Cam and groove couplings (camlock)
Not a hydraulic fitting — a general fluid-transfer coupling. It lives on tank trucks, IBCs, chemical transfer lines, fire equipment, irrigation and dry bulk. If you already buy fittings from China, this is the neighbouring category where the volumes are larger and the standards are just as clear.
Types
| Type | Configuration | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| A | Male adapter × female NPT/BSP thread | Threaded into a pump or tank port |
| B | Female coupler × male thread | Threaded connection, female side |
| C | Female coupler × hose tail | Hose end, most common |
| D | Female coupler × female thread | Threaded both sides |
| E | Male adapter × hose tail | Hose end, male side |
| F | Male adapter × male thread | Threaded connection, male side |
| DC / DP | Dust cap / dust plug | Closing off an open coupler or adapter |
Standards
- A-A-59326 (superseded MIL-C-27487) — the US military specification that still defines most camlock dimensions and the interchange everyone works to
- EN 14420-7 — the European equivalent, with its own cam and groove dimensions
- DIN 2828 — the German standard for cam and groove couplings
Interchangeability is not automatic across these. US-pattern and EN-pattern camlocks
are close but not identical — tell us which standard your customer works to, and if in doubt, we will send
dimension sheets for the specific sizes before you commit.
Materials
| Material | Where it is the right answer |
|---|---|
| Aluminium | Petroleum products, dry bulk, general transfer — light and inexpensive |
| Brass | Water, fuels, low-pressure; good corrosion behaviour |
| 316 stainless | Chemicals, food, hot fluids, aggressive media |
| Polypropylene | Chemical transfer where metal is attacked, and where low weight matters |
| Nylon | Light-duty and agricultural; good impact and abrasion resistance |
Sizes from 1/2" through 12". Thread options include NPT, BSPP and BSPT. Gasket compound — NBR, Viton, EPDM, PTFE — is selected per fluid, and is often the part that decides whether the coupling survives the application.
Where we can help that a single factory cannot
Camlock buyers typically order a spread of types, sizes, materials and gaskets in one
go — type C and E hose ends, type A and F adapters, dust caps, in aluminium for petroleum and stainless for
chemical. That spread is exactly what a single-production-line factory struggles to ship in one order, and
what a multi-source supplier is built for.