1. Time savings Time savings
26 27ISSUE 16 www.eriks.co.uk/knowhow
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There’s more than one way to clamp a hose.
But there’s usually only one style of clamping
that’s the right way. And knowing the right
style for your particular application can
make a significant difference to safety,
productivity, and time-saving.
You may not think that the way you join a
hose to a coupling can be all that critical.
However, it’s actually a key factor in the
performance of the hose assembly, and
therefore, by extension, to the performance
of the equipment it’s attached to.
For example, a large pharmaceutical
company uses hose clamps on its robotic
machines, to attach the vacuum hose from
the main vacuum supply to the robot head.
The robot goes through such an extensive
range of motion that the hose is subject to
extreme stresses and needs changing 3–4
times a week, which involves removing the
clamps to carry out the replacement.
The clamps which the company were
using, were of such a design that they
were rendered unserviceable as they
were removed, so had to be scrapped
and replaced every time a new hose was
fitted. The result was a far slower hose
replacement process and a massive waste
of money and resources, with numerous
clamps being thrown away and replaced.
Clamp-it-yourself
ERIKS’ solution, based on years of hose
and clamping technology experience,
was to provide the customer with a
Self-Clamping system.
These particular clamps are not only
quicker and easier to fit, but they can also
be re-used when the hose is replaced.
The time-saving difference between these
new clamps and the old style disposable
clamps is around 25% (approximately 15
minutes per change) and the cost-saving
has been so immediately noticeable that
the customer is in the process of fitting
a new-style clamp to every hose, as and
when it fails.
Uptime is clearly increased and
maintenance costs are reduced, but the full
scale of the savings cannot be calculated
until all the old clamps have been replaced.
However, the customer reports that the
longest-fitted Self-Clamping system has
been in place for 12 months already, with
no indication of failure.
Clamp down on wasted time
Not every new clamp will deliver such
impressive savings in time and costs. But
a comprehensive examination of service
conditions by an ERIKS hose technology
expert will certainly help to ensure you have
the right clamp for the job – or will provide
you with a recommendation for a different
clamp that’s more effective and more efficient.
Of course it’s also worth remembering that
if the wrong clamp results in a failure, it’s
usually a sudden and often catastrophic
one. Whether your hoses are high pressure
or lower pressure but carrying steam or
hazardous chemicals, that kind of failure is
obviously something you want to avoid.
For convenience – saving time on fitting
– and for safety and reliability, the ERIKS
LMC range of clamps offers a suitable
solution for many applications.
Clip, crimp or clamp?
LMC clamps are a highly versatile, safe and
convenient alternative to clips and crimping.
They are also far more reliable than a
worm drive, and still provide a high level of
security and seal integrity – as high, in fact,
as a crimped fitting. They also cost around
the same as a crimped connector, but save
time and money because they can easily be
fitted on-site using standard tools.
Using LMC clamps can even save you time
and money on replacing hoses. Because
often, you won’t have to. The LMC clamp
will fit perfectly to a damaged hose which
has simply been shortened to remove the
damaged section.
A grip of steel (stainless steel)
Available in aluminium, brass and stainless
steel, LMC clamps are basically two
interlocking hemispherical shells, which are
bolted around the hose end using a locking
collar with an inner safety rim. This rim fits
over and interlocks with the hose shank
collar. Tighten the bolts, and that’s it: the
coupling simply cannot be removed from
the hose.
Leak-free at pressures up to 25 bar, the
LMC clamp can be used with thick- and
thin-walled hoses in many materials –
including PVC, rubber, and silicone.
The range also includes hygienic fittings
suitable for the food sector, which have
a smooth internal bore free from places
where dirt can gather and bacteria can
breed. The clamp faces are free from
protrusions and parts which can snag –
making them not only ideal for hygienic
purposes but also in applications where
the equipment is moving or the hoses are
frequently dragged across work areas.
Time well spent
Though using the correct clamp can almost
certainly save you time, you still need to invest
some time in a regular inspection of the
hoses and connections, for damage and wear.
ERIKS can provide a cost-effective
on- and off-site testing service,
incorporating visual inspection,
pressure testing and a fibre optic
camera for internal inspections.
With the right style of clamp and an
effective inspection routine, ERIKS LMC
clamps can solve the problems of leakage,
blow-offs and difficulties associated with
hose expansion and contraction. All that,
and saving you valuable time so you’re
free to get on with the job – with nobody
cramping your style.