the Edit>Options menu in an effort to clean

up the interface a bit. We hope you approve.

In addition to adding a dedicated ‘Clear’ button specific to the ‘Snapshot’ feature displays, we have also added a

display for the average percent loss for stress values around the flange circle. While the user can still see individual

values at each bolt location, for the purpose of looking at high/low values around the flange, we think that the

average display of stress lost over time will be much more meaningful in general instruction to students.

Another user requested feature that came out really well is the ‘Add

Trace’ button located in the upper right corner of the stress vs.

compression graph. Using this feature, users can automatically add a new

‘trace’ representing a different gasket to an existing trace collected for a

previous gasket. This facilitates easy comparison of both compression and

creep relaxation curves for different gaskets.

The software automatically selects a color for the new trace that is

different from any of the previous traces. There is no limit to the number

of different traces and colors that can be added to a single graph, although

more than a few might tend to make for a very ‘busy’ data plot.

Addressing one more user request, the stress vs compression graph and

the vertical column chart can now each be individually output straight to a

connected printer or PDF file, according to the user’s preference.


Module vs Study Naming Convention

‘Add Trace’ Illustration

Reminder: For companies owning

multiple FADU, be sure

that the software serial

number on the opening

splash screen matches that

stamped on the FADU

itself. Software is unit-

specific and will only work

correctly with FADU to

which it is assigned.

A final requested feature added to the GCS screen is an alternative version of the stress vs

compression chart. When ’Time Chart’ option is selected from the ‘Studies’ menu item list, the

stress, vs compression chart is replaced with a stress vs elapsed time chart. This enables you to

record changes in bolt stress over some period of time. The exact time scale has been difficult to

define. We are still working on fine-tuning this particular feature

to optimize its value to users, so we invite your feedback. To

return to the previous stress vs compression chart, simply

return to the ‘Studies’ menu and select ‘X-Y Chart’ from the

listed items.

The New Torque-Preload Study (TPS) Screen

As with the GCS screen, the new TPS screen retains all of its

previous functionality, but boasts an array of new features that

both improve and expand upon that functionality.

While the basic input value table and Load Cell Preload output display appear unchanged, we have in

fact worked a bit of magic behind the scenes to make the users job easier and more accurate. In

v2013, you no longer have to select a cell with the cursor, tighten the fastener in the TPM, and then

watch carefully to double-click in the selected cell as soon as the displayed preload value ‘tops out’

and begins to fall in order to register the maximum preload value. In v2013, simply right-click on the

desired cell and select ‘Start’. Now, the software

will automatically monitor the ascending preload

values and insert the maximum value obtained in

the cell. Then, simply right-click on the cell (now

filled in green) and select ’Stop’ to record the

value and move on to the next cell of interest.

(The cell returns to a white fill color.)

Additionally, almost every torque manual gives

you the equation to determine what torque to use for a given bolt

area, desired preload, and a given Nut Factor (‘K’ value). However,

The New FADU v2013 User Interface Software, con’t

Installing v2013 Software Successfully, con’t

Did You Know?

If you want to change the scale

on either the ‘X’ or ‘Y’ axis for

most charts or graphs in the

software, simply click on the

maximum value for that axis,

type in a different maximum

value, and press ‘Enter’. The

software will automatically

rescale the axis according to

the new maximum value

specified.

Summer 2013


DIRECTORY WHERE THEY WILL BE SAVED FOR FUTURE REFERENCE BEFORE DELETING THE

‘JJENCO’ DIRECTORY.

Next, navigate to the ‘C:\Program Files\FADU\’ directory on 32-bit computers, or the ‘C:\Program Files

(x86)\FADU\’ directory on 64-bit computers. Once again, delete this directory completely.

You’re almost one! Now, reboot your computer. MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE FADU USB CABLE

CONNECTING YOUR FADU TO YOUR COMPUTER IS UNPLUGGED. When your computer has

finished booting up completely and all device drivers have finished loading, insert your v2013 software

CDROM into the computer drive bay and follow the screen prompts to install the software. We strongly

recommend that you review the ‘v2013 Software Installation Screenshots’ file located on the CDROM

before installing the software.

