Hoses: An Essential Component Of An Hydraulic System

By Author: Bob DuPont
Total Articles: 14
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Metal hydraulic hoses are designed to withstand a great range of pressure levels to the interior of the hose as well as externally. Users have a range of temperatures, sizes and pressure factors to consider when choosing the right hose for each unique application.

Hoses are an integral component of the hydraulic system. Various hydraulic applications require hoses of different sizes, make, weight, flexibility, temperature ratings, type of reinforcement layers, and rated working pressure. An hydraulic hose built to withstand extremely high pressures can be used in high impulse applications such as hydrostatic transmissions. Such a hose will usually be made of synthetic rubber, be oil resistant, and reinforced with multiple alternating layers of spiraled, high tensile steel.

Hydraulic hose couplers should be configured for dual-flow shut off valves to guarantee optimal performance. Hydraulic fittings featuring a sight flow indicator allow the user to monitor the flow of a particular fluid. This is done through a window built into the stainless steel design. Maintaining a balanced environment for the hydraulic fluids ...
... transported by the hoses is essential for achieving peak performance. Gauges are ideal for such hoses, developed to monitor delicate environmental variables.

Durable and reliable hydraulic hose fittings are required for industrial purposes. Hose fittings have a great impact on the performance of hydraulic tools. This is the reason hose fittings are needed for particular tasks. A misfit hose can bring the whole system to a halt.

Types of hydraulic hose construction include reinforced, coiled, corrugated, articulated and multi-element. Reinforced hosing has the basic three-layer construction, but with extra buffers in the reinforcement layer, which is in the form of a wire braid, wire helix or textile braid material. Coiled hoses are inherently designed for expansion and easy storing. Corrugated or flexible metal hoses also support expansion and flexibility. Corrugation is evident as small threads or folds in the material of the hose. Articulated hoses can turn corners or swivel around other components. Multi-element hoses, as their name indicates, involve multiple elements and properties.

The service life of the hoses is limited due to a number of reasons and the costs incurred in repairing them is usually higher than the cost of replacing them with a new set. Further the damage caused to the adjacent components, reviving the hydraulic oil and damage caused by the ingression of contaminators also adds an extra cost.

When the hoses brush against each other or the adjoining surfaces through a process called abrasion, it results in damage to the hose. Other sources of failure include kinking, pulling and crushing. You can prevent such damages by being attentive during installation. You can also apply polythene spiral wraps to prevent abrasion and pay extra attention when assembling the clamps. Another way in which the hose life is greatly reduced is through improper hose assembly and routing.

If you bend a hose more than 90 degrees, the wire is twisted to a level it can’t bear and it ultimately snaps. The conditions under which the hose operates also determines the length of the hose’s life. Temperatures, humidity and pressure must be considered and checked when choosing a hose. If any of these conditions are exceeded this will lower the life of the hose and its rubber greatly.

Longevity of hoses more or less depends on the quality of material used. You can ensure that to an extent by partnering with a reputable hose supplier.

The writer is associated with Rubber Fab Technologies Group, a supplier of a wide variety of hose and tube clamps. They supply the products to biopharmaceutical, food and beverage, dairy and semi-conductor industries as well as many others.