Technical advice is crucial when choosing a hose reel
By Michael Pawson, managing director, ReCoila, For a piece of equipment that performs a relatively simple function – deploying and retrieving hose – choosing the right hose reel can sometimes be a deceptively complex job. Secondary considerations such as the operating environment, operator’s level of expertise, mounting position, hose bend radius and other factors can sometimes be overlooked after initial requirements such as size, length and pressure have been met. The danger of making assumptions In many cases this doesn’t affect the suitability of the reel to the job. However, on occasion something as simple as what the reel is made of can have an effect on performance and safety. In extreme cases, an assumption made at the time of purchasing can result in unfit-for-purpose reels or even an increased safety hazard. For example, a foreman identifies a need for a reel to hold 60 metres of half-inch water hose on a mine site. The water is pumped from a small tank at 3000psi pressure. Looking for something light that can be moved from site to site, the foreman opts for a reel made from aluminium. A simple reel is ordered, delivered and put into service. On the job site, the workers proceed to use the reel without any instruction. A worker charges the hose (fills it with fluid) while it is still coiled on the reel. The pressure from the tanker’s pump peaks close to 3000psi and the accumulated force of 60 metres of pressurised hose crushes the soft aluminium spool, resulting in a reel that fails because it was not the right product for the job. Mine the manufacturer’s expertise I would advise a word of caution to operators looking to purchase poorly considered off-the-shelf solutions and workshop managers considering budget models. Technical advice shouldn’t be passed over in the selection and ordering process. Often a worker or purchasing manager will make a decision based on cursory descriptions, but the manufacturer’s expertise is there to be mined, so why not take advantage of that. A simple phone call or email can confirm if a reel is right for that individual job, putting the customer’s mind at ease and ensuring no additional hazards are introduced into the workplace. For ReCoila, analysing individual customer requirements and arriving at the best solution for the job comes naturally. After thirty five years in the hose reel business, our technical team is well-versed in the intricacies of hose management and can recommend the most suitable solution, for simple jobs right through to unique, complex situations. If a model from ReCoila’s standard range cannot be matched to a job, ReCoila can design and build from scratch, resulting in a truly customised hose management solution. www.recoila.com.auRelated stories
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