SH Style Safety Clamp for Hygienic/Sanitary Connections -  L.J. Star

L.J. Star, a leading supplier of process observation equipment, has now introduced the SH Style Safety Clamp for hygienic/sanitary connections – the first safety clamp to be offered by a North American supplier. Developed using the template of our market leading SH Clamp newly designed and manufactured patented Safety Clamp improves operator safety throughout the industry. It particularly targets hazardous high temperature steam lines.

Unlike conventional clamps used to connect ferrules in sanitary process applications, the SH Style Safety Clamp provides quick access to a joint for cleaning and inspection, without sacrificing safety. The clamp cannot unlatch while the clamp is under pressure or before the wing-nut has been sufficiently loosened.

Sanitary clamps are made specifically for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries where joint cleanliness and efficient material flow are of paramount importance. Compared to common pipe flange connections, sanitary pipe connections provide lower costs, quicker and easier access, and greater cleanability.

L.J. Star’s CE-compliant SH Style Safety Clamps are available from stock to fit tube OD sizes 1/2- to 4-inches. Larger sizes and pipe schedule sizes are available upon request.

Unique Safe Operator Design
A patented design of the SH Style Safety Clamp improves operator safety, particularly in high-temperature steam applications. Accidental bumping of the wing nut will not allow the clamp to open and cause severe burns. If the nut loosens as a result of vibration and temperature cycling, the clamp’s swing bolt cannot come off the fork of the clamp, avoiding a catastrophic joint failure. A steam hiss or a process fluid leak will warn the operator that attention is needed at that connection.

Precision Fit and Compression
The SH Style Clamp, standard in 316 stainless steel, incorporates a two-pin hinge that allows for a more uniform compression on the gasket. Because of precision manufacturing, and the use of investment castings, they provide a precise fit and even compression. They feature a unique groove profile that provides higher clamping efficiency and have a fine surface finish for a hygienic connection.

Choice of Fasteners
Specifiers can choose standard or ergonomic wing nuts, which provide easy hand torquing, or domed hex nuts, which provide greater torque control and a more compact assembly. Hex nut options include the standard dome nut, hex nut and spring loaded dome nut that keeps tension on the gasket during expansion and contractions of the ferrules caused by temperature fluctuations.

Complete Product Line
In addition to the SH Style Safety Clamp, L.J. Star offers a high-pressure sanitary clamp and an ASME code sanitary clamp designed for pressure vessels, filter housing and other applications. Beyond sanitary fittings, L.J. Star has a complete line of process observation equipment including sight glasses, lights, and level gages.

Safety Clamp

The ‘gate’ style section combined with the stepped eyebolt assures the clamp’s bolting mechanism cannot swing open while the clamping union is part or fully assembled.

Releasing the clamp is only possible when the wing-nut has been significantly loosened to enable the smaller diameter of the eyebolt to swing and pass through the sectioned gate, this ensures the clamp cannot be knocked or accidentally opened. Complete wing-nut removal is not necessary to open the clamp since the design guarantees the eyebolt cannot swing open while the clamping union is subjected to either clamping forces or internal pressures.