Guides

To assist us in quoting for your requirements, please provide the information below where possible, as this ensures a quicker turnaround on your quotation and helps us choose the right product for you.

1. Quantity Required
2. Your Application:
   1. What you are trying to seal against
   2. The product being conveyed
   3. What the gasket will come into contact with e.g. acid, solvents, water, steam
   4. Pressure rating
3. Size Details:
   1. Standard flange type (ANSI/ASA, PN, BS Table)
   2. Full-face or IBC, with dimensions from the drawing above (including number of holes and material thickness)
   3. If non-standard, a drawing is highly desirable

IBC (Inner Bolt Circle) Gaskets
Also known as a ‘raised-face’ gasket, an IBC gasket often sits inside the flange’s bolt holes. For OD and ID dimensions, please refer to the drawings above.

Choosing the right hose and fittings is important as the wrong product can lead to failure from misapplication. To help you make the right choice and increase the lifespan of the hose, we recommend adopting the ‘S.T.A.M.P.E.D’ method:

Size
Note the measurements of the hose you require: the inside diameter (ID), the outside diameter (OD), the length, and the overall length if fittings are to be added. The ID of the hose is important in minimising pressure loss and flow turbulence, whilst the OD may be critical if specific clamps will be used when routing the pipe, or if it passes through a bulkhead.

Temperature
Temperature has a considerable effect on the working pressure of a hose – as the temperature rises, working pressure reduces. As such, hoses should never be used at the upper limits of both pressure and temperature range. Consider the temperature of the substance conveyed, and whether the cover would be exposed to temperature extremes. The right hose must be able to withstand the minimum and maximum fluid and ambient temperature. Take care when routing past hot components, such as inside engine bays.

Application
Think about the situations in which the hose will be used, as well as how it will be manipulated, installed or handled. A replacement of an existing part will generally be required, but with new or prototype parts, it is advisable to provide as much information as possible about usage of the hose.

We recommend asking the following questions:

• Will the hose will be subject to surge pressures or repeated cycles?
• Is there a suction or delivery requirement, or both?
• Are there specific industry standards that must be met?
• Does the hose need to be non-conductive?
• Is the liner or cover subject to abrasive materials or dragging?
• Is there a specialist fluid compatibility to consider?
• Did the previous hose perform well, or does it need to be upgraded?
• Is there a flammability requirement?

Material / Media
Another factor to note is the material that will be passed through the hose – is it wet, dry or gaseous? Is there a chemical present, and if so, what is the percentage of concentration? It is essential to ensure the compatibility of the lining, cover and fittings or couplings with the media being conveyed.

Pressure
Determining the system pressure is the key factor in choosing a hose, and any pressure spikes must be considered. Is the hose used in a pressure or vacuum situation? What are the maximum pressure or suction ratings? The working pressure of the hose must be equal to, or above, the working pressure of the system, including spikes. Any pressure above working guidelines will shorten the hose’s lifespan. Vacuum ratings follow this rule as well.

Ends
Selection of the correct fitting for your system is critical to achieving a good seal and optimum hose performance. An important point to note is the type of fitting, coupling or clamp that is required to connect to the system. Will you need quick release couplings, flanges or adaptors? The type of fitting used must be compatible with all the criteria listed above. If the hose has specific threaded fittings (BSP, metric, JIC, etc) these must be identified correctly. Similarly, quick release couplings need to be compatible with those already on the system.

Delivery
The final point to consider is delivery requirements. When should it be delivered – is there an urgent need for it? What quantity is required? Does the hose need to be supplied with any specific certification, or must it be tested before use? Are there any other shipping requirements?

If you are replacing a part with a like-for-like hose, remember to note the printed information on the side of the original. This often contains a specification, working or burst pressure and inside diameter (ID), which helps us greatly when preparing a quote. If you find the original text to be covered over or worn away, any fittings would need to be removed to get an accurate measurement of the ID. Before cutting the hose or removing fittings, make sure to measure the overall length if this is critical, and also the orientation of any fittings if required.

It is important to consider that hose products and assemblies have a finite lifespan – providing as much information as possible using the guidelines above will help reduce the incidence of failures in service. The Camthorne team encourages regular inspection and testing of hoses when in use, as proper care will increase service life, and ultimately reduce machine downtime if faults can be rectified before complete failure occurs.

