Core Principles of Hose Selection - Precise Matching for Safety and Efficiency

Choosing the right hose is indeed crucial. Selecting the wrong one can impact efficiency and even lead to safety hazards. Simply put, the core of selection is "matching" – precisely aligning the hose's material, construction, and performance with your usage scenario, conveyed medium, and working environment.

I. Selecting Hoses by Industry and Working Conditions

Different industries have vastly different requirements for hoses. When selecting, you must first clarify your industry and specific application.

General Industry & Manufacturing

• Typical Applications: Hydraulic systems, compressed air, equipment cooling, general fluid transfer.

• Core Requirements: High pressure resistance, wear resistance, good dynamic bending performance.

• Preferred Types: PA nylon hose, plastic-coated hose, flat plastic-coated hose, braided reinforcement layer hose.

• Key Selection Points: Choose braided reinforcement over spiral reinforcement to ensure higher strength and longer service life. Confirm working pressure, temperature, and chemical compatibility with the conveyed medium (e.g., lubricating oil).

Petrochemical & Energy

• Typical Applications: Transferring fuel, chemicals, oil/gas field fracturing, dock loading/unloading.

• Core Requirements: Corrosion resistance, solvent resistance, anti-static, extreme high pressure.

• Preferred Types: Flat plastic-coated hose, braided reinforcement layer hose, specialized synthetic rubber hose, fuel transfer hose with embedded conductive wire, ultra-high pressure composite hose.

• Key Selection Points: Hoses with conductive static-dissipating wires are mandatory for fuel transfer to prevent explosions. Chemical media require material customization based on specific chemical composition (commonly EPDM).

Semiconductor & Electronics

• Typical Applications: High-purity chemical transfer, precision instrument cooling, sensor line protection.

• Core Requirements: Ultra-high purity, extremely low extractables, resistance to high-purity chemicals.

• Preferred Types: High-grade PTFE/PFA hose, stainless steel bellows.

• Key Selection Points: Focus on whether the hose introduces contaminants during production. Fittings require high-purity design to prevent particle accumulation.

Agriculture, Horticulture & Firefighting

• Typical Applications: Irrigation, spraying, fire hoses, drainage.

• Core Requirements: Weather resistance, abrasion resistance, lightweight, flexibility.

• Preferred Types: Plastic hoses: materials include PE, PP, PA.

• Key Selection Points: For outdoor use, select outer layer materials resistant to UV. For irrigation hoses, note that a smooth inner wall reduces water flow resistance.

II. Understanding Hose Performance via Material & Construction

Beyond industry, understanding the characteristics of different hose materials is key, as they determine the hose's "fundamental capabilities." The table below summarizes the core features of five common hose categories:

III. Four Steps to Lock in the Most Suitable Hose

After understanding the above information, you can make the final decision through these four steps:

1. Define the Medium & Working Conditions: This is the first and most critical step. Be clear about:

• What is being conveyed? Water, air, oil, chemicals, food, solid particles?

• What is the working environment? Normal pressure, high pressure, or vacuum? Ambient, high, or low temperature? Indoor or outdoor?

• Any special requirements? Need for conductivity, anti-static properties, food-grade certification?

2. Determine Key Performance Parameters:

• Pressure: The system's maximum working pressure must be lower than the hose's rated maximum working pressure.

• Temperature: Both medium and ambient temperatures should be within the hose's tolerance range.

• Size: Determine the inner diameter based on flow requirements. Confirm the outer diameter and minimum bend radius based on installation space.

3. Select Material & Construction:

• Based on the medium and conditions from Step 1, refer to the table in Part II to preliminarily lock in the material category (e.g., choose NBR rubber for oil transfer).

• Based on pressure and durability requirements, select the reinforcement structure (braided reinforcement is essential for high-pressure dynamic applications).

4. Pay Attention to Fittings & Certifications:

• Fittings: The material and type (threaded, flanged, clamp) must match the equipment ports, considering installation convenience.

• Certifications: In industries like food and pharmaceuticals, products with mandatory industry certifications (e.g., FDA, NSF) must be selected.