Here are some benefits that might help you to decide which OPW loading arm would be right for your individual application.

The bottom OPW loading arm offers the following benefits over a top loading arm:

• Safer working conditions. Bottom loading systems create less turbulence in the tank, reducing the danger of generating static electricity.
• Vapor reduction. Bottom loading reduces vapors, and can be easily adapted to fully recover vapors displaced during loading.
• Operator safety. The operator remains on the ground, not on top of the vehicle where falls could occur.
• Faster loading time. Connections can be made more quickly.
• Less costly loading platforms. Bottom loading islands are simpler and cheaper to build than top loading racks.

A properly designed top loading system will have sufficient vertical movement and drop pipe lengths to service vehicles of varying heights. The top OPW loading arm has sufficient horizontal range to reach the farthest compartment.

OPW offers a complete line of equipment for efficiently loading and unloading petroleum products, chemicals, and liquefied gases.

A Kamvalok fitting is interchangeable with popular makes of automatic, semi-automatic and lock-ring type couplings. These fittings are used to connect air and fluid lines in a variety of industries.

Because of its unique poppet action the OPW Kamvalok® Dry Disconnect virtually eliminates spillage of any residual liquid contained within the line after disconnection. A Kamvalok fitting is frequently used at transfer points where product loss is unacceptable.

Common applications of this fitting include inks, paint, adhesives, lacquers, fatty acids, liquid soaps, pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, ag-chemicals, solvents, detergents, vegetable oils, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) and many acids and caustics.

In addition, vapor fittings provide easy access to recover vapors for either top or bottom loading and unloading tank truck operations.

Kamvalok also makes adaptors specifically designed to mate with OPW Kamvalok® couplings to help prevent liquid spillage during the connection/ disconnection process.

This is a spring loaded coupler with a built-in valve. The internal adapter contains a poppet that is spring loaded and assures fast closing and a super tight seal ensuring no spillage of liquids. If the Kamvalok coupling were ever to be accidentally disconnected while product flow is in progress and the lever is in the open position, the poppet in the adapter will automatically close and the seal cylinder will immediately stop any flow through the coupler. The 360° orientation of the coupling further eliminates the need for swivels and simplifies connection.

By closing and opening two cam arms that lock into a machined groove around the circumference of the mating adapter connections and disconnections are achieved. After the Kamvalok adapter and coupler are firmly coupled together, the lever is turned to the open position, and product flows freely around the poppet discs.

The Kamvalok coupling can be specified with:

•    Aluminum externals and components.
•    Aluminum with stainless steel internal parts.
•    All stainless steel.
•    Seals available in buna-N, Viton, Teflon, EPT, EPDM, EPR, Kalrez, Chemraz, or other compounds.
•    Locking or non-locking handle.
•    3/4″ (20 mm), 1½” (38 mm), 2″ (50 mm), and 3″ (76 mm) sizes, depending upon style and material.

Where safety is a concern and where product loss is unacceptable Kamvaloks® Dry Disconnect Couplers are used at transfer points. The most common applications requiring the use of disconnect couplers include the manufacturing of paint, lacquers, inks, adhesives, fatty acids, pharmaceuticals, liquid soaps, and many other liquid products. They are particularly well suited for handling petroleum products, solvents, ag-chemicals, vegetable oils, detergents and many acids and caustics.

OPW Kamvaloks® provide automatic closure from both directions – the coupler and the adapter. With it’s simple connection and disconnection design and lever actuated internal poppet configuration, this has become the first choice for liquid transfer operations in all manufacturing environments.

The size of the dry disconnect couplers should be carefully selected and the temperature should be considered when selecting any coupling. The coupler must work at the required temperature and the correct pressure.

There are different types of shaft couplers. Each of the various types has its own specific application.

Rigid couplers. For use when there are requirements for the precise shaft alignment. There are variations of this coupler such as the flange coupler and the muff coupler.

Torque limiting couplers. Will protect systems against conditions of over torque.

Flexible couplers. Useful in connecting a driving shaft or flange element to an adjacent in-line driven member. It flexes enough while rotating to accommodate, within limits, undesirable effects caused by axial misalignment, shaft end movement, and vibration between connected members. This kind of coupler can also be further divided into many other types (disc coupler, universal coupler, jaw coupler, bellows coupler, and gear coupler.

At Swivel Joints we stock a large assortment of Kamvalok couplings, a dry disconnect which helps eliminate dripping before, during, and after loading, as well as Dry Lok couplers, the closest dry disconnect on the market. It features low pressure drops, along with very tight seal, allowing virtually no spillage.

