PFS always strives to provide solutions for all things electrical and instrumentation. This one comes in the form of a tube separation clamp for ladder tray side wall mounting. When PFS introduced the pneumatic tube channel brackets (PTCB) in 1993 as a tray type mount for pneumatic tube supports, it was meant for just that; a bracket that could mount to the outside ladder tray wall and serve as a platform for mounting pneumatic tube runs. The goal was to offer a bracket that was simple to install, sturdy once fastened into place, and easy to move along the wall when necessary. As time went on, we learned more about complications that plagued offshore pneumatic tube runs. The main obstacle was crevice corrosion. In 2000, we developed our patented T-SEP Assembly to maintain separation within pneumatic tube delivery systems while significantly reducing the opportunity for crevice corrosion. The T-SEP design has since been refined into the clamping assembly it is today, which offers zero metal-to-metal contact at the point of tube fastening.
Eureka!
For years, the PTCB and T-SEP Assembly stood alone as solutions for different purposes. Recently, we were presented with a situation where additional tubes were necessary in a ladder tray that was simply out of space. The 12-inch ladder tray rung outfitted with a T-SEP Assembly accommodating fifteen 1/2″ tubes could not handle adding six more tubes. Then came the solution- utilize the side tray wall with a PTCB. However, we still wanted the tubing to be separated, which presented the opportunity to mount the T-SEP to the PTCB……Eureka!
“The T-SEP and the PTCB have both served as excellent parts independently, but now we’ve found a way for them to work in tandem. I think their full potential will be utilized in unison.
-Gerry Keller (PFS President)
Available in grade 316 stainless steel or aluminum, according to your preference, PFS’s tray mount supports (PTCBs) allow for pneumatic tube systems to use cable tray walls for support. Our PTCB-type tray mount pneumatic tube supports work by fastening mechanically to the outer wall of trays; they are compatible with both B-Line cable trays and fiberglass channel trays. Both the B-Line-compatible tray mount and the fiberglass-compatible mounts can be used with standard tubing line clamps and now the T-SEP Assembly.
When used in union with the T-SEP Assembly, the PTCBs are supplied with the T-SEP bottom tube alignment section pre-attached to one of the PTCB brackets. PFS’s tray mount pneumatic tube supports are:
- Quick and simple to install (supports fasten easily onto cable trays)
- Made of corrosion-resistant grade 316 stainless steel (or aluminum, if preferred).
- Available in two sizes (B-Line: 4 in. and 6 in.; fiberglass: 6 in. and 8 in.)
Our customers in the shipbuilding, offshore platform, and steel fabrication industries depend upon their pneumatic tubing, which is why we provide the most reliable, functional tray mount designs possible in the most corrosion-resistant materials available. T-SEP and the PTCB Channel Bracket: The Solution for Maximum Ladder Tray
