Quick couplings offer a quick, practical, and safe solution for the connection and disconnection of multiple parts of hydraulic circuits; coupling is carried out without the need for tools and stays sound, preventing leakage while the fluid is under residual pressure. They are used in a variety of sectors that require frequent procedures to be carried out on circuits, for example attachment replacements. These include earthmoving, oil and gas, heavy goods vehicles, and agriculture.
There are situations, however, where it is not possible to carry out coupling of male and female connections because one of the two ends oppose resistance.
What could cause this? In a closed circuit subject to a change in heat, there is an increase in the internal pressure of the fluid, even if the machinery or the attachment is not in active use. When an attempt is made to connect male and female connections, this will be made impossible by the resistance opposing the pressure formed inside the circuit. It is not unusual for this phenomenon to occur during a working day. In machinery or attachments exposed to solar heat hour after hour, an increase in pressure may be created that is sufficient to prevent the quick coupling from being connected.
As a result, operators will need to undertake time-consuming procedures to eliminate the pressure in the circuit, but more often than not, these methods, besides losing precious time, are not particularly safe for the operator. In the case of earthmoving equipment, moments of machine downtime can become a very frequent occurrence. Such a situation undermines one of the great advantages of quick couplings, i.e., the ease and speed of connection and disconnection of the line which allows instantaneous changeover of tools.
Quick couplings manufacturer, Stucchi has long been an industry frontrunner when it comes to the development of innovative coupling solutions, with the Italian company’s connection under pressure (Easy CUP) technology paving the way for the safe, secure and efficient management of connections under pressure.
Stucchi’s commitment to technological innovation is evident in the integration of its Easy CUP system into a wide range of products, assisting with productive operations across a range of industries and applications.
Threaded, flat face quick couplings provide a simple but extremely effective solution to the problem of residual pressure. An internal valve makes quick male/female connection possible without the need for tools, even in these conditions of resistance.
Stucchi’s Easy CUP technology is integrated with the following product lines:
• Flat face couplings: the APM male flat face quick coupling series allows for manual coupling with residual pressure in the circuit due to a triple valve system, which discharges pressure and increases tightness.
• Flat face screw couplings: the VEP-P, VEP-HD and VP-P series use special threaded bodies, allowing quick coupling, to withstand strong impulses and extreme conditions, neutralising premature wear and brinelling, and integrating a triple valve system, allowing for connections under pressure.
• Multi-couplings: the DP and GR series, assembled with FAP couplings, combine a lever system, allowing for several lines to be quickly and easily connected and disconnected, with a triple valve for connections under pressure.
• Casting blocks: the Saturn and Saturn HF, respectively connect three and five lines, having been created in close collaboration with earthmoving companies. This makes them a logical choice for machines with multifunction accessories, with a special manual valve allowing for the simultaneous discharge of the residual pressure of all the lines.
Together, these design choices provide a product that impacts positively on operations in the many sectors that use hydraulic circuits – connections and disconnections that can be carried out safely and quickly, even under conditions of residual pressure, thereby offering improvements in productivity by speeding up operations that are carried out many times a day.
Stucchi South Africa is a new company that has been established in a joint venture with Stucchi’s historical distributor, Alba Hydraulics, in order to sell Stucchi products directly to the southern African market, thereby offering the best possible service.
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