Quick couplings for optimising speed in roadside rescue

In the event of a road accident, vehicles may become a sheet metal trap that prevents the driver or passengers from receiving medical care or positioning themselves at a safe distance from potential accidents or explosions.

Being able to intervene rapidly to extricate people from a wreck is, therefore, literally a matter of life and death.

Rescue workers are trained to operate rapidly and effectively in these circumstances, but their competence is just as important as their tools, such as shears, rams and spreaders.

This equipment uses hose lines to connect the hydraulic cylinders to the power pack to supply the tool with hydraulic oil at the required pressure, which may also reach high levels to generate enough power to cut, remove or tear through the sheet metal of a vehicle.

During a task, it is often necessary to change the tool being used – up to 10 connections and disconnections can be made in just 40 minutes, and it is imperative that these connections are made without wasting any time.

Stucchi quick couplings are designed to ensure safe and secure connection of the hydraulic line and rapid connection and disconnection, with no need for any tools.

This results in a significant improvement in task timeframes, which, as mentioned previously, is critical. If the time saved is multiplied by the number of tasks carried out per day and added to the number of drills, changing tools no longer becomes an obstacle.

The couplings are mounted either on hoses to connect the power pack to the tool or on the tool itself in Dual (parallel hoses coupled) or Coaxial (hoses inside one other) configuration and a swivel joint is used to compensate for any rotations during use.

The A-HP line is ideal for applications with pressures up to 700 bar, while the RT4-HP line has been developed specifically for use with road rescue in mind, in partnership with a leading equipment manufacturer.

This partnership has made it possible to integrate the Dual configuration, a swivel joint and a shunt for connection with a flux pump; it is also possible to make the connection using residual pressure, further reducing the time taken to couple or uncouple the lines with no need for additional procedures or switching off the power pack.

For over 60 years, Stucchi has been providing a continuous flow of solutions for all requirements and sectors where couplings and pressure circuits are in use – contact us right away for more information.