A newly launched soft seal cutting ring system is designed to meet demanding hydraulic tube fitting requirements in applications across agriculture, construction, commercial vehicles, discrete manufacturing, rail transport and other industries.

The WALRINGplus Soft Seal Cutting Ring system is optimised for thin-wall tubing and features a two-edge cutting ring with additional soft sealing for both possible leak paths.

Power management company Eaton announced the expansion of its Walterscheid portfolio with the launch of the WALRINGplus system, which is said to enable easy, safe and repeatable assembly as well as reliable, leak-free operations. It is suitable to use with thin-walled tubes and therefore supports efficient weight and fuel reduction of mobile machinery and moving parts of stationary machinery.

Correct assembly is crucial to tube fitting performance and WALRINGplus is designed to prevent excessive or insufficient tightening. A clear block-stop function provides a tangible torque increase when an operator reaches the end of an assembly, so no torque or distance measurement is required. In addition, a significantly lower force is needed to pull the cutting ring over the tube, which helps to make assembly easier, faster and safer, while reducing the risk of damage to the soft seal. The O-ring groove position also allows for frequent reassembly with no impact on performance.

Soft sealing aims to prevent leakages of tubes or studs that are slightly scratched, if the fluid temperature fluctuates or if the retention force is reduced. Problems owing to low assembly torque can also be identified before the cutting ring is pulled from the tube, reducing the risk of a catastrophic failure in application.

 “While there are other soft-seal cutting ring systems on the market, our innovative two-edge design with two additional O-rings, as well as the integration of the O-ring in the cutting ring to avoid separate assembly of the seal, offers improved leakage prevention,” said Eaton product manager Connectors Hydraulics EMEA region Christian Kuenstel.   

Additional advantages of the system include:

• Full optimisation for thin wall tubing
• Designed to be qualified for stainless steel materials in the future
• Offers a clear torque increase at the end of the assembly for small tube sizes
• Simplified assembly helps reduce the risk of in-application failure and costly downtime from leaks

The company adds that its bespoke Walterscheid M-R7 machine further reduces the assembly time and effort required for WALRINGplus as well as the risk of leaks. By automating the process of cutting-ring assembly and tube-forming, the M-R7 machine helps ensure optimum system performance while also reducing the required torque and rotation.

Specifications:

• Steel cutting ring with Viton O-rings
• For tube sizes 6 mm to 42 mm
• ISO8434-1 compliant
• High burst pressure exceeding 4:1 safety factor
• Working pressure up to 500 bar (L-series) and 800 bar (S-series)
• Supports dry assembly with steel components.

“In terms of assembly behavior and performance, WALRINGplus is a win-win,” added Kuenstel. “Today’s customers are demanding lighter and more compact equipment, so thin-walled tubing with higher mechanical strength is growing in popularity for hydraulic applications. Thanks to its optimized cutting-edge geometry, block-stop-assembly function and soft sealing, WALRINGplus can support these benefits. This enables safe assembly for thin-wall tubing without the usual need to insert additional sleeves that increase costs and reduce flow rates.”