Our last post outlined potential issues associated with the right way to manage preventative hose maintenance. This post will cover advantages of using stainless braided PTFE in your manufacturing process. A quality hose can allow you to increase your manufacturing throughput. These are the top three factors you need to consider when choosing a quality hose in your manufacturing:
Strength and Durability
In manufacturing, hoses are used in many systems to transfer and fill chemicals or gases. Having a durable hose allows continuous manufacturing cycles without production downtimes. Choosing the right type of hose can improve manufacturing and production cost as well as decrease product loss from hose failures. Braided PTFE hoses have a longer life span than other types of hoses mainly due to their construction, which is a PTFE tube reinforced with stainless braid. The stainless-steel braid reinforcement allows for greater flexibility and ability to handle higher pressures up to 3,200 PSI in ¼” size. If higher pressures are required, then high pressure PTFE hoses that can handle up to 5,000 PSI may need to be considered.
Temperature Resistance
When considering hoses, another factor to be concerned about is temperature. Stainless steel braided PTFE hoses can handle up to 450F, which is much greater than other type of hoses. If your application requires temperatures greater than that, then a stainless braided all metal hose is the solution. Also, when dealing with high temperature applications, adding a protective fire sleeve to stainless braided hose is beneficial because it will protect personnel when handling the high temp hose.
Compatibility
Chemical compatibility is the one of the most important things to consider when choosing the right hose. PTFE is a fluoropolymer which is known for its chemical inertness and non-stick surface. This makes it the ideal hose for many applications such as chemicals, adhesives, acids, solvents, and other process lines. When looking at compatibility, it is also important to make sure the end fittings material is compatible with your application. Typically, braided stainless steel PTFE hoses come with stainless end connections and stainless braid. For situations when dealing with harsh chemicals, there are options available such Hastelloy ends and Kynar braiding.
To put this in the simplest phrase: Pressure (PSI), temperature, and chemical resistance all play an important role in determining what hose to install in your manufacturing plant. Braided PTFE hoses meet aggressive manufacturing processes and provides the durability and strength throughout your process life cycle, helping to eliminate downtime.
