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Address
2900 John St.
Unit 4
Markham, ON L3R 5G3 - Canada
Phone
(905) 477-2133
Fax
(905) 477-4219
2900 John St.
Unit 4
Markham, ON L3R 5G3 - Canada
(905) 477-2133
(905) 477-4219
Galling is a challenge that numerous industries commonly face – from biotech to pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Used to describe a type of fused wear, galling can lead to costly delays, disruptions and, in extreme cases, process contamination.
The good news is anti-galling clamps provide the ability to mitigate this adhesion from happening in the first place and, in doing so, can help keep your operations running smoothly.
First, let’s understand a bit more about galling.
This type of fusion occurs when there’s so much friction between two or more metals – for example, a sanitary clamp’s bolt and nut – that it bonds them together. Thus, it’s often referred to as adhesive wear, or cold-welding. In some situations, the clamp actually has to be cut off in order to remove it.
Galling typically occurs in situations with higher loads, ductile materials and often over a period of time.
Metals such as aluminum and austenitic stainless steel are the most susceptible to galling because they tend to be softer metals. Stainless steel such as 304 and 316, for example, can have a protective film that prevents corrosion. Yet due to excessive friction, the heat can wear down that film and leave the much softer metal exposed and susceptible to galling.
There are several ways to prevent galling, such as using harder steel where possible, adding lubricant, and/or reducing the load and amount of friction. Ensuring you’re working with clean surfaces is also important as excess debris can increase friction that leads to galling. This can be common in the pharmaceutical industry as trace chemicals used during cleaning can clog up the clamp once dry.
Yet for hygienic clamps, for example, lubrication might not be an option. Therefore, anti-galling clamps provide an alternative solution by stopping excessive adhesion in its tracks.
Constructed with a Nitronic 60 (Alloy 218, UNS S21800) and either a 304 or 316 nut, these clamps offer dissimilar materials that allow them to better resist the fusion that would otherwise create galling.
Now available at Alpha Controls & Instrumentation, this LJ Star product is also more resistant to cleaning solution residue, as well as generates less particulate – otherwise known as silver flaking – during on/off cycles. Particulate generation is especially problematic in industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotech and food and beverage where stringent controls are in place to ensure high quality finished product.
LJ Star anti-galling clamps are suitable for many different manufacturing environments, including processes that have vibration or pressurized lines. It’s anti-galling safety clamp, for example, includes a half-threaded bolt that can withstand four times as many vibrations before it starts to loosen the nut – thereby ensuring the clamp stays in place.
Lastly, the anti-galling clamps from LJ Star are BPE compliant, which means they are suitable for highly controlled environments that, in addition to pharmaceuticals, biotech and food and beverage, include cosmetics and animal food production. And these clamps come with full documentation and traceability.
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Want to know more about LJ Star Anti-Galling Clamps? Contact us to reach one of our trained representatives today.