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Category: Clamps & Bands - DM

WHAT ARE OETIKER CLAMPS? HOW ARE THEY USED?

This week, I thought I would devote the blog to one of the best-selling accessory items we carry – Oetiker Clamps.

Drawings on this bag of 100 Oetiker ear clamps illustrate the part's ease of use.

TIPS FOR USING OETIKER CLAMPS

Oetiker makes some of the most reliable semi-permanent clamping systems out there. Established in Switzerland in 1942, the Oetiker Group makes a wide range of connection options for automotive, hydraulic, oil and gas, and other industries.

Ear clamps are a fairly simple device for connecting a hose to a pipe or a fitting like a hose barb connection.

The clamp is a metal band with a protruding “ear,” the sides of which are forced together to tighten the ring around a hose. The metal band is fitted around the hose which is to be connected.

It is important to do this first, because once the hose is attached, you won’t be able to fit the clamp on unless you introduce it from the other end of the hose.

Once the clamp is on, the hose goes over the pipe or pipe fitting. The inside diameter of the hose should be close to the outside diameter of the pipe to ensure a snug fit and that there are no gaps once the clamp is secured.

The ear clamp is tightened around the attached hose by specialized pincers, which force the sides in on themselves. The pincers come in a standard style which closes the clamp while being held parallel to the ear and a “side jaw” style which closes from a perpendicular position. The side jaw pincers are used for tight spaces, where it is difficult to reach with standard pincers. It is important to only crimp the Oetiker clamps with a single tool stroke. Applying a second layer of force can damage the clamp.

WHAT TYPE OF OETIKER CLAMPS DO WE SELL?

The ear clamps we sell come in one-eared and two-eared varieties and are available in zinc-coated carbon steel or stainless steel.

The PG 105 and PG 155 are one-eared with a mechanical interlock device to keep the clamp securely closed. The mechanical interlock is used instead of spot welding to reduce the chance of corrosion around the clamp’s closure elements

The PG 105 series are made of zinc-plated steel. The PG 155 series is made of stainless steel, which greatly reduces the chance of corrosion because of its chemical makeup.

The PG 153 series is also stainless steel, but is spot welded instead of using a mechanical interlock. The structural stability of the band is sound and, as stated earlier, stainless steel resists corrosion better than most other metals.

The PG 101 and PG 151 series are two-ear clamps in zinc-plated steel and stainless steel respectively. The spot-welded clamps have ears opposite of one another to allow for additional clamping force. They are also more elastic than the one-eared variety, meaning they can accommodates changes in the sizes of parts being joined.

Closing these clamps is done the same way as with one-ear clamps, but special attention should be paid to the first ear when closing the second. Closing the second may affect the original ear’s closure.