Industrial hose assembly: tips for specification, installation and maintenance

17 August, 2016

Consider an on-site option

There are some highly effective safety clamps on the market in aluminium, brass and stainless steel, which provide the option of on-site fitting and adjustment, plus a high degree of security and seal integrity in comparison with crimped fittings. These clamps comprise of two interlocking hemispherical shells bolted around the hose end using a locking collar, with an inner safety rim that fits over the hose shank collar. If the bolts are correctly tightened, the fitting cannot be pulled from the hose, providing an effective, leak-free seal for hose pressures up to 25 bar.

Operate a consistent maintenance programme

The need to protect productivity and profitability is great in all applications, but the issue can be critical in industries such as food and beverage, chemical, or pharmaceutical processing, where cracked, perished and leaking hoses may lead to contamination, waste, and plant downtime. Once you have established the right hose assembly for the application and carried out the correct installation, complete hose assemblies should be checked regularly for damage and wear.

Consider a hose testing service

Some suppliers now offer a cost-effective hose testing service, where hose assemblies are visually inspected, pressure tested and also checked internally with a fibre-optic camera. Once these tests are completed, the customer is advised of any failed hoses before they can be re-fitted to the plant. The results can also be logged in an online asset register to build a valuable data resource. This can assist with long term plant maintenance programmes and play an important role in helping users to cut hose replacement or repair costs.

Needless to say, there is more to hose and fitting assembly than first meets the eye. Through careful specification, installation and maintenance, costs can be cut and employee safety assured – surely it’s a no-brainer.

www.eriks.co.uk