SUCCESS STORY — Ball Type Expander Plug

Industry: Hydraulics

Application: Metal-to-metal Seal in Manifolds

Summary:

The Application Process, and Challenges:

A hydraulic manifold is an important component that regulates fluid flow between pumps and actuators &other components in a hydraulic system. It is like a switchboard in an electrical circuit because it lets the operator control how much fluid flows between which parts of hydraulic machinery.

It is a block of metal with flow paths drilled through it, connecting various ports, and consisting of one or more relatively large pipes called a “barrel” or “main”, with numerous junctions connecting smaller pipes and ports. The main challenge here was to close off permanently (seal) ends of cross-drilled holes that create flow patterns for actuation. In some cases, they had few options due to the pressures being 3,000 to 5,000-plus psi. Threaded plugs, welding, and ball bearings were commonly used, sometimes in combination, to avoid leaks. But these efforts often created more issues than solved, such as larger manifolds, different processes, added costs, and extra weight.

The manufacturer reached out to Avlock India for a permanent & reliable solution. Our Product Experts suggested a resolution that could

perform better than the existing ones by providing them a permanent, easy-to-machine-and-install alternative to costly, often-cross-threaded, SAE-style threaded plugs.

About the product:

SFC Koenig Ball-Type Expander Plugs

Ball-style plugs are ball bearings inside of machined can or sleeve plug bodies that started as high-pressure, leak-proof, permanent seals.

These are well-suited for low and high-volume installation and adaptable to fully automated installation. Leading the field of high-quality metal-to-metal sealing and flow control technology, SFC KOENIG develops & manufactures a wide range of sealing solutions (expander plugs & non-return valve) products that are highly reliable solutions, especially in areas where sealing & flow control are critical. Its Sealing Plugs MB series helped the manifold manufacturer to improve their production time & reliability of their application.

Features of SFC Koenig Ball-type Expander Plugs:

• Short installation dimension
• Ideal for installation using processing or automated tools
• Reliable metal-to-metal sealing
• Available in steel, stainless steel & aluminum
• working pressure up to 450 bar

Results to the customer:

• Reduction in the processes; like creating taps, load-bearing threads & riming (creation of smooth surface); or holes created to seal the end of the communication path
• Removal of Leakage
• simplified installation
• reduced size of the applications
• decreased weight (mass)
• Less material cost
• no cross-threading & rework

Avlock International India Pvt. Ltd. is an Indo-South African joint venture established in 2014 and headquartered in Mumbai, India. Previously Avlock South Africa headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa were distributing their products in India through Avdel (India) and has supplied more than 4 million fasteners, 500 power rigs, and handheld installation tools to various customers in India, including the Indian Railway, Solar, Mining and Automotive industries, to name a few.

Avlock India is engaged in manufacturing Specialty Fasteners and Installation Equipment in India. Our products have a wide range of applications in both Light & Heavy Engineering Industries. Our aim in the Indian market is to create awareness of our products in every segment of the industry and to ensure that all our prestigious customers receive a high caliber of service and superior product quality at a competitive price.

For technical consultation contact:

+91 9422336425

https://www.avlock.co.in/

https://bit.ly/SFCWA