Are You Checking Your ACMEs?

by Peter Roberts, sales director, Re-Manufacturing Services Ltd

Uncontrolled gas leaks are what this industry can do without. When gas is sitting in a tank, the occurrence of a major leak is remote. However, gas transfer using flexible hoses is one of the potentially hazardous operations that can cause an uncontrolled release. This operation has to be carried out thousands of times a week in the UK. Hose testing is covered by Codes of Practice to maintain integrity, but what of the ACME couplings?                  These are critical items that take the most wear and punishment but are not subject to regulatory control and tend to be forgotten until it is to late. It is common to use a hammer to make good the connections,

 Providing no other faults are found, use of a gauge should identify the point when the  coupling should be scrapped due to thread wear. Their use is simple. If the gauge enters or goes over the thread it should be changed. Wear take place progressively i.e. the first thread wears quicker than the second, so when the gauge will partially engage it indicates that the thread is coming to the end of its useful life. ACME spanners and wear gauges for the common ACME connection sizes are available in both right hand and left hand threads from RMS

Contact Re-Manufacturing Services on 01792 898008

  despite a proper spanner being available, and hoses are frequently dropped on the floor or dragged  along due to their weight. Add this to the constant connecting and disconnecting and it is no surprise that they get damaged and worn. A recent fatal incident in Germany is testimony to the result of neglect of these couplings. The question is, Do you have the controls is place to monitor their condition, and at which point do you change them?

    Every operator should have in place a formal regular inspection regime to check these components. All faults such as splits, cracks, ovality, distortion and thread wear should be included. As an aid to this inspection RMS manufactures and supplies wear gauges to check the thread condition. The dimensions are based on research and testing to identify a measurable level of  wear before loss of integrity.