Okuzeka
Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Machine Elements

Tighten

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

/ˈtaɪtən/verbCore term

In mechanical engineering, tighten means: To turn a bolt, nut or screw so that it holds parts together more firmly, often up to a specified torque. The opposite is loosen.

In Turkish: sıkmak, sıkılamak, torklamak

How it is used

Used in assembly instructions, maintenance procedures and on the shop floor. Bolts are tightened to a torque and in a sequence, for example in a cross pattern, and care is taken not to over-tighten them. A drawing note may say 'tighten to 25 N·m'.

Example sentences

  1. Tighten the cylinder head bolts in three steps to the final torque.

  2. Don't over-tighten the plastic cover, or the threads will strip.

Common collocations

  • tighten to torque
  • tighten in a cross pattern
  • over-tighten
  • hand-tighten
  • re-tighten
  • torqueA turning force that makes something rotate around an axis, such as a shaft or a bolt. It equals force times distance and is measured in newton meters (N·m).
  • boltA threaded metal fastener with a head, used with a nut or a threaded hole to clamp parts together. It is described by its diameter, length, thread and strength class.
  • fastenerAny small part used to join two or more parts together, such as a bolt, screw, nut, washer, rivet or pin.
  • gasketA flat sealing piece placed between two fixed surfaces, such as pipe flanges or a cover and a housing, to stop leaks when they are bolted together.
  • assemblyA group of parts joined together to form a unit, or the process of putting parts together. A smaller unit inside it is called a subassembly.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Machine Elements

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: