If you've read our STAMPED blog, (size, temperature, application, media, pressure, ends, and delivery) you're already aware that a hose must be compatible with your application to avoid failure. The same holds true for industrial hose as well, and yet we can't help but think the order of that acronym doesn't do industrial hose justice.
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So, how do you choose the right hose? How do you choose the right assembly for the job?
Delivery
With Mid-State, delivery trumps everything else. All the options in the world mean nothing if you can't have your assembly on time. Luckily, the cornucopia of options we complained about above actually come in handy here. Since industrial hoses may technically fulfill multiple roles, we can often provide speedy delivery by using commonly stocked hose as a substitute. We may also have multiple ends available to meet a requirement. "It will be 3 days before that aluminum type e cam-lock arrives, but we have it in steel. Can you use that?" Of course, we do carry a large inventory, and can always get the exact item a client needs for their application, as long as they don't ask for a thousand feet of 8" ID dry-material handling hose by tomorrow. That one may take a few days...
Application and Media
This is where the predetermined destiny mentioned above comes into play. Industrial hoses, for the most part, are designed to work in applications non-suitable for hydraulic hoses. These applications could be anything from mulch-blowing to aircraft refueling, and are areas where the ID sizes, material composition, and temperature ratings of hydraulic hose simply would fail.
There is no area where the differences between hydraulic and industrial hoses are more vast than media. Hydraulic hoses are great at handling oil, water, and some fuels, but that's about it. Industrial hoses however may be designed to handle steam, cement, epoxies, gas, sand, nitrogen, hot tar, milk, and thousands more.
The act of conveying certain materials may also result in static electricity buildup, which is quite dangerous if the media conveyed or surrounding elements are combustible. Some industrial hoses counteract this by offering a internal static-wire, that when properly grounded to the end connections allows for safe dissipation of that charge, and significant less KABOOMS!
PRESSURE AND ENDS
More often than not, industrial hoses have significantly lower pressure ratings than hydraulic hoses. The applications in which most industrial hoses operate are lower pressure (think 300PSI vs PSI) and suction applications are more common as well. It is also important to note that some industrial hoses do NOT share the same 4:1 safety factor as their hydraulic cousins. Always consult manufacturer specifications when selecting the right hose for your application to ensure the working and burst pressures are suitable.
End connections for hydraulic hoses are almost always crimped. Due to their low-pressure applications, industrial hose-end connections may be crimped, swaged, clamped, or even banded. The ends available also vary widely in availability, thread type, configuration, material, and connection-method. It is not uncommon to see steel, iron, brass, stainless, or even polypropylene end-connectors for industrial hose.
SIZE AND TEMPERATURE
Perhaps the biggest visual difference between hydraulic and industrial hoses are the sizes available. Hydraulic hoses range from 1/4" -2" ID, while industrial hoses may range from 1/4- 8" ID! These large inside diameters are designed to handle large volume transfer of materials and allow as much flow as possible. Depending on the application, the temperature rating of industrial hoses vary widely as well. Hydraulic systems are somewhat static in operating range, while industrial hoses may need to handle steam up to 450°!
What have we learned?
- Industrial hoses are designed for specification applications that are not hydraulic.
- Industrial hoses are best suited for the transfer of materials that are not hydraulic oil.
- Industrial hoses typically operate at lower pressures, and are available in a greater range of sizes.
- The amount of hose and hose-end options available allows for many delivery options. Specialty products may require longer lead time.
Check out the industrial hose section of our resources page, download our STAMPED form, or contact us today for assistance with your industrial hose needs. Our Youngstown Rubber branch specializes in the assembly and fabrication of industrial hose assemblies, and can be your go-to experts for all related questions.
Hose and coupling connection is critical to the safe performance of any hose assembly, but the practice of using hose and couplings from different manufacturers to fabricate industrial hose assemblies poses some underappreciated risks.
Hydraulic hose manufacturers typically control the process by designing the whole system for assembling their hydraulic hose assemblies. They manufacture both hose and hose fittings, and they develop standards for crimping the hose fittings onto hoses. In many cases, they also develop crimpers specifically designed to handle fabrication of hose assemblies from parts they manufacture.
This is typically not the case with industrial hose assemblies. The norm is to use a hose, couplings and clamps from different sources, and to use whatever attachment method is available. This poses a problem, because these couplings and hoses are not designed to specifically work together.
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Depending on the application, mixing hoses and couplings from different manufacturers to fabricate a hose assembly may not pose a great risk. For example, a little water drip from a low-pressure hose assembly (or even a spill) may earn you a frown from a water conservation agency, but it is not likely to damage anything or lead to a serious injury.
However, for industrial hose assemblies used at higher pressures, and/or to transfer corrosive or toxic materials, a less-than-perfect connection between a hose and couplings can have serious consequences, especially if a hose pulls completely out of its coupling under pressure.
There is an immediate risk of injury to someone close by from being hit by the disconnected hose. Secondary risk results from the substance being spilled, with slip-and-fall injuries as well as injuries related to exposure to the substance released during the hose failure. Machinery can be damaged as well. Depending on location and substance released, environmental clean-up may also be necessary.
In the scenario above, the manufacturers of the hose and coupling (and the clamp, if applicable) will likely all claim that the other manufacturers are at fault of the failure. Finding a true cause, let alone collecting any compensation, is nearly impossible.
To be fair, since manufacturers of hoses do not have control over the manufacturing process of the couplings, and manufacturers of couplings do not have control over the manufacturing process of hoses, neither can fully anticipate how the two products perform together in an practically infinite number of scenarios. Range of temperatures, environments, and the media being transferred are all factors affecting performance of a hose assembly.
The obvious solution would be to use a hose and couplings that are produced by the same manufacturer and designed to work together. However, unlike with hydraulic hose, most manufacturers who make industrial hose do not make fittings for it, and vice versa.
To address this situation, Parker Hannifin maintains a website called CrimpSource. CrimpSource is an online, real-time Parker database that provides validated specifications for attaching permanent crimp couplings to Parker industrial hose using Parker crimping equipment. It addresses industrial hose assembly as a system, not just a collection of parts. The system consists of the hose, couplings, and crimper used to fabricate the assembly. Users select the crimper, hose and coupling combination they plan to use and the website provides crimp specifications.
The capacity of the crimper being used is taken into a consideration that is why the crimper is selected first. The list of hoses in the next step only contains hoses that can be crimped using the selected crimper. The last step lists only the hose ends which can be used with the selected hose.
Download the IHP CrimpSource Manual for free and consult CrimpSource for your Parker industrial hose assembly specs going forward.
For more information, please visit Industrial Hoses fittings manufacturer.