Hoses and Flexible Tubing

Swagelok Hoses and Flexible Tubing

 

Why Use Hoses and Flexible Tubing?

Industrial hoses are a convenient and quick option for connecting two points in your fluid system. Hose and flexible tubing offer many benefits that can help eliminate downtime and reduce safety incidents in your fluid system operations. Consider some of these important features:

  • Fewer end connections equals fewer leak points
  • Easy to install
  • Pressure or vacuum tested
  • Backed by Swagelok Limited Lifetime Warranty

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Photography-Field Engineer24

How to Select the Proper Hose

 

Understand Why Using the Correct Type of Hose is Important

Depending on the application, hoses can be exposed to various temperatures, pressures, flow requirements, and chemicals. If the hose is not compatible with these variables, a hose can fail, which may result in:

  • Production downtime and inefficiencies
  • Safety risks to personnel from the hose itself or exposure to system fluids
  • High repair costs and overall inflated operating costs
  • Poor product quality
  • Increased fugitive emissions 

Know How to Match the Hose Type to Your Application

When specifying a hose, you should understand your application's need for pressure, temperature, and chemical compatibility. A hose has four major components you'll want to consider: 

CoreHoseMaterial
  1. Reinforcement layer: Helps improve pressure containment and flexibility. Usually stainless steel or fiber woven braid improves pressure containment and flexibility. You should consider
  2. the hose bend radius, as well as “force to bend.”
  3. Cover: Provides protection as the hose's first line of defense. An outer layer (commonly silicone, polyurethane, or rubber) protects the underlying layers, as well as your personnel and surrounding equipment. The conditions of your plant can help you determine which cover material you need.
  4. End connections: The performance of your hose depends largely on proper end connection assembly. You can have a good hose and a good end connection, but if the assembly is not correct, you will have leaks. Our hoses are made by certified assemblers and every hose is tested before it leaves our facility. 
  5. Core hose material: As the innermost layer, the core material of your hose is the most important consideration. The material must be chemically compatible with the system media, tolerate temperature range, and provide acceptable levels of permeation, and absorption. (See Figure 1 for comparisons.)

Core Hose Material: Questions to Consider

As previously mentioned, the core hose material is the most important part of the hose. Below are some questions to help you better understand what your fluid system needs. 

  • Is the core material chemically compatible with the system media? Will it corrode or deteriorate over time?
  • Can the core material tolerate the temperature range of the system media?
  • Will the core tube material prevent or limit permeation and absorption? (Depending on your application, permeation and/or absorption may not be an issue.)
  • Will the core material withstand your system’s cleaning practices? This includes temperature, pressure, and material compatibility with any solvents and cleaning agents.
Choose the Right Industrial Hose for Your Fluid System
 

 

How to Select Hose End Connections
 

 

Selecting Hose Components

Shop Swagelok Hoses and Flexible Tubing

If you're in need of hoses now, we offer a broad range of hose and flexible tubing products for a variety of fluid handling systems. We can also build your hose assembly with exactly what you need:

  • Any length in sizes: 1/8 to 2 in.
  • Material: stainless steel, convoluted core, PFA core, PTFE core.
  • A wide choice of end connections: Pipe, tube, sanitary, flare, and pipe flange.
  • Hoses can include silicone covering, covers, and insulation.
  • Other options include: Nonconductive core, marks, or tags.
  • Need something specific? Just ask!

 

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Trust Swagelok with Your Customized Hose Assembly

If you're short on time or resources, let Swagelok Minnesota | North Dakota | Appleton take on some of your hose assembly workload. We have an experienced team supporting our in-house hose assembly operations designed specifically to help customers. Our fine-tuned process means that you can trust us to provide hoses and tubing that are expertly crafted from quality materials, and our assemblies are tested to stringent standards. When our customers need their hoses quickly they turn to us because: 

  • Our supply is in-stock and ready to ship
  • We're set up to build and ship custom deliveries fast
  • Same-day delivery when requested (based on availability)
  • On-hand stock in pre-cut lengths, sizes, and end connections available to fill your stocking needs
  • No minimum order quantity

 

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Insulated Hose Solutions Help Prevent Condensation

Hoses help powerful chillers regulate the environment necessary for production processes. Overlooking your hose selection can lead to unnecessary risks and costs in your operations. We offer insulation solutions for media temperatures as low as -65 degrees F. With our insulated hose options, you can solve many fabrication challenges such as:

  • Maintain optimal fluid temperature control: Increase efficiencies and minimize energy costs.
  • Combat condensation: Avoid damage, slip hazards, and downtime.
  • Minimize contaminants: Cut down on particle generation.
  • Customize to your requirements: Choose the layering thickness your system needs.
  • Save money: Improve your process without high costs.
  • Discover more benefits. 

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How to Maximize the Life of Your Hose

Once you've invested in hoses for your fluid system, you'll want to know how to obtain the longest life possible from them without compromising safety. Some things to keep in mind to preserve the life of your hoses are to make sure you're: routing them properly within your fluid system, storing hose inventory correctly, and following a hose maintenance plan. 

