Three common types of reinforcement in hoses and why is it important to know about them…

(Reinforcement in Flexible Hydraulic Hose Dubai)

Choosing the right hose for a hydraulic system is the most important step to ensure that it meets the requirements for the specific application in the system.  There are several considerations, and one of the first and critical consideration is the type of reinforcement of the hose which determines the working pressure for that hose.  Within the industry, the following three types of reinforcement is most common common:-

Braided Hoses, Spiral and Helical.

Braided reinforced hoses have a ‘braid of synthetic textile, wire or other material, applied using a special high speed braiders that are either horizontal or vertical braiders.

Spiral reinforced hoses have a spiral wrap made out of natural or synthetic materials or a metal wire.

Helical reinforcement in hoses have a helical coil mostly made of a single filament which keeps the hose from caving in when used in suction lines applications.

Some special hoses may have wire and fibres used as reinforcement but the norm is to either have wire or textile for the reinforcement.

The main consideration for hose reinforcement is the working pressure rating of the hydraulic hose and this is the defining criteria for how a hose is constructed.  One factor is the type of reinforcement.  Also, to tackle higher working pressure ratings hoses multiple layers of the reinforcement are used, for e.g. 1 wire hose, 2 wire hose etc., so as pressure ratings increase, so does the number of layers.

However, hose reinforcement also affects the flexibility of a hydraulic hose.  While most hydraulic hoses are usually in a stationary position and hardly ever moved, some hoses especially used on moving equipment needs to be flexible.  Also, hydraulic hoses are used mainly because of their flexible nature to be positioned efficiently through tight spaces and long distances.

For more on Flexible hose applications and its selection in Dubai click here

Since the flexibility of braided and spiral hoses are definitely different from each other, this along with other factors help determine the type of reinforcement used in a hose.

Braided Hydraulic Hoses have a criss cross wire arrangement that looks like a ‘braid’, when the construction is completed.  This braided method allows to have increased flexibility of the hydraulic hose.  Multiple layers of this wire braid increases the strength of the hose while keeping it relatively flexible.  The one wire and two wire braided hose are deemed “medium pressure” hoses and are used mainly on construction equipment, Fleet vehicles and heavy duty trucks.  So generally speaking braided hoses are selected for its flexibility, though they are not ideal for high impulse applications where they are more susceptible to failure.

Now, most “low pressure” braided boses use textile reinforcement especially for operating pressures of 300 psi or less.  The use of a textile fibre braid renders maximum flexibility to the hose and are commonly used for air, water, petroleum based liquids, fuels, hot oils and similar applications.

To read about our Stainless Steel Flexible Hoses click here…

Spiral Hydraulic Hose

Most applications in the industry are served by the wire braided hoses commonly used today.  However, with the advent of bigger off-road specialty equipment and vehicles, the need for spiral hose has risen especially since spiral reinforced hoses are ideal for high impulse pressure applications.

Spiral hoses are constructed using either wire or textile materials as reinforcement.  A layer of this reinforcement material is laid at a specific angle for maximum stability and as opposed to braided reinforcements where wires are criss crossed, these remain paralles as they are wrapped around the circumference of the hose.  The down side is that this leads to hoses that are less flexible due to the stiffness of the wire reinforcement.  Though spiral reinforced hoses are stronger, the minimum bend radius is higher due to reduced flexibility of the hoses.  This spiral wire construction design can handle the high impulse applications in construction equipment, heavy duty vehicles and fleet vehicles.  As in the case of braided reinforcements, the more the layers of wire, the stronger is the hose and higher is the working pressure rating.  Multi layer spiral hoses even upto a six wire construction are used in numerous applications from lawn tractor to earth moving equipment where durability and high performance is valued.

Did you know that Inflex Hydraulics specialise in custom made Stainless Steel Bellows too…

Helical reinforced hydraulic Hoses.

Helical wire construction is typically used in addition to layers of fibre braid or fiber spiral hose reinforcements, with the purpose of attaining maximum flexibility and for vacuum applications, where the use of a helical reinforcement construction prevents collapse under vacuum. These hoses are typically used in low pressure suction and delivery line hoses.

Inflex Hydraulics can help you with the choice and selection of your hydraulic hose system which will be best for the unique needs of your application.  Please contact Inflex Hydraulics with all the details of your system in order for us to fully understand your need and offer you customised solutions.