Philmac's Safelok makes safer joins

Philmac's new Safelok pipe fittings, more durable and with unique safety features, are specifically for the mining industry.

Part of Philmac's metric range, they feature Slide and Tighten technology which allows installers to simply slide the pipe into the fitting and then tighten the nut, negating any need for pipe preparation, forcing the pipe past an o-ring or fiddling with loose components.

Group product manager Tarnia Russell, said the feature also provided an improved level of safety when used in an air line application.

“It differs from other compression fittings because the tightening of the nut compresses the seal in the fitting. In practical terms, this means that as the nut is backed off, the seal is released well before the fitting releases its grip on the pipe. This is a primary feature.

“While Philmac strongly recommends that fittings should never be disconnected on live air lines, if such an event occurs, the Safelok fitting will deliver an obvious warning to an installer if they back off the nut of a Safelok fitting on a live pipeline.

“With conventional products, if you back off the nut on a pressurised line there will be no indication to the user that the line is live until the nut and pipe blow out of the fitting. This obviously creates a highly dangerous situation.

“On a live Safelok air line, as soon as the nut is backed off, a loud release of air acts as a warning. However there is no danger as the pipe is retained in the fitting. The user can then tighten the nut again before to switching off air supply. A potentially fatal situation can therefore be avoided.”

Russell said Safelok fittings were made from a strengthened polypropylene, which means they are very unlikely to fracture. However if they do they will fail in a ductile rather than a brittle manner. With an air line application a brittle failure will result in an explosion and shrapnel leading to a highly dangerous situation.

“This has two-fold benefits: improved durability and a higher level of safety. Mine sites provide some of the most extreme conditions and there is always potential for a high impact blow to a fitting with the danger of fracture.

“Safelok is manufactured from a special grade of polypropylene,

“Safety is obviously of paramount importance on a mine site and the Safelok fittings provide users with a high level of confidence that an accident of this nature will not happen.”

Unlike conventional black fittings, Safelok fittings are also manufactured with a distinctive bright orange nut that makes them easier to locate in a dimly lit environment, providing improved safety and speed of maintenance.

Safelok o-rings are made from chemical-resistant EPDM, rather than conventional nitrile rubber, which proves ideal if the fitting is connecting pipes that are transporting corrosive materials, particularly acids.

More information: 1800 755 899, www.philmac.com.au