Longwall Couplings Offer Easier Installation, Removal
Gates’ new iLok coupling addresses
issues frequently encountered in underground longwall coal mines, where traditional staple-lock couplings often become corroded and can fuse together,
making them difficult to service and disconnect. These conditions often result in
unsafe practices when workers forcibly
pry the couplings apart, endangering
employees and equipment alike. The
iLok couplings, according to the company, are simple to understand and use,
easy to connect and disconnect by hand
and can withstand high-impulse applications. They employ a secure, visible locking system that releases any residual
pressure away from workers during disconnection. They are compact to easily
fit in tight quarters and finished with
smooth TuffCoat Xtreme plating that provides red rust protection exceeding the
72-hour SAE standard by 1,000% and
minimizes abrasion against adjoining
hoses or equipment. Gates said they have
been impulse tested to 133% of operating pressure at 250°F (+121°C) for 1
million impulse cycles (SAE J343
impulse wave, 50 cycles/minute) and exceed Code 62 of SAE J518 flange
specifications for 6,000-psi lines.
www.gates.com/products/industrial/industrial-hydraulics/hydraulic-couplings/ilok-handtorque-couplings
As featured in Womp 2014 Vol 10 - www.womp-int.com
