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Hydrotesting Units: Teaching Equipment How to ...

Hydraulic Tools: What Are They and How Do They Work?

Hydraulic tools are an essential part of many industries, from construction to manufacturing to automotive repair. These tools use the principles of fluid dynamics to perform various tasks, from lifting heavy objects to drilling through tough materials. But what exactly is a hydraulic tool, and how does it work? In this blog post, we'll answer these questions and more.

What Is a Hydraulic Tool?

A hydraulic tool is a machine that uses fluid pressure to perform work. The most common type of hydraulic tool is a hydraulic cylinder, which uses hydraulic fluid to create force and move a piston or plunger. Other hydraulic tools include hydraulic pumps, valves, and motors, all of which work together to create a fluid-based power system.

How Does a Hydraulic Tool Work?

At its most basic level, a hydraulic tool works by using a liquid (usually hydraulic oil) to transmit force from one place to another. The liquid is typically held in a closed system, consisting of a pump, hoses or tubing, valves, and the hydraulic tool itself.

When the pump is activated, it pressurizes the hydraulic fluid and sends it through the hoses or tubing to the tool. Once it reaches the tool, the fluid pushes against a piston or plunger, creating force that is used to perform work. The force created by the hydraulic tool is proportional to the amount of pressure created by the pump and the size of the piston or plunger.

The fluid is then returned to the pump to complete the cycle. This closed system allows hydraulic tools to operate continuously and efficiently, with minimal waste or loss of energy.

What Are the Advantages of Hydraulic Tools?

Hydraulic tools offer several advantages over other types of tools. First, they can create immense force and torque with relatively small pumps and motors, making them ideal for heavy-duty tasks. Second, hydraulic tools are more versatile than other types of tools, as they can be easily adapted to perform different tasks by changing out the tool head or attachment.

Finally, hydraulic tools are generally more reliable and durable than other types of tools, as they have fewer moving parts and can operate continuously without overheating. This makes them a popular choice for industries where downtime and equipment failure can result in significant financial losses.

Conclusion

In summary, hydraulic tools are powerful machines that use hydraulic fluid to create force and perform work. They offer several advantages over other types of tools, including versatility, durability, and reliability. If you're considering investing in hydraulic tools for your business, it's important to understand how they work and how they can benefit your operations. With the right equipment and maintenance, hydraulic tools can help you tackle even the toughest jobs with ease.

RTJ Flange (Ring Type Joint): Definition, Applications, and Repair

What is an RTJ Flange (Ring Type Joint)?

The RTJ flange (Ring Type Joint) is designed for high-pressure and/or high-temperature pipeline applications. This makes them the required standard in API specification flanges.
Applications include oil field valves, pipework assemblies, and high integrity pressure vessel joints.

Like other flanges, they use a gasket under compression to create a secure joint. But an RTJ flange differs from the more common flat and raised face flange in several ways:

  • The gasket used is a steel ring – instead of the flat composite material type.

  • An RTJ flange has a groove machined into the flange surface to accept the gasket.

  • When the gasket deforms it creates a metal-to-metal seal.

  • Under compression, the softer metal of the gasket flows into the microfine structure of the harder flange material.

  • The raised faces of connected and tightened RTJ flanges may be in contact with each other. When this happens, the compressed gasket will not bear any extra load. The benefit is the integrity of the joint will be protected from over-tightening, vibration, and movement.

RTJ Flange Materials

  • Stainless Steel

  • Duplex & Super Duplex Steel

  • Carbon Steel

  • Low-Temperature Carbon Steel

  • Alloy Steel

  • Copper Alloy

  • Nickel Alloy

RTJ Flange Gasket Materials
Select the gasket to suit the service conditions. It is always recommended that the gasket material is softer than the mating flange.

RTJ gaskets are available in materials that include, Soft Iron, Low Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Titanium, Hastelloy, and Super Duplex.

Types of RTJ Gaskets

Style R Gasket Rings

This is the original and basic type of RTJ gasket design for the high temperatures and pressures experienced in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries. In accordance with ASME B16.5 they are intended for pressure ratings up to 5,000 psi. R type gaskets are available with an oval or octagonal cross-section.

Style RX Gasket Rings

The Style RX is an adaptation of the standard Style R. The RX is designed to fit the same groove design as a standard Style R – making the joints interchangeable. RX rings use a pressure-energized effect that improves the efficiency of the seal as the internal pressure increases. Pressure passage holes are included in sizes RX 82 through to RX 91, which allows the pressure to be equalized.

Style BX

BX Ring Type Joints gaskets are designed for the highest pressurized systems from 5000 up to 20,000 psi. The design allows face to face contact of the flange faces – which means the gasket is fully trapped on both the inner and outer diameters. These also feature a pressure balance hole to relieve air pressure trapped within the grooves. They cannot be interchanged with the other two types.

Machining RTJ Flange Grooves

The sealing face on a ring-type flange is not spiral serrated as used you see on a raised face flange. Instead, the sealing surfaces are smooth and mirror-like. These need to be finished to 63 microinches and should be free from ridges, scratches, or chatter marks.

When machining ring-type joint grooves onsite, the resulting dimensions need to be as described in the standard ASME B16.5.

This can be carried out on-site using a flange facing machine. Machines from Enerpac do not require any optional extras to complete RTJ machining. These are commonly used to machine RTJ flanges.

Flange facing machines for RTJ machining splits into two capabilities to create the 23° seal faces. Machines with auto-axial feed use an in-built axial gearbox, whereas others use a ‘kick-feed’ for the axial feed. (Both types are also capable of manual feed by the operator).

  • Auto-axial feed type – Ideal for RTJ machining. Examples with this feature include the MM1000i, MM1500i, MM2000i, MM600e models.

  • Striker kick feed type– where the axial feed is achieved by a striker or manually by tye operator. Examples include the MM300E, MM305i, and MM610i.