Proper Hose Routing 

Understanding how to properly install your hoses can greatly improve the quality and efficiency of your hose solutions. Consider these important tips:

  • Hose length: Improper hose length can accelerate unnecessary deterioration. If the hose is too long, it can rub against itself or the machine. If the hose is too short and tightly stretched, you increase the risk for leaks at the end connection.
  • Installation: Do not allow a hose to hang vertically from a horizontal end connection. Install a 90-degree elbow fitting first as shown in this image:
    Illustration and Drawing-Hoses and Flexible Tubing-4_Cropped

Proper Hose Storage

Keeping hoses on hand at your facility is important for maintenance and quick replacement. Here are just a few points to remember when storing hoses:

  • Store in clean, dry conditions between 50 and 70 degrees F
  • Protect from UV light/sunlight
  • Cap the hose at both ends to prevent contamination
  • When hanging hose, avoid kinks by not exceeding the hose's bend radius
  • Store coils horizontally on a surface

Proper Hose Maintenance

Hoses should be checked and replaced regularly. Waiting for a problem or a dangerous leak can lead to serious safety issues and length downtime. To always stay ahead of hose issues, we can help you create a hose maintenance plan. A solid plan includes: 

  • Tracking the life and performance of every hose
  • An inspection schedule
  • A replacement schedule
  • An inventory plan to stock key components

 laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa.

Swagelok® Onsite Services, Training, and Support

Don’t face your fluid system challenges alone. With Swagelok onsite services, you can partner with our team of field engineers and fluid system experts who will visit your facility for a thorough evaluation. Whether you are seeking to ensure reliable fluid system operation, boost process efficiency, reduce unplanned downtime, increase processing margins, lower operating costs, or all of the above, our services are designed to help you succeed. Take a look at what we offer:

 

 

Swagelok® Hose Advisory Services

An experienced Swagelok hose advisor will partner with you to focus on preventative maintenance and system optimization through an onsite survey process that includes: A thorough discussion of your facility's goals, a visual analysis of all hose systems, a detailed, expert-reviewed report containing:

  • Overall findings
  • Prioritized improvement recommendations
  • Hose selection, installation, inspection and maintenance guidance
  • Preventative maintenance schedules and inventory suggestions
  • A hose register with survey findings or new database

How Can Swagelok Hose Advisory Services Help?

  • Improve facility efficiencies: Save time and resources while being able to focus on more pressing priorities.
  • Reduce spend: Prevent costs associated with continuously replacing the same problem hoses, unplanned downtime and wasted product.
  • Extend hose life: Save money through proper hose selection and installation.
  • Enhance maintenance: Better predict when systems will need attention and understand what steps are necessary to keep everything running smoothly.
  • Increase safety: Keep your plant and processes safe, predictable and dependable with leak-tight products to reduce the risk of injuries and environmental damage.

 

 

Swagelok Leak Detection Services

 

 

Fluid system leaks carry associated costs and can introduce avoidable safety risks. We help you identify leaks, quantify leak rates and provide a comprehensive report with prioritized solutions to the most critical issues based on safety, cost and productivity.

Swagelok leak detection services provide recommendations to help you:

  • Mitigate safety risks
  • Improve fluid system performance
  • Increase reliability of outputs
  • Reduce energy consumption
  • Reduce operating costs from unknown leaks
  • Reduce emissions in everyday operations

Swagelok Training Programs

Swagelok® training programs provide a range of valuable and practical tools for meeting day-to-day challenges related to fluid system and sampling system design, operation, and maintenance. In-depth, hands-on courses taught by experienced instructors help both new team members and industry veterans. Whether you need to build a foundational understanding of fluid and sampling systems or you want to stay up to date on the latest technologies and best practices, Swagelok offers robust training.

Business Support

Beyond onsite services, design and assembly services, and training, Swagelok Minnesota | North Dakota | Appleton can also provide business support services to make it as simple as possible to work with us.

B2B Purchasing Support

Our e-Procurement resources make it simple and cost-effective to conduct transactions in a manner that suits your procurement processes. Make convenient online orders, and all purchases will be delivered through your local authorized sales and service center. Research, specify, and purchase Swagelok products online via marketplace channels such as Ariba®, Coupa®, and Proactis®.

Product Consulting

Choosing the right or wrong fluid system product can make the difference between a reliable and unreliable system. To avoid unplanned downtime and lost revenue, work with experts at your local sales and service centers to find the right fit for your needs based on pressure, temperature, CV, material compatibility, different types of valves or actuation, assembly, and many other factors. We can also provide expert consultation on corrosion resistance, leak mitigation, safety factors, and process and system accuracy and design. Email us to learn more about product consulting. 

VMI 1 Cropped

 

 

Inventory Management

Our mission is to ensure you have the components you need when you need them. At the same time, we aim to reduce your procurement and inventory costs. Our sales and service representatives understand the importance of having the right fluid system components on hand when you need them, which is why they offer inventory management, logistical assistance, and other value-added services. Learn more by clicking here.

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