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Save valuable weight and space
Compared to conventional ANSI or API ring joint flanges, the Grayloc® connector is significantly lighter and smaller.
Diameter of the clamp is less than that of a flange. The length of the weldneck is also shorter than that of a comparable flange, further reducing weight and space.
The clamp may be rotated a full 360° around the hub to orient the bolts for most convenient tightening.
As opposed to flanges, Grayloc® connectors allow components, such as valves, to be installed with no regard to bolt hole alignment.
These four factors - smaller diameter, shorter length, freedom to rotate the clamp with no bolt hole alignment constraint provides an opportunity to design lightweight and compact systems. A reduction of more than 15 inches in length and 11 tons in the production unit for an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico was achieved using Grayloc® connectors.
The space and weight saving provided by a Grayloc® connector is only the beginning. The lighter, smaller Grayloc®-fitted structures can be supported by lighter, smaller platforms and supporting structures.
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