At SwivelJoints.com we offer you most excellent customer service and very fast delivery on any parts and supplies you order from us. If you are in need of Kamvalok fittings and need assistance when placing your order, you can call our toll-free customer service number at1-866-761-7225 and we promise you  all of your questions will be answered to your satisfaction. Make a responsible choice. Use these fittings to help implement environmental guidelines by keeping toxic or hazardous chemicals in line.

Unsure of the correct Kamvalok fittings you need for your application? Check out the large variety of fittings we have available on our web site. We have an online configuration tool to make selecting the correct fitting easy. The part number guide lists size, style, metal, and seal for each part we have enabling you to double check that you are ordering the right part. Contact us at any time if you require specifications or more information.

The ‘Heads Up’ Railcar Motion Detector is a new safety siren designed to give rail yard workers a warning if a car starts to move. The ‘Heads Up’ attaches magnetically to the bearing cap of any freight car wheel. For the same reason that forklift truck and other vehicles are equipped with beepers, the ‘Heads Up’ detector warns workers that a rail car is moving. When the car wheel turn more than 10 degrees in either direction, the battery-powered sensor emits a powerful 90 db two-tone warble. The siren has a baffle to moderate the sound level, and an illuminated on-off switch. The NEMA-4X housing is rain and dust-proof and all hardware is corrosion-resistant. A 9-volt replaceable battery provides 30 minutes of siren life. The ‘Heads Up’ weighs 1 pound and fits in the palm of the hand.

The Railcar Motion Sensor operates on 110-vAC and can detect a railcar, truck, or any other large, metallic, moving object up to 100 feet away from the sensor unit. The sensor is adjustable to mass and velocity and can be installed up to 1,000 feet away from the light and horn control box. The sensing unit is designed to be buried under the railroad track or roadway. NEMA-4 controls are standard, and explosion proof units are available.

See our full line of railroad related items on our website including our railcar loading arms.

For applications where a hose is necessary, these joints mounted at the end of the hose eliminates kinking and twisting and reduce hose wear. Plus when they are fitted to metal frameworks and attached to hoses, the hose can be guided and kept from kinking and denting or scratching tanks, trucks, and other equipment.

In the fields of petroleum, chemical, refining, mining, distilling, brewing, and more there are hundreds of applications requiring OPW swivel joints. These piping components rotate 360 degrees and permit the use of rigid metal piping for loading and unloading hazardous chemicals, petroleum, and other materials without the danger of handling cumbersome hoses.

Our OPW swivel joints feature combinations of five metals and five seal materials to meet most material handling requirements. They can also be custom designed to conform to unique specifications.

We guarantee you’ll like our competitive prices, fast delivery and the outstanding customer service that we offer our customers each and every time.

Each loading arm is designed for ease of operation and handling, which creates a faster and safer loading operation. The rugged construction of our OPW loading arms makes down time and maintenance issues non-existent.

SwivelJoints can meet a wide range of bulk chemical loading requirements. We provide swing arms truck loading, railcar loading and custom bulk loading applications such as drums and containers.

Top or bottom loading applications, supported or unsupported boom arms, fixed or variable reach arms, bypass and wash arms are all common applications provided to customers. Here’s are the different types of loading arms we stock.

Truck Loading Arms –
Bottom Loading Arm for Tank Trucks
Top Loading Arm with Integrated Gangway and Safety Cage
Supported Boom Arm Design

Railcar Loading Arms –
Bottom Loading Arm With Insulation & Steam Tracing
Loading Arms with Gangways and Multiple Spot Loading Rack
Supported Boom Arm Design With Integrated Gangway And Safety Cage

Other Loading Arms –
Loading Arms and Blending Skids

Benefits
•    Closed-Loop Protection – Helps protect people and the environment by providing a vapor and liquid tight seal during the connection / disconnection process specifically designed to contain VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) products that have high vapor pressure that evaporates quickly. Contains fugitive emissions and transfers VOC’s without vapor loss.
    •    Roll-Over Safety – Its low profile design keeps the fitting below roll-over plane to minimize damage in the event of a roll-over. Meets IMO profile dimensions.
    •    Easy Emergency Evacuation – Provides a dry disconnect connection for emergency evacuation of hazardous liquids in case of roll-over.
    •    Quick and Easy Cleaning – Designed for easy disassembly for periodic routine cleaning.

Features
    •    Vapor Hose Connection – 2″ Kamvalok® Dry Disconnect Coupling or D2000™ Actuating Couplers.
    •    No trailer modifications required – Easy attachment to existing MC307, DOT407, MC312, and DOT412 trailers.
    •    The 3″ straight thread mounting with 2″ dry disconnect cam and groove connection makes the ideal 3″ x 2″ adaptor for any QRB valves.