TPi March 2016

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business & market news
24 Tube Products International March 2016
Marine approvals for 24° tube connectors
Shipbuilding and offshore engineering
are demanding areas of application for
hydraulic systems, and certification by
the relevant societies is essential when
it comes to using components such as
tube connectors.
For this reason, Stauff has had its range
of 24° cutting ring, sealing cone and
welding cone tube connectors from the
Stauff Connect series tested by two
more leading international classification
societies. Both societies – Lloyd’s
Register and Bureau Veritas (BV) – have
issued the appropriate certification.
In both cases, the certificates apply
to the entire range of Extra Light (LL),
Light (L) and Heavy (S) series, which
are available for outer tube diameters
of 4 to 42mm and were developed for
maximum pressures of 100 to 800 bar,
depending on series and diameter.
The temperature range that the
connectors have been certified for
depends on the seal material used.
When using seals made from FPM/FKM
(Viton), for example, media temperatures
of up to +200°C are permitted.
The certifications permit the use of 24°
tube connectors in hydraulic systems in
shipbuilding and offshore engineering.
The benefit of this is that the zinc/
nickel coating of the components offers
standard steel corrosion protection that
exceeds previous market standards.
Over 1,200 hours resistance to red
rust and base metal corrosion were
achieved in the salt spray test in line
with EN ISO 9227. This exceeds the
highest corrosion protection class K5
as defined by the VDMA in standards
sheet 24576.
For users in the shipping and offshore
industry, this type of corrosion protection
also offers the advantage of remaining
effective even after possible mechanical
damage to the fitting, which can never
be excluded in the rough shipping and
port environment.
If the surface is damaged, only the top
layers of sealing and passivation might
be removed, but not the zinc/nickel
layer underneath which guarantees the
actual corrosion protection. The coating
is also highly ductile, which makes it
less susceptible to damage.
For users in other areas of application
involving hydraulic systems, these
approvals document the quality and the
safety level of the connecting elements,
even in adverse ambient conditions:
extensive programmes of testing
involving leak tests, burst pressure tests,
alternating pressure tests and vibration
tests are essential requirements for
certification.
The 24° tube connectors from Stauff,
whose construction is defined in
accordance with ISO 8434-1 and DIN
2353, are used worldwide.
Numerous straight, angled, T-shaped
and cross-shaped variants used as
connectors or reducing fittings, with
common screw-in/screw-on threads or
with welded-on or pipe glands, cover all
requirements and allow easy designing
of extensive and complex pipeline
systems.
Walter Stauffenberg GmbH & Co KG –
Germany
The Stauff Connect range
has been approved by both
Lloyd’s Register and Bureau
Veritas for use in shipbuilding
and offshore engineering
Photo credit: Walter
Stauffenberg GmbH & Co KG