The movement of fluids or dry bulk materials from one place to another is frequently carried out by the use of pipes. However, there are some applications for which pipes are unsuitable. They do not bend around corners, they do not expand under pressure and they do not always tolerate vibration in environments where this is an issue. In these situations, industrial metal hose is the preferred method of transport.
Metal resists abrasion and can tolerate the movement of material under pressure. There are two types of metal industrial hose; stripwound and corrugated. Also discussed here are two types of non-metal hose: PTFE and PVC.
Types of Industrial Metal Hose
- Stripwound industrial metal hose – This type of hose is resistant to tearing and also has a high tensile strength. Tensile strength refers to a material’s ability to tolerate being stretched. It looks similar to hand-held shower attachment hoses but is manufactured in different sizes and is strong enough for industrial applications.
- Corrugated industrial metal hose – Corrugated metal hose are used when flexibility, thermal expansion and the ability to withstand vibrations are required. Corrugated metal hose is used to transport high pressure materials. They are often referred to as pressure hoses.
Corrugated industrial metal hoses fall into two types: helical and annular. Helical hoses tend to have a right-handed coil and a constant pitch running along the length of the hose. Annular corrugated hoses, on the other hand, contain equally-spaced corrugations perpendicular to the plane of the hose axis. Annular hoses are often preferable to helical ones because they connect smoothly to other things and they tolerate pressure surges.
Industrial metal hoses of either type may be surrounded by one or two layers of braiding to improve tensile and tear strength. When stretched, the diameter of the braiding gets smaller; when compressed, it gets correspondingly larger.
Other Types of Industrial Hose
- PTFE Hose – Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a type of polymer consisting solely of carbon and fluoride. It’s usefulness lies in its resistance to chemicals and a broad temperature range (-100°F to 500°F (-73°C to 260°C) and low coefficient of friction.
- Industrial PVC Hose i – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) has two forms: rigid and flexible. It is cheap, durable and is often used instead of rubber.
Among the industries where industrial metal hoses are used are chemical, petroleum, food, agriculture, oil patch, offshore and materials handling.
Chemical
A big advantage of using industrial metal hoses in the chemical industry is they can be made from different alloys depending on the chemical to be handled. Chlorine transfer is one example. The use of high-nickel alloy prevents corrosion and is safer for workers.
Examples of applications in the chemical industry where metal hoses are employed include loading and unloading chemicals, connections to weighing scales, process pipes and chlorine transfer.
Petroleum
In the petroleum industry, industrial metal hoses are used to transfer goods from a vessel at the dockside, oilfield services and to fill the tanks at gas stations. Lightweight and flexible, it is safe and easy to handle. Hoses for marine petroleum applications need to be flexible and resistant to collapse. Here, helical construction comes in handy.
Food
Industrial hoses made from a variety of materials are used in the food industry. Different materials are needed to cope with anything from hot fat to vegetable oil, flour or just plain old water. Hoses for use with food need to be approved by the FDA and the USDA to make sure they meet sanitary standards.
Agriculture
Metal hoses in agriculture are used for irrigating crops and for delivering fertilizers and pesticides. They are also used to load and unload produce.
Material handling
Bulk materials handling is a huge user of industrial metal hoses. Here, they are used to transfer a wide variety of dry bulk materials including, powders, granules, grains and pellets. In the material handling industry, metal is superior to other types of hose because of its resistance to abrasion and decreased load times.
Oil Patch and Offshore
Hoses for the oil and gas industry are extremely durable and constructed to handle the pressures as well as stresses of fuel transfer, cooling of hot air, venting, as well as discharge lines.