Leak-proof connections under adverse conditions

| 49 View into the shipyard: Damen ships are renowned throughout the world for their excellent durability and service life. Source: Damen S ix thousand ships have been built in just under a century – a workforce of 11,000 with a turnover of around €2.5 billion, 35 shipyards and twenty more companies in twenty nations: a list like this makes the Damen Shipyards Group based in Gorinchem/Nether- lands a real force in European shipbuilding. And Da- men’s product range is just as impressive: from work boats and tugs (including the well-known “Shoalbuster” and “MultiCat” series) to ferries, naval ships and mega yachts. All in all, the Damen Group built and delivered 143 ships in 2021. Another important business sector is ship conversion and modernisation. Work is exceptionally varied at the company's Har- dinxveld site where in 1927 the brothers Jan and Riem Damen founded the company as a small boat-building yard. Maintenance, repairs, conversions of ships and the construction of new ships up to 90 metres in length are undertaken here. The sitemanufactures components for other sites in addition to building 14 to 16 work boats every year. This work is undertaken by the Damen Shi- pyards Hardinxveld business unit with some 100 emp- loyees who work at the Hardinxveld site. Damen ships are renowned for their excellent durabi- lity and service life. This can be seen in a wealth of de- tails, including the tubing of the many lines needed for the various hydraulic applications on work boats, such as winches and cranes. Whilst other shipyards have re- lied on detachable connections for many years now, Da- men still preferred welded joints. Marcel De Bruin, Pi- ping Manager at Damen Piping at Hardinxveld, was for many years an advocate of welding and sceptical about detachable tube connections: “Of course welding is expensive, you need experienced specialists and it is less flexible when it comes to repairs or conversions. But a non-detachable, welded pipe con- nection practically lasts for ever.” Fromwelding to detachable connections The fact that Damen Piping was nevertheless looking around for an alternative in 2018 had a lot to do with the need for greater flexibility and a higher work rate. It was also linked to the realisation that highly reliable deta- chable connection systems were now available. Damen Piping consulted the Netherlands-based hy- draulics wholesaler JB Hydraulics about which detacha- ble system to use. JB was already supplying the Damen site in Hardinxveld with a variety of Stauff hydraulic components (pipe clamps, fittings, measuring equip- ment). Thus cooperationwas well established and it was clear to the JB Hydraulics experts that they should pro- pose the Stauff Form Evo forming system – all the more so, as their experience with it had been positive in other applications. Compared to the cutting ring concept for detachable hydraulic line connections, forming is judged to be the higher quality solution on account of its strength. In the Stauff forming system, the tube end is formed in such a way that a positive-fit sealed connection is formedwhen fitting “metal to metal” with a conventional fitting body and a union nut. The only possible leak path with Stauff Form Evo, the second generation of the Stauff forming system, is addi- “Of course welding is expensive, you need experienced specialists and it is less flexib- le when it comes to repairs or conversions.” Marcel De Bruin, Piping Manager at Damen Piping WRITTEN BY Andreas Toporowsky Product Manager Tube Connectors STAUFF COVERSTORY SPECIAL QUOTE