Gates’ new iLok coupling addresses issues frequently encountered in underground longwall coal mines, where traditional staple-lock couplings often become corroded and can fuse together, making them difficult to service and disconnect. These conditions often result in unsafe practices when workers forcibly pry the couplings apart, endangering employees and equipment alike. The iLok couplings, according to the company, are simple to understand and use, easy to connect and disconnect by hand and can withstand high-impulse applications. They employ a secure, visible locking system that releases any residual pressure away from workers during disconnection. They are compact to easily fit in tight quarters and finished with smooth TuffCoat Xtreme plating that provides red rust protection exceeding the 72-hour SAE standard by 1,000% and minimizes abrasion against adjoining hoses or equipment. Gates said they have been impulse tested to 133% of operating pressure at 250°F (+121°C) for 1 million impulse cycles (SAE J343 impulse wave, 50 cycles/minute) and exceed Code 62 of SAE J518 flange specifications for 6,000-psi lines.
