The Importance of Proper Hygiene in Manufacturing: Dixon's Innovative Clever Cla

In industries where hygiene is of utmost importance, even the slightest presence of bacteria can create a ripple effect throughout the entire operation. This can lead to compromised products, manufacturing downtime, and costly cleanups. Industry sectors such as dairy, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and personal care are all too familiar with this problem.
One of the most overlooked components is the hygienic clamp used to connect two ferrules in a process line. Traditional single-pin clamps are often overtightened, causing the gasket to be squeezed into the ferrule, creating gaps where bacteria can collect and reproduce. Conversely, if the clamp is under-tightened, gaps between the ferrule and gasket may trap materials that cannot be reached by clean-in-place processes.
Dixon's revolutionary Clever Clamp tackles the issue of over or under-tightening with its patent-pending design. The clamp relies on a lever to close, ensuring a perfect seal every time. The material selection collar feature allows the clamp to accommodate rubber or PTFE gaskets, guaranteeing the correct compression and a proper seal for either gasket type. The clamp is pre-adjusted to the ideal level, preventing overtightening or under tightening. Say goodbye to the problem of bacterial intrusion with Dixon's Clever Clamp.
To achieve an ideal seal with traditional single-pin clamps, it's necessary to carefully position the gasket between the ferrule flanges, align the bead of the gasket with the grooves of both ferrule flange faces, join the faces together, and then apply the clamp. A proper installation is marked by slight compression of the gasket, with its bead centred in the ferrule groove. It's crucial to ensure that the gasket's inside diameter is aligned with the pipe's inside diameter and that there is no intrusion or void. Precise and even alignment on all sides is critical, as any irregularities will result in inconsistent or incomplete compression. Tightening the clamp with a screwdriver or torque wrench can lead to overtightening, which often results in intrusion by the gasket and even deformation, leading to leakage, hazardous chemical exposure, and increased pressure ratings.
This is where the Clever Clamp comes in. With its unique lever and cam design, it ensures consistent and controlled compression that is neither too loose nor intrusive. Unlike traditional clamps that have threads which can get stripped or gunked up with leaking products, the Clever Clamp has no threads, making it much faster and easier to change multiple clamps in a line. It also boasts a tamper-resistant feature, with an optional spring-loaded, self-locking pin that makes it impossible to open without a separate key, thus preventing valuable product loss.
Furthermore, the Clever Clamp's low profile eliminates the possibility of bolts or screws sticking out and getting caught on a grate or snagging other equipment. It's also available with food-grade silicone, colour-coded bands that can b