How to help customers choose the right plastic or rubber tubing or hose product for their application.

by Ann Phy

Getting the right product the first time is important. No one wants to deal with tubing or hose failures, returns — or worse — accidents. Knowing what to ask ahead of time, you can help your customers and increase your probability of supplying the correct plastic or rubber tubing or hose product.

A few vital considerations are detailed below. They can prepare you to assist your customers, keep them satisfied, and sharpen your edge against the competition.

Ask about pressure and vacuum requirements
Many tubing materials can handle moderate pressure applications; other materials cannot. For instance, a soft tubing material may work well as a simple drain tube, but if that same tubing is used to transfer fluid under pressure, it could rupture. The application may require reinforced hose. The extra pressure capabilities realized with reinforced hose can allow the use of less-costly plastic and rubber materials and negate the need for a cumbersome and inflexible metal counterpart. In vacuum situations, the type of hose reinforcement (braid, fabric overwrap, stainless steel wire, corrugation, convolution) is an important consideration, as some types work better than others for vacuum use.

Know the temperatures involved
There are two environments to consider: the temperature of the substance inside the tubing or hose and the temperature outside. The selected product must be compatible with both. To illustrate, suppose a customer needs tubing that can transport a room-temperature (72 degrees F) liquid from a storage tank in one area to another room that houses heat-producing equipment. The customer chooses PVC tubing because it can easily handle the temperature of the liquid as it is pumped out of the tank. But once the tubing enters the second room, where the temperature can be as high as 200 F, it may begin to relax and eventually fail. In this situation, you may need to consider a tubing that can handle the 200 F room, such as silicone or thermoplastic rubber. And, keep in mind that as temperatures rise, the pressure that the tubing or hose can withstand decreases.

Check for flexibility needs
It’s important to consider the bends, twists, turns and repetitive movement that a tubing or hose product must make. Some plastic materials are quite rigid, depending on the wall thickness, and will not bend easily. These products are suitable when the tubing can remain straight, and its stiffness is a benefit. Softer materials are more flexible, although you must consider the possibility of kinking.

Reinforcement within the hose walls can greatly enhance the product’s resistance to kinking. Be sure to take abrasion into account as well. If the tubing or hose constantly rubs against other tubing or equipment, make sure the material used can withstand the abrasion. Polyurethane, for example, is well known for its abrasion and tear resistance. Knowing exactly how the tubing or hose must bend and how it interacts with other equipment — Does it wrap around equipment? Is it part of a repetitive robotics application? Must it make a severe bend at its attachment point? — can help you assist your customers in choosing the product with flexibility that best suits their application.

Investigate the ingredients
This means the ingredients that make up the tubing or hose and the ingredients of the product that will be conveyed through it. If your customer deals with a clean application (pharmaceutical, food, beverage, etc.), they’ll need to use tubing that’s been manufactured with ingredients approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the National Sanitation Foundation, or other covering bodies or associations. You’ll also need to know if the materials running through the tubing or hose are compatible with the tubing. For example, if your customer transfers an acidic substance from one piece of equipment to another, the tubing or hose conveying that substance must be able to withstand it. Don’t neglect this factor. The consequences can be dangerous.

If your customer needs to view the product running through the tubing or hose, they’ll need a clear or translucent material. Ask if visual contact with the flow is necessary. And be sure to specify between “clear,” “transparent,” and “translucent.” “Clear” is, of course, completely clear; nothing obstructs the view of the product inside. “Transparent” could have a color tint, so if it is important to see the color of the interior product, this may not be acceptable. If tubing or hose is “translucent,” it means light can pass through it, but the light is diffused. You can see the product flowing through the tubing or hose, although it may look blurred. Be sure to clarify these differences with your customers.

Other areas of concern when selecting tubing and hose include taste and odor transfer, reuse, packaging requirements, and choice of fittings and clamps to make attachments. Sometimes, stock products are simply not right for the job, and custom options should be explored. Custom products can meet parameters without compromise and, frequently, are manufactured by making simple variations to stock tubing and hose, thereby keeping costs at a minimum.

These tips for proper tubing and hose selection can help you avoid product returns, failures and customer complaints, saving you time and money. Of course, don’t neglect to keep an open line of communication with your supplier. They, too, want your customers to receive the right product the first time. It’s your common goal.

Ann Phy is with NewAge Industries. NewAge is a registered trademark of NewAge Industries Inc.

This article originally appeared in the September/October issue of Progressive Distributor magazine. Copyright 2001.

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