FLUID POWER HANDBOOK
WWW.HOSEASSEMBLYTIPS.COM
HYDRAULIC
HOSE IMA
Hydraulic hose is a common and important element in countless industrial and mobile machines. It serves as the plumbing that routes hydraulic fluid between tanks, pumps, valves, cylinders and other fluidpower components. Plus, hose is generally straightforward to route and install, and it absorbs vibration and dampens noise. Hose assemblies—hose with couplings attached to the ends—are relatively simple to make. And if specified properly and not overly abused, hose can work trouble-free for hundreds of thousands of pressure cycles. Hydraulic hoses often consist of an inner tube, one or more layers of reinforcement, and an outer cover. Each constituent should be selected with the intended application in mind. Typical operating and performance parameters include the size, temperature, fluid type, pressure-holding capacity and environment, to name a few.
IMAGE COURTESY OF KURT HYDRAULICS
34
FLUID POWER WORLD
Hydraulic Hose 7-19_FPW Vs3.indd 34
7 • 2019
GE
C
R OU
TES
Y
R OF
YC O
H
R YD
AU
LIC
S
Reinforced hose is constructed with some structural element—styles include spiral wire, textile braid, wire braid, wire helix and other designs in many plies or layered configurations. The inner tube contains the fluid and keeps it from leaking to the outside. The cover protects the reinforcement layer. Other construction options for hydraulic hose include coiled, corrugated or convoluted. Coiled hose is designed for flexibility and elasticity. This feature often makes it expandable and easy to store. Corrugated hose contains corrugations, pleats or spiral convolutions to increase flexibility and capacity for compression and elongation. Multi-element hydraulic hoses are constructed of more than one hose formed or adhered together in a flat, ribbon or bundled configuration. Additional features to consider include whether the hose requires integral end connections, anti-static, lay flat, crushproof and flame-resistance characteristics. In addition, material considerations include the type of fluid being conveyed and
www.fluidpowerworld.com
7/15/19 9:43 AM