Oetiker UK Ltd
July 27th 2006

Oetiker UK Ltd. are part of a worldwide Group which manufacture and supply Hose Clamps and Quick Action Couplings to all Industries. The Oetiker Group supplies clamps to most automotive manufacturers world-wide and can offer electronic tooling which verifies correct fitting of Oetiker clamps and ensures nil failures during production processes.

Oetiker Hose Clamps are available to suit a clamping range of from 2.7mm outside diameter to 120.0mm outside diameter and are suitable for soft or hard hose materials, Of particular interest is the range of patented 'Stepless' Clamps which give a complete 360 seal and is available in several different styles, this type of clamp eliminates the possibility of leaks which can be an expensive or even a dangerous problem when connecting hoses.

The Oetiker Swing Coupling is a unique Quick Connect Safety Coupling designed to improve the Efficiency and Safety of Compressed Air lines. The main advantages of the Oetiker SC Coupling are as follows:

• Designed for FULL FLOW Increasing compressor efficiency by up to 18%
• Applicable to various mediaGases & Fluidsincluding Breathing Air.
• Compatible with PCL, Rectus, Cejn and many Coupling manufacturersfor ease of installation
• Safety Features Design ensures connection and disconnection are free of pressure and compressed air blasts (ISO4414 Section 9.6)
• Robust Design With Heat Treated casing and simple design the Swing Coupling can remain leak free for several times longer than competitors' couplings.

These features combine to reduce operating costs via compressor energy savings, leakage savings and less maintenance time due to the couplings extended life.

Further to this, Oetikers couplings are fully certified and comply with ISO4414 (Sect 9.6): 'when they are coupled or uncoupledthe coupling must not be forced apart in a hazardous manner' 'compressed air or particles shall not be expelled in a hazardous manner'.

For industry reliability is crucial, and companies go to considerable lengths to ensure that product quality is not compromised by any glitch on production lines. One particularly critical area is the clamping of hose connections onto components.

The Oetiker Electronic Clamping System (ELK01) has been developed in line with Oetikers range of Clamps to satisfy the requirements of industry where accurate, reliable clamping is required. Essentially, clients require accurate and uniform, full 360o clamping and a means of verifying the integrity of every single clamp and logging the process to a database for product traceability purposes.

• Quantify The Oetiker ELK01 allows users to program specific closing parameters for clamps, including Force and Diameter set-points and tolerances.
• Qualify The system automatically measures every closure against the set parameters and indicates either Pass or Fail.
• Verify Software allows recording of each closure to ensure 100% process traceability.

The only system to fully meet these criteria is the ELK01 electronically controlled pneumatic pincer from Oetiker. The ELK01 system allows the user to program their process requirements into a control box at the location of processing. Also, the unit can accommodate a series of programmes and execute them in a predetermined sequence should clients wish to carry out a number of different closures at one station.

To allow this it is essential that the ELK01 can differentiate between separate programs and indicate any failure. In the event of clamp closure failure the ELK01 unit will recognize the deviation in voltage output from the LVDT unit in the pincer and indicate the failure via the unit LCD to the operator. Also, the ELK01 unit will not allow subsequent closures until the failed item has been replaced and closed successfully. This is the failsafe operation of the ELK01.

The ELK01 itself does not constitute Oetikers full package. The company will ensure that customers are using the correct clamps and will also train customers employees whilst simultaneously programming the required parameters into the ELK01 unit. After sales support continues for the life of the system with technical advice being available from Oetiker Technical Consultants.

In addition to its obvious production benefits, the ELK01 also considerably reduces the risk of repetitive strain injury associated with constant use of manual crimping pincers. Oetikers system is established through much of the UK's industry.

More articles from Oetiker UK Limited: