STAUFF: Clamps for the future

Spectrum Fastenings for special applications Clamps for the future The fastening of hydraulic tubes and hoses is the best-known use of Stauff clamps. However, the product range also includes special fastening solutions for the secure routing of electrical cables, pneumatic and low-pressure lines, or other supply lines. O EMs from the most varied sectors are ap- proaching Stauff Engineering with increasingly specific requirements, asking for special shapes, as well as specific materials. As with all uses of Stauff clamps, the secure seating of tubes and lines is also a requirement in the hydrogen industry. However, there is an additional challenge in the hydrogen sector: as hydro- gen ignites extremely easily under high pressure, it is essential to prevent uncontrolled discharge of the electri- cal voltage in line systems and to discharge the voltage in a controlled manner instead. Only electrically conduc- tive materials may be used to guarantee this. This requi- rement also applies to the components used to guide and fasten the metal pipes that are themselves conductive. Electrically conductive and economically produced Like most plastics, the polypropylene used as standard for Stauff clamps in accordance with DIN 3015 is an electrical insulator that does not dissipate voltage. As an alternative, clamps are supplied made of electrically con- ductive material. Stauff clamps made of dissipative ma- terial have proved themselves for many years in many voltage-sensitive applications, including the bulk goods sector. Small batches of these clamps were usually manu- factured mechanically as special parts from sheet mate- rial, a complex and therefore comparatively expensive production process. A suitable plastic granulate had to be found for the significantly more economical production of larger quantities using an injection moulding process. Since 2023, Stauff has been using PP-EC granulate (“electri- cally conductive”), which has a lower surface resistance (<10^4 °Ω) compared to the standard polypropylene used, tends to dissipate rather than insulate. Since then, large batches of all series could be manufactured from electrically conductive material by injection moulding and offered on considerably more favourable terms. The reason for this further development of the Stauff clamp range was a request received from a well-known There is no need for components to be earthed, as usual, when electrically conductive clamps are used. Images: Stauff