xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
(OP)
This is an xPost from the Pharma thread since the forum looks pretty dead. I appreciate your help!
Hi All,
I have been tasked to head a project to reduce the risk of contamination in our bio-pharma production facility. The main goal is to roll out the use of torque wrenches to use on sanitary wing-nut triclamps. I have been asked to replace the sanitary clamps on all of our bioreactors (nearly all clamps from 2003). This would be the replacement of >2500 low pressure wing-nut tri-clamps. I have already replaced the clamps on 2 bioreactors and I'm starting to wonder if this activity is really worth it?
Is it best practice to replace the clamps after some time? Granted, some clamps are so old they have residue on the inside of them, but do the clamps, wingnuts, or threads loose their integrity after a time?
Thanks!
Hi All,
I have been tasked to head a project to reduce the risk of contamination in our bio-pharma production facility. The main goal is to roll out the use of torque wrenches to use on sanitary wing-nut triclamps. I have been asked to replace the sanitary clamps on all of our bioreactors (nearly all clamps from 2003). This would be the replacement of >2500 low pressure wing-nut tri-clamps. I have already replaced the clamps on 2 bioreactors and I'm starting to wonder if this activity is really worth it?
Is it best practice to replace the clamps after some time? Granted, some clamps are so old they have residue on the inside of them, but do the clamps, wingnuts, or threads loose their integrity after a time?
Thanks!





RE: xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
From a cleanliness perspective, they probably should be replaced; there have been incidences of contamination within sterilization chambers in hospitals.
TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers Entire Forum list http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm
RE: xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
It would be straightforward to build a gauge to check the clamps.
I have seen wear on the clamp surface and I have seen hinge pin wear that both impact clamping.
You also have to have very tight control on the seals. If they are too hard or too soft they will not fill the gap properly.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
They are probably 15 years old. Would that wear and tear on the threads cause inaccurate torqueing of the clamp (excluding galled threads)?
How would you describe the impact to clamping effectiveness of an old clamp? Is it that the distributed forces become uneven?
RE: xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
How old are the seals?
TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers Entire Forum list http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm
RE: xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
The contamination risk really depends on how careful the operators are when assembling and disassembling and if their training on the matter was sufficient. I'm sure you know that you can't just wave sanitized components around higgly-piggly and expect things to stay clean. It will be imperative that the torque wrench be kept clean and possibly sterilized regularly if it's going to be used on sterile status items.
RE: xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
RE: xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
I have seen some combination that simply are not reliable together.
If the clamps and flanges are not a good match then torque will not be a reliable indicator of suitable clamping. You really should test some and measure the actual gap between the flanges, that is the critical dimension. If you have consistent components then torques is a good measure.
If you haven't been using torque wrenches I would assume that they are being seriously over-tightened.
I have seen plants where all clamps and flanges have mfg marks on them, and the clamps have mo-yr stamped into them. As the become older (if they are used a lot) the inside surfaces can become worn changing the way that they mate to the flanges. I have seen them worn to the point of bottoming out and not applying enough clamp force, or clamping unevenly.
With seals some will become hard with age, and some soft. Depends on the specific compound and the service conditions.
Either way and you get a seal that traps materials and is hard to clean.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement
RE: xPost from Pharma: Sanitary Clamp Replacement