Stainless Steel Coupling Uses

by | Dec 2, 2013 | Business

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Stainless steel couplings are used in many process industries, especially those industries where high temperatures can be expected as well as high pressure and aggressive media. These stainless steel couplings can be found in many industries, including:

  • Petrochemical and chemical plants
  • Food processing

In all the various industrial applications where stainless steel is of value, one of the common denominators is the corrosive environments. By the very nature of the business, the petrochemical, chemical and pharmaceutical industries deal with various substances which are highly toxic and corrosive.

One of the primary uses for stainless steel couplings can be found in the dairy industry or any industry where the edible product comes into direct contact with any materials used in its processing. In the dairy and food processing industries there are three primary requirements;

  • Chemical and bacteriological neutrality
  • The ability to be aggressively cleaned
  • Durability and resistance to corrosion

In the dairy industry, cattle are milked twice a day. During this process the milk is transferred from the milking parlor to large stainless steel refrigerated vats. The milk rarely stays in these vats on the farm for more than 48 hours and during this waiting time the milk is gently agitated to ensure that there is no separation of the milk from the milk-fat. These vats are never used after collection until all the piping, hoses and the vats themselves are cleaned thoroughly.

When the milk is being collected it is done so in large tank trucks that travel from farm to farm. The tanks are stainless steel and the milk transfer takes place via a hose which has stainless steel couplings on both the vat and the truck. Once the milk has been collected and the valves closed, the quick disconnect couplings are disengaged.

At the farm, a representative sample of the milk is taken and approved prior to pumping it into the tanker. When the tanker arrives at the milk processing factory it is discharged, once again using large hoses which are food grade and fitted with the same stainless steel couplings.

The couplings are all manufactured to a common specification so that no matter which manufacturer’s couplings the farmer uses it will marry with the coupling half on the truck and at the factory.

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