Key Features
- Stainless steel construction
- Column-specific design
- Adjustable positioning
- Secure mounting
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Support of Column
Support of Column
Support of Column
Specialized support systems for glass columns and distillation equipment.
Support of Column Overview
Proper support of glass columns is essential to prevent stress, cracking, or misalignment in glass plant assemblies. The support must maintain the glass in a state of compression and must be rigid laterally. The standard method is to mount glass columns onto a fixed base, from which the entire column load is transferred. The supporting frame is typically a rectangular tubular structure constructed from galvanized steel tubing and cast iron or stainless steel fittings. Because glass and metal expand differently with temperature changes, it is critical that the column be free to move vertically above the fixed base. Thus, guide supports or lateral guides are employed above the fixed point to allow vertical motion without transferring bending loads to the glass. In high-temperature applications, this flexibility is especially important to avoid inducing thermal stress. The supporting structure must also be braced to nearby walls or rigid building elements to resist lateral forces and vibrations. Proper bracing ensures that glass never experiences bending or shear beyond acceptable limits.
Specifications
**Design Principles & Load Bearing**
– Entire column weight is supported at a fixed base; lateral bracing handles transverse loads
– Guide supports above the fixed point allow vertical expansion without bending stresses
**Structural Components**
– Tubular support frames use galvanized mild steel or stainless steel tubing, matching dimensions used across the structure support products.
– Sliding or guide fittings designed to hold the tube in place laterally without constraining vertical movement
**Installation Guidance**
– Lateral bracing to nearest wall or rigid structural element to prevent sway
– If column loads exceed allowable limits, counter-balance supports must be used to relieve overloading
– The system must account for differential thermal expansion between glass and metal, avoiding forced constraints at upper supports
Applications
Support-of-column structures are applicable wherever vertical glass vessels or columns are installed, including:
– Distillation, absorption, and scrubbing columns in chemical plants
– Glass fractionation units in petrochemical or pharmaceutical operations
– Laboratory or pilot-scale glass column installations
– Retrofitting or expansion modules where structural flexibility is advantageous
– Environments with thermal cycling, requiring allowances for differential expansion