Georg Kälble reports on a piping solutions system designed to save time and money in the development of hydraulic systems.
Increasing system pressures and safety requirements, a sustained need to economise on maintenance and operating costs and the requirement for compact, space-saving equipment, characterise developments in hydraulics.
For the design of hydraulic systems and against this background, Parker Hannifin now offers with the Complete Piping Solutions programme weldless flange connectors which offer the user, when combined with a wide service and advisory service, huge savings potential.
The Complete Piping Solutions Centre – design and manufacture under one roof.
The first Complete Piping Solutions Centre (CPS) on German soil is located in Augustdorf, near Bielefeld, in the neighbourhood of the Parker European Logistics Centre and the headquarters of the Tube Fittings Division Europe, part of the Parker Hannifin Corporation. On 1500 square metres of the CPS Center, large format tube assemblies and flange systems are developed, produced and assembled into a complete system, all in accordance with customer requirements. Delivery directly to the assembly point, as well as final assembly together with line testing, are part of this system’s performance.
With the Complete Piping Solutions concept, Parker customers worldwide obtain comprehensive performance from advice on design and pre-assembly of tube lines, up to delivery and installation from a single source. This eliminates time-consuming coordinating activities with various contacts - procurement is much simplified.
After clearance by the customer, the final design data are stored and are recallable immediately for subsequent orders. Then in the CPS Centre tube diameters up to 220mm are machined by cold forming on modern CNC bending machines. Depending on requirements, bend radii of 2 x D and 3 x D are possible. The finish-machined and cleaned tube systems are assembled and later delivered to the near-by Parker European central stores in Bielefeld for onward despatch. If the customer wishes, Parker experts will undertake assembly, flushing and final acceptance of the tube systems on site.
The Parflange F37 system is the core element of the Piping Solutions concept. Development has been carried out for tube lines from 16mm (½-in) up to 273mm (10-in) outside diameter and is suitable for pressures up to 420bar. The tube connector itself, depending on the application, is manufactured with the help of flare or retaining ring technology.
The special orbital flaring process is very convincing when compared with classical welding because of significantly fewer operations. The basis of the system is the well-proven Parflange technology, by means of which a high-strength flared connection with a rolled, compacted tube-end surface is generated. It joins and positively locks the tubes together. Stress cracking corrosion caused by welding cannot occur, thus increasing the durability of the tube system.
Parflange technology is also energy-saving because it manages without the introduction of external heat. Neither degreasing nor anti-corrosion agents nor subsequent tube cleaning are necessary. If galvanised tubes are being used, re-galvanising can be omitted because the zinc layer is not affected by flaring. Harmful fumes do not occur during flaring or assembly and neither is there any fire or explosion risk. This means it can be used on sites with high safety requirements such as, for example, offshore platforms.
Part of the Parflange F37 system is the Parflange 170 machine, giving crease-free, absolutely smooth flaring on site. The remarkably short cycle time – only one to two minutes for total machining, depending on tube properties – makes very clear the significant advance in productivity as compared with welded piping systems.
With Parker’s Complete Piping Solutions concept, projects of every kind can be realised significantly faster. In the CPS Centre customers make use of the expert knowledge of the systems engineers and technicians in attendance and thereby reduce their own design costs and increase their productivity.
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Georg Kälble is with Parker Hannifin GmbH Manufacturing, Bielefeld, Germany. www.parker.com
