In mechanical projects, hose clamps are a vital component for sealing and attaching hoses to different equipment, mounting home fixtures fixing leaking pipes and serving automotive. Besides the multiple application hose clamps have, they come in various designs.
Here are four main types of hose clamps used in the industrial and residential application.
1. Ear Clamps
An ear clamp comprises a stainless steel band that is designed with closing features referred to as “ears”. It’s used to fasten hoses and other piping systems to fixtures in air and water lines. For proper installation, ear clamp plier is used to apply this component over connection points of a hose or tube.
The pincer permanently deforms the clamp upon installation. In addition to fastening suspended hoses, other functions of ear clamps include securing guard rails, exhaust and conduit pipes. Stainless steel hose clamps are ideal for high pressure and temperature environment as they will not wear out easily.
2.Spring Clamps
Crafted from a strip of spring steel, spring clamps is one of the most common automotive hose clamps used in vacuum hoses and cooling systems. Tubes and lines secured with spring clamps assume their original shape after installation. Spring clamps feature three narrow protrusions at the steel band, and they intermesh perfectly when pressed towards each other. However, spring clamps are not the best clamps to use in a high-pressure area due to their relatively weak clamping force to secure hoses onto barbs.
3.Screw Clamps
Another type of automotive hose clamps are the screw clamps. Also known as band or worm gear clamps, screw clamps are normally used domestic plumbing due to their superior clamping force. They are designed from a stainless steel metal band, which features a screw system installed into it. When the screw is adjusted, the clamp worms its way around the tube until is fully tightened. Unlike spring clamps, you can achieve maximum clamping force with band clamps provided it’s not deformed. To ensure the clamp adjust well when it shrinks, experts recommend the use silicone lubricant that is applied between the clamp and the hose. This helps to attain uniform clamping force and make the joint last much longer.
4.Wire Clamps
Wire clamps are made from a heavy wire designed into a tight U shaped ring with two ends. The ends overlap each other as a captive nut is attached to one end. Captive screw is used to secure the clamp around a hose, and when it’s tightened, it pushes the overlapping ends apart.
Although hose clamps offer basically the same function of securing tubes onto fixtures, only a few can be considered automotive hose clamps. Some clamps are built for a range application while others are designed to be specifically used in machines. Therefore you need to understand the pros and cons of each clamp before choosing one for your project.