(Newswire.net — July 24, 2020) — The acronym “STAMPED,” which stands for size, temperature, application, material, pressure, ends, and delivery, helps in the proper selection of hoses and fittings that help mitigate chances of misapplication. Severe disasters in the plant or factory may occur if a hose is used for the wrong application.
When a hose fails, the cause can be traced back to factors like incorrect assembly, improper component selection, poor installation practice, or a combination of all these. Each failure will have some clues that can be spotted early, like contamination of media or breakage. All these are avoidable by ensuring that you design a hose suitable for use in the kind of applications you have.
Ensuring that you design the right hose will save you and your company a lot of money. It provides increased uptime and ensures the safety of your workers. Here’s a breakdown of designing hoses using the “STAMPED” method.
S – Size
The first step to designing the right hose to use is by identifying the size you need. There are three ways to measure the size of the hose you’ll need:
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Inside Diameter or ID
The inside diameter is the primary measurement you’ll use to determine the hose’s size. A half-inch hose means that the inside diameter is a half-inch. Any fittings used for the hose assembly will be identified by the same inside diameter measurement – a half-inch fitting for a half-inch hose inside diameter.
You can use a set of calibrated calipers to determine and measure the hose’s inside diameter accurately. Alternatively, if the hose’s lay line is readable, it’s the quickest way to know the inside diameter. The lay line is the strip of information found on the outside hose cover and is used to identify hose’s exact specifications. If the lay line is unreadable, then the use of a measuring device is necessary.
The inside diameter is crucial because it affects the initial flow of the media in the application. If you design a hose with a large diameter, it causes the system to lose pressure and can damage the equipment. On the other hand, if you develop a hose with a smaller inside diameter, it will restrict the media flowing through the system, thus slowing down equipment performance and cause low operation efficiency.
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Outside diameter or OD
The outside diameter is the next significant measurement to identify. Like the inside diameter, a pair of calibrated calipers can determine the hose’s outer diameter. Most hydraulic lines typically fit into size-restricted spaces, such as running over pulleys or confined channels. If you design a hose outside a diameter that’s too big or too small, the resulting assembly may not fit perfectly in the track, and it may become useless.
Ensure that you note where the hose will be assembled and whether space is confined or restricted. It will help design your hose with the right outside diameter measurements.
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Hose length
The third essential factor in measurement is the length of the hose. The hose length is usually measured as OAL (Overall Length), defined as the length from the tip of one end of the hose to the opposite end.
Ensure that you determine the right length of hose needed. If a hose is cut too short, then it won’t reach from one connection to the other. Moreover, if it’s designed too long, the excess material becomes bothersome and may create potential hazards to workers. Measuring the exact length needed cuts out losses and ensures the final product matches your facility’s needs.
T – Temperature
It’s crucial to identify the temperature range of the media being conveyed and the external working environment of the hose assembly. Selecting the right material that can withstand the temperatures the hose will be subjected to is what makes the difference between a hose that lasts and one that doesn’t. Temperatures can quickly shorten the lifespan of your hose, the same as chemical incompatibility or abrasion.
When identifying your application’s temperature, there are two separate ranges you should consider, the internal and external temperature conditions the hose will be exposed to.
- It’s essential to determine first the temperature of the media being channeled through the hose. Will it be cold, ambient, or of high temperature? When exposed to hot or cold temperatures, hoses made of rubber can significantly change properties. The hose you choose should be rated above the maximum fluid temperature. If a hose isn’t designed for the specified temperature level, then the assembly’s resulting failure is likely to happen.
- The second key factor you should consider is to identify the external environment temperature the hose will be exposed to. There’s a distinct difference between a hose assembly near a furnace that’s continuously exposed to high heat levels, or an indoor environment where there’s a static ambient temperature range. Ensure to divulge these details to your hose fabricator.
A – Application
Application means you should keenly identify the specific use of the hose. It’s not enough to know the hose’s specifications without knowing how it will be used in service. If you fail to identify the application’s specifics, which it’s going to be used for, you won’t get the right hose.
If you end up using the wrong hose for your applications, it could lead to more frequent hose failures, increased safety concerns, and unnecessary costs to fix or replace the bad hoses. Recent technology has come up with new and improved hose designs that improve efficiency, better working conditions, and save you money.
There are federal requirements to ensure that hoses adhere to guidelines, which provide the safety of stakeholders and end-users to protect them from environmental hazards and ensure the hose’s proper usage. Please make sure that your fabricator adheres to all the set guidelines and regulations when assembling the hose.
M – Media
Ensure that you identify the media or material being channeled through the hose. Similar to identifying the kind of application used, the media is an essential element when designing the hose assembly. The materials used to create the hose’s inside are specifically created to work with a specific media. For example, if the inner tube is made from rubber, the choice of media used or preferred would be water or air transfer applications, which work well with rubber. However, for media such as oils or chemicals, they would degrade the hose very fast and cause it to break down.
Another factor to consider when using chemicals as media is the concentration of each chemical should be known. While PVC is the preferred choice used to handle most mild chemical applications, it would be unreliable for higher levels and can create dangerous situations for workers. Therefore, it’s essential to know the kind of media used in your hose, and for chemical applications to identify the exact concentrations of each chemical used.
P – Pressure
The hose assembly’s most critical aspect is knowing the level of pressure the hose will be exposed to. The most common unit of measurement the US uses is PSI (Pound Force Per Square Inch), and in other systems where they use metric measurements, the unit they usually use is the bar, which represents gauge pressure, i.e., pressures above ambient pressure.
Like most other hose identification processes, the hose’s pressure rating is found on the lay line. It’s important to know the pressure your hose can handle to ensure that the hose’s pressure never exceeds the maximum rating set. Using a hose for applications for more than the required pressure may cause serious harm to people working around the equipment.
It’s also essential to identify if the application will be running at pulsating/intermittent pressure or static/constant pressure. There are specific hose designs made for each of the different kinds of pressure.
E – Ends
It’s essential to identify the specific proper end fittings required for the hose assembly. The style, attachment, and orientation are crucial factors you should consider when choosing the right ends for the hose assembly. A hose assembly wouldn’t work perfectly without the correct end fittings; there are various thread styles and connected devices required.
The main factors to consider are identifying where the hose will be attached, the sealing needed for the ends, the fitting, if they will be tight or swiveling, and if adaptors will be needed. All these are important for the hose fabricator to know to be able to assemble the correct ends.
D – Delivery
This is the hose assembly’s final phase, where you set testing, packaging, and delivery standards. You should ensure that you’ve divulged all the necessary information to the fabricator, like where to deliver and if you need test certifications. All this information will ensure that your hose assembly is up to standards.
Conclusion
Aero flex custom-made hoses are explicitly designed to ensure your operations are as efficient and effective as possible. They also follow the STAMPED method to ensure your hose assembly is perfect.