What Is a Bolt Clamp?
A bolt clamp is a clamp that uses a bolt for clamping or fastening purposes. These clamps are typically utilized to prevent tubes from being pulled out of their fixed positions, to connect tubes to each other, and to secure tubes to ceilings.
Various configurations of bolt clamps are available, including those with flat-surfaced bolts for securing objects and bolts with heads eccentric to the shaft’s center.
Uses of Bolt Clamps
Bolt clamps are often employed to fasten bands with slits, such as hose restraints for gas appliances, by tightening with a single bolt. Another common type is the U-shaped clamp, which uses two bolts and is frequently used to secure pipes in temporary scaffolding at construction sites.
Generally, bolt clamps are used in conjunction with nuts to prevent loosening. They are ingeniously designed with features like flat surfaces or plastic pads at the tip for enhanced functionality.
How to Select Bolt Clamps
For piping applications, clamps are manufactured in two main types: those that allow for multiple rows of multiple bolts and stackable multi-row clamps.
Multi-stage, multi-row clamps are available in synthetic rubber and aluminum, with aluminum clamps being preferable for high-temperature piping. The recommended temperature range for rubber clamps is -40°F to 212°F, while aluminum clamps are suitable for temperatures up to 750°F.
Alternatively, multi-stage clamps are made from either polypropylene or glass-fiber-filled 66 nylon, both known for excellent vibration absorption due to their resin composition. The strength difference between polypropylene and glass-filled 66 nylon clamps is notable, particularly in terms of bending, compressive, and tensile strength.
According to published data, the flexural strength of polypropylene is 36 N/mm² compared to 240 N/mm² for glass-filled 66 nylon. Compressive strength is 60 N/mm² for polypropylene versus 200 N/mm² for glass-filled 66 nylon. Tensile strength is 27 N/mm² for polypropylene compared to 180 N/mm² for glass-filled 66 nylon.