Industrial Hose Defined and Types
“Industrial hose” is a broad term used to describe hose products that are used for any application other than hydraulic.
This list can include hoses designed to handle air, water, food products, beverages, cement, dry materials, chemicals, fuel, and countless more!
Think of it like this: hydraulic hoses are built for hydraulic equipment and usually convey hydraulic oil used to move arms, lift buckets, bounce cars… you get the idea.
Hydraulic hoses are the worker bees of this metaphorical colony, designed to fulfill one simple purpose. Industrial hoses on the other hand are born with predetermined destinies.
Each hose type is actually built for a specific purpose, and there are so many unique purposes that naming them all would exceed our 3000 word-count limit. Just remember:
Industrial hoses are designed for specific applications. Those applications are not hydraulic.
Types of Industrial Hoses
Chemical hoses. For transporting harsher chemicals to or within plants, chemical hoses are reinforced with synthetic material lining and layers of reinforcement including a steel wire helix for proper function and maximum corrosion resistance.
Chemical hoses are typically made from a polyethylene base due to its resistance to most common chemical materials.
The primary tube materials used are ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) or cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE).
Air hoses. Most common air hoses are designed for air, water, and certain mild chemicals and handle pressures up to 300 PSI. Though they aren’t used to transport volatile materials, air hoses are still made of durable rubbers such as PVC blends or EPDM.
As such, they offer reliable performance and a long service life with most common environments and use. Some larger air hoses are found in applications (such as rock drills) up to 600 psi.
Food and beverage hoses. Food and beverage hoses meet all appropriate and applicable FDA, USDA, and 3-A sanitary requirements for certification and is for deigned for safe and compliant operation.
They are used for transport of food or beverage products, as well as food packaging, and visual flow applications.
Material handling hoses.Using extremely durable tubes, material handling hoses are used to move highly abrasive materials such as rock, gravel, sand, or fly ash. The interiors are lined with polyurethane or highly abrasion resistant rubber to reduce abrasion damage.
Special versions of material handling hoses are available for shot blast recovery, spill recovery, and other heavy-duty applications.