Posted to News on 22nd Apr 2021, 00:00
Threadlocker resolves quality issue
The adhesive that pipe fitting manufacturer Huot had been using to seal its threaded products was causing quality issues. When cured, it became brittle resulting in the seal breaking if the fitting was accidentally dropped. Even the impact of the fitting being thrown into a steel storage box could result in the seal fracturing.
Several alternative adhesives were therefore trialled to resolve the problem and the WRAS-approved Loctite 2400 thread locker and sealant proved superior for three reasons; when cured it could absorb any shock, the resultant bond was extremely durable and, most importantly, it was also hazard label free.
Huot is a century-old French company that specialises in the manufacture of products and components for drinking water supply. It produces in the region of one million brass pipe fittings per year and the EN805 standard to which they conform requires them to have a service life of more than 50 years. In reality, this is substantially exceeded. The average lifespan of a Huot product is 70 years so clearly quality is at the heart of the company’s design and manufacturing process.
Huot uses various grades of thread lockers but especially Loctite 2400 when medium strength sealing is required as it benefits from the latest health and safety developments. This product provides an effective mechanical connection that is resistant to handling shocks and all installation procedures and creates a perfect seal between body and nipple. Loctite 2400 ensures high quality pipe fittings will continue to meet the company’s high standards when they leave the production line.
Loctite 2400 cures when it is confined in the absence of air between the close-fitting metal surfaces when the joint is tightened. As the adhesive fills all gaps between the threads there is no scope for any micromovement of the joint, the major cause of self-loosening. It is designed for locking and sealing threaded fasteners which require normal disassembly with standard hand tools.
This one-part adhesive was one of the founding products in Henkel’s Health and Safety range. It remains Henkel’s front line offering for the lion’s share of thread locking applications and has recently been further developed for use on zinc-coated products. Loctite 2400 enables companies such as Huot to benefit from the many design and performance advantages engineering adhesives bring whilst demonstrating responsibility for their staff and the environment.
For Huot, a key specification for the replacement thread locker was that it should be hazard label free but by switching to Loctite 2400, the company has also drastically reduced customer returns, ensured the long term service quality of products and underpinned its brand image.
