L.J. Star Safety Clamp Makes Sanitary Fittings Safer

Media Contact: Suzanne Horrigan
shorrigan@ljstar.com
330-405-3040
http://www.ljstar.com/
http://www.youtube.com/ljstar1

Unlike ordinary sanitary fittings, clamp cannot unlatch under pressure

Twinsburg, OH – February 9, 2012 – L.J. Star, a leading supplier of process observation equipment and sanitary fittings, has re-introduced the SH Style Safety Clamp for hygienic/sanitary connections. Plant operators can improve plant safety by simply changing the clamp style.

The first safety clamp to be offered by a North American supplier, the SH Style Safety Clamp provides fast and easy access to a joint for cleaning and inspection, without sacrificing worker safety. Pipes under pressure, especially pipes containing hot liquids or steam, can be extremely dangerous to workers. Unlike ordinary sanitary fittings used to connect ferrules in sanitary process applications, L.J. Star’s clamp cannot unlatch while the clamp is under pressure or before the wing-nut has been sufficiently loosened.

Sanitary fittings are used primarily in biotech and pharmaceutical applications where joint cleanliness and efficient material flow are of critical importance. Compared to conventional pipe flange connections, clamp-style sanitary fittings offer more convenient access, superior cleanliness, and lower operating costs.

Sanitary Fittings Designed for Safety

A patented design of this sanitary clamp significantly increases operator safety. If the nut loosens over time as a result of temperature cycling or vibration then the clamp’s swing bolt cannot come off the fork of the clamp, avoiding a catastrophic joint failure. A steam hiss or a fluid leak will alert the operator to a problem at that fitting.

The CE-compliant SH Style Clamp comes standard in 316 stainless steel, and it incorporates a two-pin hinge that applies uniform compression on the gasket. Due to the use of quality investment castings and precision grinding, they provide a precise fit. They feature a unique groove profile that provides higher clamping efficiency, and they have a highly-polished surface finish appropriate for a sanitary fitting. They are available from stock to fit tube OD sizes 1/2- to 4-inches. Larger sizes and pipe schedule sizes are available upon request.

The safety clamp is available with either wing nuts for easy hand torqueing, or hex nuts for exact torque control. Also available is a spring-loaded dome nut that maintains tension on the gasket during expansion and contractions of the ferrules, a phenomenon typical of connections subject to temperature changes.

Full specifications are available at www.ljstar.com/pubs/46.htm

About L.J. Star

L.J. Star Incorporated provides an extensive line of process observation equipment — sight glasses, lights, sanitary fittings, and level gage instrumentation. Product lines include Metaglas® Safety Sight Windows, Lumiglas® Explosion Proof Lights and Cameras, Visual Flow Indicators, Sight Ports, Sanitary Clamps, Magnetic Level Gages and Gage Glass. Metaglas is the #1 selling fused sight glass, proven in thousands of installations around the world. Unlike some other sight glasses, it meets stringent DIN 7079 and DIN 7080 quality standards, and it is approved for USP Type I use. For additional information, or to request third-party documentation of standards compliance and product performance claims, contact L.J. Star Incorporated, P.O. Box 1116, Twinsburg, OH 44087. Phone: 330-405-3040. Fax: 330-405-3070. Email: view@ljstar.com Website: http://www.ljstar.com/
Video: http://www.youtube.com/ljstar1