A unistrut is a versatile framing system offering superior strength and versatility for medical imaging facilities. The system's unique design allows easy adjustments and modifications without needing any special tools or permits.
Today, we’ll explain how these systems work, their benefits, and how this helps make them the gold standard for framing supports in medical imaging facilities. It will also discuss some of their different applications in the medical field.
What Is Unistrut?
First, unistrut is a brand name, similar to how adhesive bandages are often called ‘Band-Aids.’ Other manufacturers also make them, but they call them by different names. However, most people still typically refer to them by their original brand.
A unistrut is a strut channel, a versatile framing system used for light structural support. It consists of a series of metal channels and uses hex bolts, spring nuts, and fittings to form ceiling-mounted support systems. These systems hold a wide range of equipment in a medical facility, from X-ray machines to monitors in operating rooms and much more.
How Does Unistrut Work?
Unistruts are quite simple. A wrench turns the spring nut 90 degrees clockwise and aligns the grooves in the nut with the inturned edges of the channel. Once that is in place, a fitting is placed over the nut, and a hex bolt is inserted through the fitting and guided through a chamfer into the spring nut.
The spring nut can then be slid along the channel and repositioned wherever needed. The channel edges and the tapered grooves or “teeth” on the spring nut system allow for precision alignment. The nut’s teeth grip the channel's inturned edges and tie the channel sides together for added strength and stability.
When the bolt is tightened, it creates a vice-like connection for superior strength and stability. To reposition it at any time, simply loosen the bolt, and the spring nut can be moved along the length of the channel and then tightened again wherever needed.
How Is Unistrut Used in Medical Imaging Facilities?
The unistrut's ease of use, firm support, and precision mounting abilities make it invaluable in medical imaging facilities. When equipment is changed or rooms are moved, the unistrut can be adjusted using nothing more than a wrench to accommodate the new equipment, seldom requiring additional modifications.
Most medical imaging facilities have ceiling-mounted components; anytime you do, you need a unistrut to hold it in place securely. You don’t want your medical imaging equipment to move during a precision procedure and have to repeat the process because of poor image quality.
For instance, ceiling-mounted X-ray machines require superior support systems to ensure the accuracy of the resultant images. Unistrut’s versatility and strength make it ideal for this. Not only can it handle the weight of the equipment, but its vice-like grip ensures that nothing will move during imaging procedures.
You can also use a unistrut system to create modular support beams to support smaller equipment as well. Because they are secure but not welded in place, they allow for quick and inexpensive modifications that can be done on the fly without requiring permits or special contractors to move them.
These are ideal for supporting exam and operating room lights, surgical and anesthesia booms, patient lifts, and even holding TVs and other equipment inside patients' recovery rooms.
The Benefits of Unistrut for Imaging Facilities
Strength
Thanks to the strength of their unique design, unistrut systems can support a wide range of equipment. The way the nut teeth grip the channels' inturned edges and tie the channel sides together for added strength, along with the vice-like grip of the nut, creates an incredibly strong support system.
It can be used for heavy equipment, patient lifts, and lighter items like monitors, CT injectors, and overhead lights.
Versatility
Thanks to the use of hex bolts, spring nuts, and the slotted channel, the system is infinitely reusable and adjustable, making it versatile and precise. It is incredibly easy to move equipment around whenever needed. Simply loosen the bolt with a wrench, and the spring nut can slide anywhere along the channel. Place it where it’s needed and quickly secure it by tightening the bold.
It’s much more versatile than permanently welded supports, which lock you into a particular arrangement and require permits, contractors, and significant expense to change their configuration every time a room is moved or remodeled.
Simplicity
The simplicity of the design means they are also simple to use. Once installed, they need no welding, drilling, special tools, or special skills. Anyone can move them using nothing more than a wrench to loosen the bolt and slide the nut along the channel, retightening the bolt when done.
Stability
When tightened, the teeth along both edges of the nut connect with the inturned edges of the channel, creating a vise-like grip. This ensures superior stability without the need to weld the supports. Stability is crucial in any ceiling-mounted medical imaging equipment, where all movement must be minimized to maximize image quality and improve patient experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Is Unistrut Installed?
A unistrut is installed by turning the nut 90 degrees clockwise and aligning its grooves with the inturned edges of the channel. Next, a fitting is placed over the nut, and a hex bolt is inserted through the fitting and into the nut, holding the nut and fitting securely in place.
What Grade Steel Is Unistrut?
Unistruts come in various grades of steel, depending on the manufacturer and intended use. However, they are usually made from Grade 316, 304, and 321 stainless steel.
Final Thoughts
Unistrut systems offer unmatched strength, versatility, and stability, making them ideal for supporting critical equipment like overhead X-ray equipment in medical imaging facilities to ensure high-quality images.
Their ability to streamline operations by providing adjustable installations is essential for accommodating the dynamic needs of modern healthcare clinics. Contact Maven Imaging for medical imaging solutions tailored to meet and surpass your clinic and patient's needs.