During the process of replacing or designing new hydraulic hose components, it is important to consider all size, temperature, pressure and operating condition factors. To enable us to meet your specification as closely as possible, please consider as many of the following as possible when placing your enquiry:

Size
The most critical aspects here are Inside Diameter (ID), or bore size, and the length of the hose. You may specify length as either the cone-cone dimension (for hoses with fittings) or the cut length of the hose before fittings are added.

Working Pressure
The rated pressure of your hydraulic system, or the pressure rating listed on the part you are replacing.

End Fittings
For assemblies, we need to know the fittings you require, and their orientation (if they are elbows or banjo fittings, for example). If unsure, you could consult thread charts or bring us a sample.

Operating Conditions
Are there extremes of ambient/fluid temperature? Do you need the cover to be resilient to abrasion over a long period?

It is very important to choose the correct size of gland packing to form an effective seal.

Determine Correct Cross Section

1. Measure the diameter of the shaft.
2. Measure the ID of the Gland or Stuffing box.
3. Subtract the shaft diameter from the Gland I.D
4. Divide your figure by 2.

i.e. (Gland I.D (50mm). – Shaft Diameter (25mm)) ÷ 2 = 12.50mm (1/2”) cross section.
This is the recommended Cross section to be installed

Preparation of Gland or Stuffing Box
It is very important to prepare the stuffing box to form an effective seal.

1. Shut down the unit or pump
2. Remove any used Gland Packing without damaging the shaft or housing, using a packing extractor (This can be purchased from Vulcan).
3. IMPORTANT – Even a small piece of used Gland Packing will greatly reduce the efficiency of a new packing.
4. Count the number of Gland Packing rings (Where appropriate, remove the lantern ring using pullers and then count the number of rings below the lantern ring).
5. Clean the shaft and stuffing box removing any evidence of; scale, rust, dirt etc. Remember, the cleaner the stuffing box, the better for re-packing.
6. Check, preferably by hand/touch, for any signs of damage i.e. Shaft wear, scoring grooves etc.
7. Spray or wipe the shaft an gland with a silicone grease.

Installation of Gland Packing From a Length Form

1. The exact length of required material is cut from the coil.
2. Spirally wrap the material around a rod of the exact diameter to the pump shaft to be sealed.
3. Cut the required number of rings (cleanly to obtain good square joints) by making a straight cut along the shaft.
4. When removing the rings from the rod, do so, by slipping them off without opening the rings.
5. Place the first ring over the shaft by opening to an ‘S’ shape, to ensure that any bending effects are spread over the whole ring and that there is no deformation of the cross section.
6. Partially enter both ends of the first ring together into the stuffing box before inserting the remainder of the ring and then lightly bed into the bottom of the stuffing box.
7. Repeat steps 1 & 2 with the remaining number of rings ensuring that each ring is firmly seated and that the joints are staggered by a minimum of 90 degrees (Where appropriate, ensure the lantern ring is correctly positioned).
8. IMPORTANT – failure to position the rings at alternating 90 degree angles will result in a leak path forming and thus, failure of the system. It is also vitally important that each ring is fitted individually and not as a full set.
9. Ensure that the shaft turns freely after fitting each individual ring.
10. When the correct numbers of rings have been fitted, tighten the Gland nuts until the shaft is lightly gripped.
11. Then tighten the gland nuts by hand, only. Again, check that the Gland turns freely.

Start-up and Break in of the Gland Packing
The purpose of the Gland Packing is to control leakage, not prevent it. There must be a level of leakage for the Gland Packing to perform properly otherwise, failure will occur.

1. Reconnect and Gland and/or Pump flushing arrangements and start-up the Pump.
2. Allow 10-15 minutes of generous leakage, as this will increase the Gland Packing life.
3. Begin to tighten the nuts gradually by one sixth of a turn.
4. Continue to tighten, by one sixth of a turn, at 10 minute intervals until leakage has been reduced to an acceptable level.
5. IMPORTANT – do not over tighten.
6. The ideal leakage rate is reached when any subsequent tightening of the Gland nuts causes an heat build-up (usually within 45 – 60 minutes)
7. Occasionally re-check the Gland Packing for any signs of excessive leakage, heat build-up and/or other failure mechanisms.
8. Re-adjust the Gland Packing as necessary.