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Offshore Report fjjggjjjjj Clamp Supplier Dives Into Project Bluefin Robotics Corp. called on Clampco — a manufacturer of stainless steel T-bolt band clamps and V-band couplings — when it needed help "test- ing the waters." Bluefin specializes in manufacturing underwater robotic equipment for offshore survey, military, ABOVE: This Bluefin AUV is outfitted with a cus- tom designed 316 stainless steel half coupling from Clampco Products Inc. The coupling was designed to lay flush with the exterior of the AUV as well as to provide ease of assembly and dis- assembly. BELOW: V-band couplings from Clampco Products Inc. can be manufactured in a wide variety of diameters and styles. and scientific research customers. By working with Clampco Products Inc., Bluefin was able to complete an underwater robotics project for the U.S. Navy in record time. Bluefin designed, built, tested, and demonstrated its AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) for the Coastal System Station and the Office of Naval Research in approxi- mately eight months — half the time typically required for projects of a simi- lar scale. Sam Tolkoff, engineer at Bluefin, attributes this rapid develop- ment to one of its suppliers, Clampco Products, Inc. "We considered several other suppliers when we first looked into the project," says Tolkoff. "Howev- er, Clampco was able to offer us the best lead time, and this is exactly what we needed - fast delivery as well as special attention and support for our design requirements." Clampco handles special requests as a matter of course. For instance, Tolkoffs team needed to April, 2001 design the AUV with robust modular joints, which would let operators disas- semble the equipment in two directions. They could either remove panels from the AUV or interchange the tail section with the top sections of 10 other vehi- cles. A V-band coupling is a fastener that offers this type of flexibility. But Bluefin had special design considerations above and beyond the standard V-band cou- pling. Tolkoff worked with Carl Klaus, sales engineer at Clampco, regarding Bluefin's custom requirements. Typical- ly, V-bands have a gap under the latch mechanism to facilitate installation. However, the Bluefin engineers wanted to reduce the gap to increase total sur- face contact with the flanges. So Clam- pco simply rotated the position of the retainer segments so that the ends of the segments would sit under the latch. To improve the coupling's corrosion resis- tance in the harsh salt-water environ- ment, Clampco used 316 stainless steel bands. HEAT R EXCHANGERS Got Any Ideas For Better Heat Transfer Efficiency? -JLJ I lOODDO \ WE DO! If you haven't been asked this question lately, it's a certainty you will be, and soon. •n virtually every marine vessel, there are opportunities to improve effi- ciency through more effective heat transfer, if you know how and where to look. Tranter's application engineers have looked for over 20 years, and have engineered a variety of solutions which have enabled ship owners, builders and operators to lower costs and to increase the productivity of their vessels. They've done it with plate-type heat exchangers. Our SUPERCHANGER® plate and frame heat exchangers operate at a 1-2°F temperature approach, compared with a shell and tube's 8- 10°, and with 3 to 5 times greater U values! Our PLATECOIL® prime surface units can be engineered and designed in any way, shape or form to improve heat transfer efficiency, while our MAX- CHANGER® all-welded plate heat exchangers are especially effective where space is at a premium or gasket limitations prevent the use of a SUPER- CHANGER. From heating main engine jacket water to cooling water/glycol solutions for electronic gear cooling, to plastic waste disposal and numerous other suc- cessful heating and cooling applications, Tranter heat exchangers are pro- viding optimum efficiency in heat transfer. Need better ideas for efficiency in your on board heat transfer? We've got 'em! Contact us. We'll send you our latest Marine Applications Bulletin chock full of heating and cooling details, along with our company CD. Next time some- one asks if you have any ideas for greater efficiency, you'll be able to say, "I certainly do!" TRANTER A b DOVER ) DIVERSIFIED COMPANY Tranter PHE, Inc. A RO. Box 2289 A Wichita Falls, TX 76307 A [940] 723-7125 • Fax: (940) 723-5131 http://www.tranter.eom/m t. E-mail: sales@tranter.com ©2001 Tranter, inc. XCHANGERS Circle 325 on Reader Service Card 49
