Stauff’s new “flat face” quick release coupling offers ergonomic and fast operation for usage in construction machines

Stauff has developed its FF range of quick release coupling for connecting the hydraulic circuits of construction machines and attachments. Three sizes have been available up to now. At the HMI, Stauff launched its entire range with nominal widths of from 6 to 38, which will be available in the coming six months.

Ergonomic, time-saving operation with one hand, minimum risk of a leak and no ingress of air into the hydraulic circuit: there are good reasons for using quick release couplings when connecting attachments to the hydraulic circuit of a construction machine.

With its FF range, Stauff now has a range specifically developed for this application. The first three nominal widths of 10, 12 and 19 have already established themselves on the market, but now the entire range with nominal widths of from 6 to 38 will soon be ready for production.

The abbreviation FF refer to the couplings’ “flat face” and describes a key feature of the new range: the flat faces of the coupling halves enable them to be easily cleaned and prevent contamination and dirt from penetrating into the system. Inclusions of air during coupling are therefore kept to a minimum and the escape of hydraulic media into the environment is also prevented: at most, a film of oil will appear on the faces when connecting and releasing.

Unlike the previous FH range, the FF range provides higher flow with the same dimensions, providing higher hydraulic capacity for the attachments. The higher safety figures are another difference. The impulse and burst tests as per ISO 18869 achieved better results than with the FH series. The figures for maximum pressure (350/400 bar) were not increased, the reason for this lying in Stauff’s philosophy of offering users even greater safety than specifying particularly high nominal figures in the catalogue.

While the dimensions and contours of the couplings are specified in the ISO 16028 standard to ensure universal compatibility, users have complete freedom when selecting the connection versions. Stauff offers a wide range of options here, with the connections being fundamentally tightly connected to the coupling and/or sleeve, contributing to the high level of safety of the FF range: One component under pressure instead of two means a lower risk of leaks.

Its integrated interlocking is another safety feature of the new FF series. After connecting the coupling halves, the operator can firmly lock the loose half by turning it 90°. There is therefore no possibility of it coming loose by pulling back the coupling half and the unintentional loosening of the coupling is literally impossible.

Another advantage of the flat-face coupling compared to a simpler threaded coupling is that the coupling halves can still be rotated against each other axially. Torque emanating from the hose therefore does not have a negative impact on the coupling joint, increasing the service life and reliability of the connection.

Despite the excellent performance figures and additional functionality achieved by this standardised series, the price of the new flat-face quick release couplings remains completely competitive. And within the “Stauff Line” service range, Stauff also offers fully configured hose lines with FF range couplings.

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