Thread coatings

by:  Gary Sartor Powerkote South Africa

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An unforeseen problem has occurred on the mines. Large pumps capable of pumping high volumes of acid mine water found to be leaking between the casings. Due to the extreme pressure the leak is a major hazard to personnel, as the leak off is equivalent to a water jet cutter.

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The pump casing is assembled with studs and nuts in order to seal they are fastened to the prescribed torque. The realization of the problem is here, the threads of the studs and nuts when mated begin to seize. This increased pressure means that the matting faces of the casing are not seeing the correct torque and not fully sealing.

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To remedy this problem Tech Line Coatings CermaLube is applied to both the stud and nut threads. For over a year there has been no further failures, all threads for these pumps are now coated with CermaLube as standard procedure.

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This has lead to the question of all threads on bolt, studs and nuts. Are you obtaining the correct torque?  A further advantage of coating threads is even after considerable time and corrosive environments not to mention high temperatures the bolt or nut can still be released without damaging the part or thread. It has become the practice of many plants and operations to cut the bolts or nuts off equipment rather than trying to loosen them. Coating threads with Tech Line Coating’s  CermaLube  will save money and  material.