The Complete Differences: Camlock Fittings Vs Compression Fittings

  • 2024.10.12
  • Knowledge

Camlock fittings and compression fittings are both common components in pipe systems, playing an important role in transferring water, gas and other systems. In this article, you will learn about the differences between the two from the perspectives of working principle, installation method, application field, cost, etc. 

Structure

Camlock fittings’ structure is relatively simple, mainly consisting of the main body and the sealing gasket used to maintain the sealing effect. The main body is mainly composed of a male adapter and a female coupler. In addition, there are sometimes accessories such as camlock handles, chains, safety pins, etc. to help camlock work better.  

The structure of compression fittings is mainly composed of three parts: nut, ferrule and connector body. During installation, the ferrule is usually located between the nut and the connector body, and a sealing state is formed by squeezing under the action of the rotation of the nut. The sealing of compression fittings is mainly maintained by the action of the nut and ferrule. 

Working Principle and Installation Method

The working principle of camlock fittings is mainly to tightly bite together the cam end of the male adapter and the groove end of the female coupler of the connector body, so as to exert pressure on the sealing gasket located in the groove, and finally form a tight sealing state.

Its installation method is very simple and does not require any additional tools. You only need to insert the male adapter into the female coupler, and then press the cam arms on both sides toward the female coupler to ensure a tight, stable and reliable connection.

The working principle of compression fittings is to rotate the nut to squeeze the ferrule, forming pressure between the ferrule and the pipe, so that the ferrule and the pipe fit tightly together to form a tight seal. Under the compression pressure of the nut, the connection between the connector and the pipe will be very tight. 

The installation of compression fittings is a little more complicated than camlock fittings. First, you need to place the nut and ferrule on one end of the pipe and insert that end of the pipe into the connector body. Push the nut and ferrule into the end of the pipe where the connector body is and tighten the nut with a wrench to ensure that a seal is formed.

Application Field

Camlock fittings are widely used and are widely praised in water and oil transportation systems in the petroleum, chemical, natural gas and other industries. Given the characteristics and excellent performance of camlock fittings, they are very suitable for use in corrosive environments and transmission systems with harsh conditions. They can often be seen in chemical transportation in chemical plants and drug transportation in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Relatively speaking, the application fields of compression fittings are also very common, but they are mostly used in the fields of household water supply, air conditioning and refrigeration, and light industry, and are often used to transport water, oil and other media. For example, in the household water supply system, compression fittings can be effectively connected to the water pipe system in various parts of the home to ensure water use. It is more commonly used in medium and low pressure transmission systems with long-term stable operation, and is not suitable for application in high temperature and high pressure systems. 

Cost

Due to the complex design and cumbersome manufacturing process, the cost of camlock fittings is relatively high. It does not have a good price advantage when purchased and applied in large quantities. 

Relatively speaking, the production cost of compression fittings is not high, so it is widely used in the fields of household water supply pipes, air conditioning and refrigeration pipes, etc. and has a good cost performance. The good cost advantage makes it also have good application in fields with low requirements for industrial pipes. 

Applicable Transmission Media

Camlock fittings can stably transmit water, oil, gas and other substances and granular media. Since it is made of high-quality raw materials with corrosion resistance and chemical resistance, it can also transmit corrosive media and chemicals. Basically, camlock fittings can transmit most of the transmittable media and do not react with them.

Compression fittings can also transmit a lot of media, but they are all relatively common media such as water and gas. It is worth mentioning that compression fittings cannot be used to transmit granular media. Therefore, there are certain limitations on the media that compression fittings can transmit. 

Durability

Camlock fittings generally have excellent corrosion resistance, chemical resistance and durability. They can operate stably in corrosive environments and environments with a lot of chemicals for a long time. They have a long service life and are not easily affected by the transmission medium and the external environment.

In conventional pipeline transmission systems, compression fittings also have good durability. However, if they are in extreme temperature environments or corrosive environments, their durability will be greatly reduced. Compression fittings are not suitable for long-term operation in harsh environments, and work efficiency cannot be guaranteed. 

Flexibility

As a quick connector, camlock fittings can be quickly connected and disconnected, with good flexibility, and are very suitable for use in systems that require frequent connection, disconnection and replacement. When you need to replace a new camlock, you can complete the process quickly, greatly reducing your downtime and ensuring the efficiency of the transmission system.

The flexibility of compression fittings is relatively poor, because it requires the help of a wrench to install and remove, so the steps are more cumbersome. Therefore, it is more suitable for use in long-term stable transmission systems, which value stability rather than flexibility. 

Repair and Replacement

Due to the quick connection and disconnection characteristics, camlock fittings are also very time-saving when repairing and replacing. It only takes a short time to complete the repair and replacement, which is very advantageous in many systems that require frequent disassembly and assembly. This greatly saves the cost of repair.

Compression fittings require a wrench to disassemble and assemble, and the process is more complicated, so repair and replacement will also be more time-consuming. Therefore, its maintenance cost is relatively high, and it is more suitable for systems that are in long-term operation and less disassembly and assembly. 

Conclusion

In general, camlock fittings and compression fittings each have their own advantages, and they each have their own areas of expertise and application scenarios. 

Camlock fittings are more suitable for use in corrosive environments that require frequent disassembly and assembly, while compression fittings are more suitable for long-term stable systems that do not require frequent disassembly and assembly. 

Precision Camlock
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