Tube connectors from Stauff Connect series receive certification from Lloyds Register and Bureau Veritas

The shiny zinc/nickel surfaces reflect the high level of quality of the new STAUFF Connect tube connector range
Photo by Walter Stauffenberg GmbH & Co. KG

Shipbuilding and offshore engineering are particularly 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. As a result, both societies – Lloyds 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 42 mm 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° Celsius are permitted.

The certifications permit the use of 24° tube connectors in hydraulic systems in shipbuilding and offshore engineering. The great benefit of this: the high-quality zinc/nickel coating of these components offer 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 clearly 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 high quality and the high 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 conceivable requirements and allow easy designing of extensive and complex pipeline systems.

For more information, please visit http://www.stauff.com.

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