Q. WHERE CAN I USE DRY LINK COUPLINGS?

A. The simple answer would be almost anywhere a hose is being used to transfer fluid, especially where no spills, drips or worker exposure can be tolerated.

Q. WHAT WOULD BE THE TYPICAL DRY LINK APPLICATIONS?*

A. Most applications can be grouped into three functional categories

  1. Bulk Fluid Transfer

    This includes loading and unloading of fluids from railroad tank cars, trucks, tank containers or intermediate bulk containers (IBC’s).

  2. Portable or Moving Equipment

    This category includes a variety of different applications, such as… transfer of intermediate chemicals from one section of a plant to another via portable tanks.

    • Portable pump wagons.

    • Movable batch reactors (including re-circulating heating or cooling fluid in coils on the vessel wall).

    • Oil connection to movable or replaceable rollers (such as on steel rolling mills).

    • Fuel and lubrication connection to diesel engine test units or locomotives.

    • Process equipment with heavy vibration or agitation.

    • Where a feed container or trough is connected and disconnected, etc., etc.

  3. Switching or Redirecting Fluid Flow

    This category includes applications such as…

    • Manifolds for adding ingredients to stationary reaction vessels.

    • Manifolds for routing finished products to various holding tanks.

    • Manifolds to switch between process fluids and line cleaning or purging fluids.

    • Changing colors on a paint line or printing ink feed system.

Q. WHAT TYPES OF FLUIDS SHOULD I CONSIDER?

A. Really almost any fluid in a hose can benefit from Dry Link especially fluids that are hazardous, toxic, corrosive, etc. We even have applications on petroleum products and fuels, which, historically, have used lower priced aluminum hose coupling devices.

A primary target, however, should be viscous fluids that set up and harden in air. This includes epoxy resins, paints, adhesives, sealants, shampoos, etc. All competitive dry break products have a high resistance to flow and result in problems when used with viscous fluids.

Q. WHAT TYPE OF PLANT WOULD NEED DRY LINK?

A. You would probably be surprised to learn the large number of different plants that have Dry Link installations. Most people would naturally think of truck loading at a chemical plant, but that is just scratching the surface.

Here are some typical Dry Link applications in a variety of industries:

  • Chemical plants: many, many different applications including truck and rail car loading and unloading and in-plant switching manifolds.

  • Pharmaceutical plants: same as above….every pharmaceutical plant is also a chemical plant…also, smaller batches mean more hose connections.

  • Cosmetics: shampoos, hair colorants, liquid make-up…. many different product types and small batches.

  • Adhesive manufacturing: also coatings, films and backing for carpeting.

  • Paint and varnish manufacturing: many applications….solvent switching…drum filling.

  • Ink manufacturing: similar to paints….also shipment to printers via IBC’s.

  • Printing plants: ink receiving and transfer operations.

  • Soap and detergent manufacturing: enzymes, surfactants, caustics, etc.

  • Rubber and plastics manufacturing: additions, resins, acids, misc. chemicals.

  • Pulp and paper: process water treatment chemicals.

  • Mining: (especially liquid processes such as leading and floatation), process additives.

  • Automotive: (also farm equipment and trucks) painting lines, solvents.

  • Electric power: boiler and cooling tower water treatments chemicals….also, mobile transformer regeneration units.

  • Railroads: refueling of locomotives.

  • Wastewater treatment plants: sodium hydroxide, liquid ammonia, and specialty chemicals.

  • Chemical waste hauling and incineration: spent acids and solvents.

  • Fiberglass manufacturing: unloading caustic and other chemicals.

  • Agricultural chemicals: manufacture and distribution of fertilizers and pesticides.

  • Nuclear industry: radioactive water.

  • Chemical distributors: unloading from tank trucks, blending and filling intro drums and IBC’s.

  • Liquid transfer terminals: Tank farms with rail, water and truck transfer.

  • Micro-electronics/circuit board manufacture: glycols, solvents, epoxy resins, and wastewater treatment.
…….the list goes on and on………we welcome any uses you discover and wish to share with us!

Q. HOW CAN I RECOGNIZE A DRY LINK APPLICATION PLANT FROM THE ROAD?

A. You may literally be passing by Dry Link installation as you drive down the highway:

  • Lots of tanks, especially smaller sized tanks which usually means batch transfer.

  • IBC’s (Intermediate Bulk Containers, or totes) usually 250 to 400 gallon capacity, especially stainless steel ones stocked in the yard.

  • Intermodal tank containers.

  • Tank trucks and railroad tank cars waiting to be unloaded.

  • Rail or truck loading (or unloading) facilities with loading arms, access platforms, etc.

  • A piping manifold with hose connections, right on the wall of the building.

* The applications listed above represent "typical" applications. Each application is unique and our couplings may not be suitable for all applications. We strongly recommend that the customer first tryout a set of our couplings for their application before purchasing large quantities. Customer assumes full responsibility for the selection of our couplings and/or materials for their application. Please read our complete Terms&Conditions/Warranty information.