When the installation is complete, reboot your computer again. After the computer has finished rebooting

completely for a second time, connect your FADU USB cable to the computer and launch the software. If

your computer did not automatically install the correct device driver for your FADU, follow the directions

contained in the above-mentioned installation screenshots file to manually install the driver.

That’s it! You’re now ready to begin using the new v2013 FADU software. Enjoy!! Call John Jenco

(+1.704.944.5568) if you run into any problems.

Con’t on Page 6

New Input Method Illustration

Nut Factor Inputs and Output



The New FADU v2013 User Interface Software, con’t few tell you how to determine ‘K’ in order to use the equation. By simply selecting the bolt size used in the TPM,

and entering the torque value used, the software will calculate ‘K’ for the fastener configuration tested.

The Mechanic’s Judgment Study (MJS) Screen

The MJS screen is really a great demonstration and a wonderful piece of software programming. Based upon one of

the core training demonstrations I developed almost 20 years ago, it conveys in a simple, yet elegant manner one of

the most important concepts in assembling bolted

connections, or any other mechanical maintenance

practice for that matter, and that is the importance of

following a good procedure.

Now, almost everyone recognizes and acknowledges

the value of following a good procedure in order to

obtain a desired outcome as part of any mechanical

maintenance practice. Invariably, this often leads to

procedure writers attempting to put every

conceivable step and notation in a procedure to

assure that they have covered all the bases and every

eventuality. This is akin to why you some game with a

shotgun instead of a rifle; a better chance of hitting

your target.

However, the downside to this strategy is that both

experienced and novice maintenance technicians tend

to not follow procedures that are TOO detailed. In

fact, they are prone to skip over steps that may actually be important to achieving the desired outcome.

To continue the hunting analogy, procedure writers then realize that you can’t use a shotgun effectively for all game.

So, in an effort to streamline the overblown procedure, they begin stripping out everything that seems like it ought

to be obvious, as in ‘mechanic’s judgment’. The problem, here, is that some things that really are so simple

frequently get overlooked because they ARE so simple. And unfortunately, they can be critical to both reliability and

repeatability for the assembled connection.

The MJS screen enables the instructor to give each student the exact same instruction for tightening a bolt. This

exercise is done in private, one student at a time, so as to not enable students to calibrate their level of effort from

that expended by those they watched perform the experiment previously. By selecting the first cell in the input table

and pressing ‘Record’, much like the TPS screen previously, the software monitors the rise in bolt preload and

inserts the maximum value achieved in the cell. By pressing the button for ‘New Student’, the instructor is able to

add a new line for each successive student until all students have finished the exercise. Now this is where the

software programming gets fancy.

When ready, the instructor can press the ‘Graph Results’ button and the software will automatically sort all the

values in the input table in the background from low to high, group them into ‘tightness group ranges’ of 10ksi each,

count the number of values in each tightness group, redraw the chart to accommodate the maximum number of

students in any one tightness group, and finally, plot the tightness groups as a vertical bar chart! Because of all this

behind-the-scenes software magic, the instructor almost invariably ends up with a nicely developed bell curve to use

in discussing the results of the demonstration with the class, regardless of the order the values are entered. Voila!

Experience has shown that for the exact same verbal instructions on how to tighten a flange bolt with a standard

combination wrench until the student ‘thinks it is tight enough that a corresponding flange will not leak’, there is

usually a 4-5X range from low to high among any 15 students. Bringing this piece of newly developed knowledge full

circle, this illustrates the importance of assuring that each step in a procedure, no matter how trivial it may seem, if

it is important to achieving a reliable and repeatable result, must be included in the procedure. Everything else is

secondary.


Mechanic’s Judgment Study Screen

Standard GCM and RTJ Spacers



The New FADU v2013 User Interface Software, con’t The Assembly Method Comparison Study (AMCS) Screen

The AMCS screen is also based upon another of my own core demonstrations for teaching effective bolted joint

assembly. This Study enables the instructor and class to jointly determine, from among the three principal methods

for assembling a flanged pipe joint, which method is best in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and repeatability. The

three default methods presented in the Study are assembly by Mechanic’s Judgment, Controlled Torque, and

Measured Compression.

As with the previous study, this Mechanic’s Judgment

exercise provides a technician with a standard

combination wrench and asks that they assemble the

GCM using their experience and best practices. When

the instructor presses the ‘Start’ button on Row 1

(corresponding to this exercise), a timer starts and

the software begins to collect data from the FADU.

