RAMCO Manufacturing Company, Inc. products

Because of the apparent need for an economical but dependable safety shield, RAMCO developed the Econo-Gard Safety Shield. Great attention has been paid to its design to ensure that its economic features have not been achieved at the expense of safety. The modest price of this shield is possible because its fabrication utilizes non-labor intensive heat sealing methods.

Another Spra-Gard product is the innovative “See-Thru” shield that permits easy identification and inspection of all pipe joints, including flanges, valves, threaded connections and expansion joints. Constructed of TFE coated fiberglass that is burnt orange in color with a wide center band of clear film (ECTFE), the Vue-Gard Safety Shield permits visual inspection of pipe joints by personnel so leaks can be detected rapidly.

This shield was developed by RAMCO for a very specific application. Unlike the TFE Spra-Gard Shield that contains fiberglass, the PPL shield can be used to protect against hydrofluoric acid, a highly virulent chemical that is used to etch glass and is also employed in petroleum cracking operations. Recognizing that the PPL Spra-Gard Shield provided the first practical safeguard against this hazardous acid, RAMCO received the John C. Vaaler Award in 1978.

This ‘‘See Thru” shield combines the high quality of the RAMCO PPL Spra-Gard Shield with the added benefit of clear ECTFE. It is fabricated according to the specifications of all RAMCO wrap-around shields. Thus, this shield safeguards against both frontal and lateral sprayouts. Its uniqueness, as with the RAMCO Vue-Gard Shield, permits easily visual inspection of all pipe connections. The PPL (Vue) Spra-Gard Shield withstands temperatures up to 225°F (107°C) and pressures to 1000 psi (69 bar).

RAMCO uses 24 gauge steel exclusively for its metal safety shields. This gauge, approximately 25 thousandth of an inch thick, is ideal for safety shields. It is sufficiently heavy to withstand high pressures and also has flexibility to permit shaping. RAMCO has developed specialized equipment for production of its shields, and use of its manufacturing methods results in high volume production at relatively low cost.

Valve-Gard Shields are also available for most types of check valves. They are constructed in a similar fashion to ball and plug valves but do not require an opening for a stem. Check valve shields cover the valve and mating flanges as a single unit.

The valves that are most frequently protected with safety shields are gate and globe valves. Both contain two distinct areas that are vulnerable to leaks and sprayouts — the upper portion or bonnet and the lower portion, which may be flanged or threaded. For this valve configuration, RAMCO recommends a combination of shields. The upper portion of the valve is protected by a specially designed safety shield which wraps around the bonnet and conveniently is called “ Valve Bonnet Shield’’. The connecting flanges are fitted with standard flange safety shields. It should be noted that in some instances, Bonnet Shields are also used for large diaphragm valves.

The most frequently ordered Expando-Gard Shield is fabricated of TFE, followed by the “See-Thru” Vue-Gard, the PPL (Vue)-Gard, and then, PPL. These are the only materials in which Expando-Gard Shields are manufactured.