Reliable Flow Calibration Connectors

When calibrating flow transmitters on a flow bench, connections must occur between the flow bench pressure outlet and the input of the flow transmitter.

Accurate measurements within military, aircraft manufacturing, and aerospace industries are a critical component to continued performance quality. To ensure instruments provide the necessary accuracy and reliability, they require calibration. Typically, to calibrate flow instruments, transmitters attach to a flow bench, using wrenches and applying significant torque to achieve a leak tight seal. This can quickly become a costly process from both a profitability and productivity standpoint, as connections take longer to make and the wrenching can lead to equipment damage or cause work-related injuries due to poor ergonomics.

When calibrating flow transmitters on a flow bench, connections must occur between the flow bench pressure outlet and the input of the flow transmitter. Often, technicians will experience a mismatch in AN connector sizes, and to solve this problem, using the step-down adapters compensate for the discrepancy in fitting sizes. Consequently, making leak-tight connections at each step can require significant time and force. If sealant tape is used, tape fragments can also plug instrument ports, hindering productivity, as ports require cleaning prior to calibration or use. In addition, this wrenching and sealing process often results in damage to the transmitter's connector threads or the transmitter itself, which requires expensive repairs or replacement, creating lost productivity and increased labor.

Technicians can minimize work related injuries, and streamline flow transmitter calibration with innovative AN Step connectors. Requiring only minimal force, and no thread sealant or wrenches, these connectors feature a twist to connect design that allows them to spin on finger tight, for quick, secure seals that simplify flow bench connections. Featuring pressure-assisted sealing technology, they use test medium pressure to maintain the seal, delivering fast, safe, and repeatable threaded connections.

Manufactured from stainless steel and equipped with easily replaced seals, innovative AN Step connectors ensure reliable and long-lasting performance in demanding aerospace environments. For a high level of transmitter calibration flexibility, custom AN step connectors are available with a range of male or female AN fitting sizes providing flexibility to match up AN connector sizes in unique applications. For example, if flow strengtheners are required to be placed in line with the flow transmitter being calibrated, transition connectors can be used to match up AN sizes. To accommodate industry needs, seal materials can be provided to include EPDM, making them ideal for Skydrol applications or Viton for hydraulic fluid applications.

These connectors increase productivity, and due to their tapeless, secure, finger-tightened connections, they reduce the chance of damage to transmitters, making them ideal for applications that require the highest level of reliability, such as aerospace.

With their continuously shrinking budgets, flow labs are under pressure to calibrate more devices quickly and efficiently. Metrologists using the step transition connectors in critical applications such as fuel flow transmitter calibration have reported the calibration set-up time reduces in half due to the elimination of wrenching. The unique pressure assisted sealing has further reduced the amount of time necessary to achieve a leak tight seal, providing a fast solution that helps maintain productivity safely.

FasTest Inc.
Roseville, MN
www.fastestinc.com