Victaulic has revealed the launch of its new Firelock Installation-Ready Style 009V rigid coupling for joining fire protection piping systems in Europe and the Middle East.
Further extending the widely used range of Victaulic Installation-Ready Technology, the company said that the new coupling features several practical design updates that directly address jobsite feedback and help mitigate labour risks.
Style 009V
First, the company explained that Style 009V introduces ‘one-touch tightening’ and extended track neck bolts.
Whereas previous couplings required installers to tighten the bolts in an alternating pattern, the Style 009V enables each bolt to be tightened fully, one at a time, providing easier, faster and accurate installation.
The new bolt design avoids spinning, allows for easy one-hand assembly, enhanced engagement into the coupling housings and additional security to avoid pinching fingers.
Victaulic added that another key improvement is the installation indicator, a new bolt pad design that makes visual confirmation of correct installation even easier.
Previously, installers looked at bolt pad shift on each half of the coupling, now with the Style 009V, the new design locks into place and the installer can simply check whether there is metal-to-metal contact without the need for evaluating bolt pad shift nor torque requirements.
This increases contractor confidence that every joint is properly installed.
The new design also includes an enhanced gasket design with integrated pipe-stop tabs that provides proper alignment in both vertical and horizontal installations and ensures consistent pipe end separation.
This is particularly beneficial when joining vertical pipes in riser systems, Victaulic added.
According to the company, the new design enables faster and easier installation than other couplings from the Victaulic FireLock Installation-Ready range resulting in risk reduction and lower labour cost.
The visual verification at the installation indicator results in enhanced reliability, fewer installation errors, less rework and fewer call backs.
By making installation simpler and verification clearer, Victaulic highlighted that it is lowering the barrier to entry for new installers, allowing contractors to maintain high-quality standards with smaller or less experienced crews and decreases the learning curve for apprentices.
The Style 009V Firelock Installation-Ready rigid coupling is engineered specifically for the pressures and requirements of fire protection systems.
Victaulic said that it is available in sizes DN32 to DN300, 1 ¼” to 12” and for pressures up to 365 psi or 25 bar.
Approvals include FM, cULus, LPCB and VdS (VdS for DN32 to DN80 only), among other global fire protection listings.
“Easier and more efficient”
Graeme Leonard, Victaulic’s fire protection division manager for the EMEA region commented: “We spend a lot of time on jobsites and listen carefully to what installers tell us.
“They face constant pressure to work faster but also need to know the job is done correctly.
“The design improvements in the Style 009V are a direct result of that feedback. It’s not about reinventing the wheel; rather making smart optimisations that make an installer’s job easier and more efficient.
“Ultimately, it’s about giving them the confidence that the joint is right first time, every time, without any guesswork,” he concluded.