6 tips to prevent hose failure

Hydraulic hoses and fittings in UAE

With Hydraulic Hoses assemblies, safety is the greatest concern as a damaged hydraulic hose may pose a serious threat to personnel and the nearby surroundings.  Additionally, hydraulic hoses that are not managed properly may need replacement earlier than its prescribed lifetime resulting in downtime and associated losses.

Hence it is all the more important to manage your hydraulic hose systems and here are six guidelines:-

1. Have a monthly routine of preventive maintenance-Include your hydraulic hose systems in your monthly check list of preventative maintenance.  This way you will be able to identify prospective problems and nip them in the bud early in a controlled maintenance schedule and prevent major repairs later.  This will also extend the life of the associated hydraulic systems.
2. Identify and rectify leakages immediately-A leakage is the beginning of a major problems.  Attend to it immediately and you will eliminate risks of injury or even life to personnel, damage to equipment and in some cases a fire.  You will also save costs by reducing loss of fluid and costs associated with downtime and cleaning procedures.
3. Replace old and/or damaged assemblies-Learn to identify potential hazards by checking for abrasions or damage to covers, visible cracks on the outside of the hose, damage at a tight bend or wrongly twisted hose.  Replace hoses which are damaged or have outlived its useful life to prevent unscheduled maintenance breaks and downtime.
4. Avoid contamination-Ensure that the replacement hoses are clean  on the inside before you use them.  Contaminated hoses may damage expensive equipment and may need earlier replacement.
5. Ensure that the hoses meet the working pressure and temperature requirements-This probably should have been the first point.  Ensure that the hoses are not exposed to temperatures and pressures over and above its working ratings.  This will cut the life of the hose greatly.  Use shields, covers or guards in high temperature surroundings if external protection is required.  The temperature and pressures of the fluid should match the working pressure and temperature ratings of the hydraulic hose assembly.
6. Carry out a Hose failure analysis-When there is an unexplained and early failure of a hydraulic hose, do investigate and determine the cause of the failure so that the information could be used to prevent such failures in the future.

Why fix something that is not broken? Here’s why

In conclusion, a planned preventative maintenance schedule will go a long way in reducing risks to life and equipment, decreased downtime, better conservation of assets, reduce losses due to downtime and  increased life expectancy of machinery and equipment.

Hydraulic hoses and fittings in UAE

Check this article for more on Hydraulic hose failure causes.