By: Lauryn B.
Anix Valve USA is a valve manufacturer based in Texas, United States. Find out about our wide selection of camlocks at https://anixusa.com/camlock-ss316
What is a camlock?
A camlock fitting, also called a cam and groove coupling, is used to connect two hoses and/or pipes together in a variety of industries, so that goods from one can be transferred to the other. They are extremely useful due to their simplicity and reliability, with the ease of connecting and disconnecting without tools. They are used in homebrew, agricultural, military, and industrial environments but are used mostly in industrial environments, since the hoses tend to be larger in diameters and the cam lock being a heavy duty.
Camlock Materials
The camlocks are great for transferring dry and flowing materials. There are various materials of camlocks that are used for different purposes, stainless steel, polypropylene, and nylon, brass, and aluminum alloy. depending on the industry. The materials used are dependent on the type of elements that will be going through the camlock. A stainless steel camlock is used for acid, alkali, and corrosive substances. Polypropylene and nylon camlocks are used in the chemical industry, for transmitting liquid, and for irrigation in the agricultural industry. A brass camlock is mostly used for acid and alkali substances, but can be used for transmitting saltwater. Aluminum alloy camlocks are good for freshwater and/or for mixing oil and water together. When using camlocks they should not be used for steam applications. If it was used in a steam situation it would be very dangerous and could result in an explosion.
Camlock Styles
There are various styles as there are materials.The type of styles that they have are male adapter with a female thread, female coupler with a male thread, coupler with a shank (hose barb), coupler with a female thread, adapter with a shank, adapter with a male thread, dust cap, and dust plug. It's important to know what each style is so you know which type is right for the job.
Benefits of camlock fittings
There are many benefits to using camlocks, besides the cost effectiveness. One benefit is durability, since they come in various materials it's easy to choose the correct one for your situation. Another is that it is quick to set up and use. They are designed to be easy to connect to pipes or hoses. It’s designed so there’s no need for more attachments except the camlock. Just simply lock in the camlock in place and it's ready to use. It's versatile which means it can be used in any application. They are also reliable-by choosing the correct size, material, and pressure rating, for any application.
There are various types of camlocks such as a snaplock camlock, saflok camlock, and an eco camlock A snaplock is used for carrying liquids, powders, and granules but shouldn't be used for compressed air. It’s usually used in agricultural or manufacturing industries due to the safe, clean transfer of various fluids. These are good for coupling systems of low and medium pressures and for connecting hose lines quickly and swiftly. A saflok camlock is an automatic camlock. It has locking arms which is designed to prevent any spillage. The automatic lock system is built into the camlock arms. It's just like a standard camlock, except it can't be easily opened by accident. An eco camlock is more cost effective and lightweight. It’s used for light duties, limited to certain applications that have less mechanical stress.