Originally inspired by the needs of the iron and steel mills, OILCO sought to understand the complex chemical problems for pumping vast quantities of on-site water through the lids of the melting pots. Due to the intense chemical treatment of the water, standard steel joints were suffering with extensive pitting and corrosion of the sealing surface. While traditional wisdom would warrant the use of stainless steel, the problem still arose, albeit in a slower timeline. However, the use of upgraded stainless steel (especially in the larger 10″ through 18″ sizes) became a huge cost consideration for the plant engineers.

By isolating the critical areas of the sealing service, OILCO managed to develop a process that mates the benefits of stainless steel, while keeping the cost of the unit down to a more manageable level. The result was the stainless steel insert swivel joint. These swivels are dimensionally identical to their carbon steel and stainless steel counterparts, but utilize the necessary aspects of each material to prolong the seal life and seal area integrity.

This hybrid swivel joint meets several working concerns and cost efficiency issues. The development of the stainless steel inserts for use in the 90 Series swivels has increased the life expectancy of the standard carbon steel units by 30-50%, while not forcing the consumer to rely solely on the markedly higher priced full stainless steel T-316 version.

The Low Torque (“LT”) model swivel joint is a specifically conditioned 90 Series swivel joint that reduces torque up to 65% more than any other conventional joint. The low torque option is a secondary procedure applied during the manufacturing process, prior to welding procedures. The low torque swivel can be broken with a minimal amount of manual pressure, assisting in ease of use for the operator in critical operations areas.

The application of the low torque option for the 90 Series swivel joint is for the entire nominal size range. Following the CNC milling stage, the sleeve is polished and turned to an extra smooth surface. The body receives a specifically tailored honing. This process is also not limited to carbon steel units, but can be applied to both aluminum and stainless steel assemblies as well.

Since its inception, the 90 Series design has performed flawlessly. As a result, multiple application alternatives have been incorporated into the production line to accommodate changing industry needs. After an accelerated research and development program, OILCO introduced a new option → geared toward prover arm engineers and manufacturers.

The new High Pressure (“HP”) line has increased the working pressure capabilities of OILCO swivel joints to allow for incorporation in various prover assemblies, testing facilities, and other critical loading and unloading procedures. Utilizing established engineering techniques and design specifications, the “HP” line affords identical predictability with an improved level of effective range.

With capacity more than doubling standard characteristics, the “HP” Series has operations and testing limits well north of 3000 psi. This ability has placed OILCO swivel joints in the forefront of complex prover arm manufacturing specifications for several U.S. design firms. Enhanced mechanical chambers, increased sealing surfaces, and an inflation of overall wall diameter thickness, have all aided in catapulting the OILCO brand name into markets far outreaching the previous 77 years.

• High moment load capacity
• Increased Pressure rating
• NACE compliant material
• Multiple seal packages
• Schedule 80 & 160 sizes
• 2″ through 18″ available