PRODUCTS & SERVICES
HOLMBURY
129
QUICK-RELEASE COUPLINGS CAN PREVENT TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE
DAMAGE CAUSED BY PRESSURE IN MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
iVTInternational.com September 2019
Holmbury’s HCP series is
fully interchangeable with
one of the most commonly
used couplings – the
ISO16028 flat-faced male
Holmbury has been in the business of offering
quick release couplings (QRCs) for over 30 years
and has a comprehensive product range in the market.
During the recent PlantWorx 2019 exhibition, the
company discovered that more than 60% of people who
visited its stand said that their biggest day-to-day issue
concerning QRCs was dealing with trapped pressure.
Standard dos and don’ts advice with the majority of
coupling manuals says that you should shut the pressure
off before disconnecting/connecting couplings, and it
is amazing how many people don’t actually know this.
What are the other reasons they’re still experiencing
trapped system pressure and consequently
troublesome QRCs?
Pressure conundrums
Air entering the system from the pump side – or more
succintly known as cavitation – is a common mischief
maker and can be caused by a variety of factors. Air or
fluid loss can occur at a variety of different places such
as valves, hose fittings or even the hose itself and a
further, often overlooked, culprit can be thermal
expansion of the media.
This can occur when high temperatures generated
within the system decrease the density of the hydraulic
oil that in turn leads to an increased volume/expansion
and trapped pressure.
Holmbury has a variety of solutions available to
quash this concern. One of the most commonly used
couplings is the ISO16028 flat-faced male, which is
designed to be connected under pressure.
The Holmbury HCP series male is fully
interchangeable with this and is designed to be
connected under pressure. While it’s true that the piece
price is a little more, what is the real cost of not investing
those extra few pennies on the right tool for the job?
Let’s consider the typical costs directly associated
with trying to ‘release’ trapped pressure. This process
generally involves a heavy or sharp tool and the ultimate
demise of the original coupling. Then, factor in the
possible dumping of the hydraulic oil, maybe an
environmental charge for contamination, down time
of a number of hours on expensive plant equipment,
the operator’s wages and a trip to a Holmbury dealer
to bemoan the ‘faulty’ coupling to find out your warranty
is well and truly void.
A typical cost example of the above activity can run
into thousands of pounds and if not correctly resolved,
has the potential to reoccur.
Holmbury has a range of couplings for dealing
with trapped pressure to prevent time consuming and
costly problems. iVT
By Johnathan Jarvis, general sales manager, Holmbury
Release the pressure
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