When technician has completed the assembly to his

or her satisfaction, the ’Stop’ button is pressed and

the software records the elapsed time and

automatically calculates several pertinent performance

benchmarks for the exercise, based upon predefined

targets for desired bolt preload in the joint and the

desired gasket compression to be achieved.

These benchmarks are (i) total time required to

assemble the flange, (ii) uniformity of preload around

the flange, (iii) accuracy in achieving the target preload for the flange bolting, and (iv) accuracy in achieving the

desired gasket compression.

The AMCS provides two additional rows for comparison of the controlled torque method of assembly, where a

torque wrench and procedure are followed, and the Measured Compression method where calipers and feeler

gauges are used to ‘measure’ the gap between the flange ears as it is tightened to achieve the desired degree of

gasket compression. The AMCS also provide two additional rows to facilitate ad-hoc experimentation to compare a

different method or variation to any of the previous methods.

The Ring-Type Joint (RTJ) Option requires longer bolts than the standard FADU. Accordingly, special spacers are

included with the RTJ Option to accommodate the standard GCM and TPM hardware when the RTJ flanges are not

installed, as shown in the following illustrations. The GCM sensor is transferred to the lower RTJ flange when used.

GCM/TPM Setup Using the RTJ Spacers

Standard TPM and RTJ Spacers

Assembly Method Comparison Study Screen

University Research Park

10130 Mallard Creek Rd.

Suite 300

Charlotte, NC USA 28262

Phone: +1.704.944.5568

Fax: +1.704.944.3101

Website: www.jjenco.com.

Since 2001, JJENCO has successfully provided contract technical research, new technology develop-

ment, personnel training, and business and technical consulting principally to multi-national corpora-

tions, US Fortune 500 Companies, and large private institutions primarily on topics related to large

industrial plant maintenance. With headquarters located in Charlotte, North Carolina USA, JJENCO’s

mission is to provide ‘world class’ expertise through the utilization of both in-house resources and a

network of subject-matter experts around the world to assist clients in understanding and resolving

their most important issues in the most practical and cost-effective fashion.

To learn more about how JJENCO can help resolve your issues, contact John Jenco

([email protected]) to discuss your particular requirement.

JJENCO, Inc.

software release introduces

“Studies’, a completely new

paradigm for conducting

specific training demonstrations

using the FADU.

In v2013, users can now take

advantage of purpose-built

separate screen displays

designed specif ica l ly to

accommodate a particular

demonstration.

As an example, in addition to

the traditional main screen

showing the flange circle, stress

vs. compression chart, and

stress vertical column display,

the former Torque-Preload

screen found in the v2011 and

earlier versions now appears as

a separate ‘study’ under a

menu item of various studies.

For the v2013 release, we have

added two new studies to

complement the standard

Gasket Compression Study and

the Torque-Preload Study, for

a total of four (4) studies in this

release. As a result, JJENCO

can use this new paradigm to

create new studies to support

specific user-suggested training

demonstrations in future

labor unions to support their

trade mechanical training and

certification programs. We

believe that we finally have

enough FADU in the field to

have reached a tipping point

where it is not widely

recognized as the de facto

standard training technology

for the assembly of pressure-

boundary bolted f lange

connections. As such we are

expanding our 2013 marketing

efforts to include technical

colleges, trade schools,, and

additional labor union locals.

We hope that this effort

results in cementing this

technology’s place in future

mechanical training going

forward.

This year, we are excited to

have completed a ‘from the

ground up’ revision to our

already successful FADU User

Interface Software. In addition

to being written especially to

take advantage of the Windows

64-bit operating system, and

showcasing completely new

‘look’ and feel”, the v2013

software releases, thereby

further increasing the value of

the FADU training technology

to the mechanical training

community.

This newsletter focuses

primarily upon showcasing the

new v2013 software. However,

we want to also continue to

focus on expanding the user

base for the FADU training

technology. In this regard,

please read carefully the article

on the idea of establishing a

FADU User Group and

potential benefits to be derived

therefrom.

Thank you for your continued

support of the FADU training

technology platform.

Across The Desk… Delivering Value in a Demanding World


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