What is the difference between hydraulic hose and industrial hose?

If you've read our STAMPED blog, (size, temperature, application, media, pressure, ends, and delivery) you're already aware that a hose must be compatible with your application to avoid failure. The same holds true for industrial hose as well, and yet we can't help but think the order of that acronym doesn't do industrial hose justice.

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So, how do you choose the right hose? How do you choose the right assembly for the job?

Delivery

With Mid-State, delivery trumps everything else. All the options in the world mean nothing if you can't have your assembly on time. Luckily, the cornucopia of options we complained about above actually come in handy here. Since industrial hoses may technically fulfill multiple roles, we can often provide speedy delivery by using commonly stocked hose as a substitute. We may also have multiple ends available to meet a requirement. "It will be 3 days before that aluminum type e cam-lock arrives, but we have it in steel. Can you use that?" Of course, we do carry a large inventory, and can always get the exact item a client needs for their application, as long as they don't ask for a thousand feet of 8" ID dry-material handling hose by tomorrow. That one may take a few days...

Application and Media

This is where the predetermined destiny mentioned above comes into play. Industrial hoses, for the most part, are designed to work in applications non-suitable for hydraulic hoses. These applications could be anything from mulch-blowing to aircraft refueling, and are areas where the ID sizes, material composition, and temperature ratings of hydraulic hose simply would fail.  

There is no area where the differences between hydraulic and industrial hoses are more vast than media. Hydraulic hoses are great at handling oil, water, and some fuels, but that's about it. Industrial hoses however may be designed to handle steam, cement, epoxies, gas, sand, nitrogen, hot tar, milk, and thousands more.

The act of conveying certain materials may also result in static electricity buildup, which is quite dangerous if the media conveyed or surrounding elements are combustible. Some industrial hoses counteract this by offering a internal static-wire, that when properly grounded to the end connections allows for safe dissipation of that charge, and significant less KABOOMS!

PRESSURE AND ENDS

More often than not, industrial hoses have significantly lower pressure ratings than hydraulic hoses. The applications in which most industrial hoses operate are lower pressure (think 300PSI vs PSI) and suction applications are more common as well. It is also important to note that some industrial hoses do NOT share the same 4:1 safety factor as their hydraulic cousins. Always consult manufacturer specifications when selecting the right hose for your application to ensure the working and burst pressures are suitable.

End connections for hydraulic hoses are almost always crimped. Due to their low-pressure applications, industrial hose-end connections may be crimped, swaged, clamped, or even banded. The ends available also vary widely in availability, thread type, configuration, material, and connection-method. It is not uncommon to see steel, iron, brass, stainless, or even polypropylene end-connectors for industrial hose.  

SIZE AND TEMPERATURE

Perhaps the biggest visual difference between hydraulic and industrial hoses are the sizes available. Hydraulic hoses range from 1/4" -2" ID, while industrial hoses may range from 1/4- 8" ID! These large inside diameters are designed to handle large volume transfer of materials and allow as much flow as possible. Depending on the application, the temperature rating of industrial hoses vary widely as well. Hydraulic systems are somewhat static in operating range, while industrial hoses may need to handle steam up to 450°!

What have we learned?

• Industrial hoses are designed for specification applications that are not hydraulic.
• Industrial hoses are best suited for the transfer of materials that are not hydraulic oil.
• Industrial hoses typically operate at lower pressures, and are available in a greater range of sizes.
• The amount of hose and hose-end options available allows for many delivery options. Specialty products may require longer lead time.

Check out the industrial hose section of our resources page, download our STAMPED form, or contact us today for assistance with your industrial hose needs. Our Youngstown Rubber branch specializes in the assembly and fabrication of industrial hose assemblies, and can be your go-to experts for all related questions.

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By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor

Technically speaking, hydraulic hose is often also industrial hose, but for the sake of this article, I will define what makes them different in both construction and application. We could call out industrial hose for its use in mobile machinery as well, although I&#;m not here to make beef, so let&#;s agree that hydraulic and industrial hose are ideally suited for their respective purposes.

Hydraulics is the transfer of force from prime mover to actuator, and in doing so requires fluid under pressure to travel from the former to the latter. Hydraulic hose must be engineered to withstand not only the everyday working pressure the system demands but also offer an additional 4:1 safety factor. For example, if the machine&#;s working pressure is 3,000 psi, the hose shall not burst at least 12,000 psi.

To achieve this, the hydraulic hose is constructed of an inner tube surrounded by a high-tensile steel (in most cases) braided or spiral wire layer with a final protective layer on top. For high-pressure and/or large-diameter hose, two or four layers of reinforcement may be used, providing an extra level of pressure resistance.

Hydraulic hose need only operate using one of a few media types, most commonly mineral-based oil, but sometimes fire-resistant water-based fluids or phosphate esters. Buna nitrile works well for the first two options, although EPDM rubber is required for phosphate esters. Beyond the major requirements for pressure and fluid handling capacity, hydraulic hose manufacturers offer special designs for niche industries, such as high flex (short radius) for mobile machinery and non-conductive reinforcement for utilities.

In most cases industrial hose, at large, runs the gambit of all remaining fluid conveyance applications. Should you need to transport coolant, water, chemicals, beverages or any other liquid, there is an industrial hose perfectly suited for the task. When selecting an industrial hose, all the pertinent application details must be considered &#; pressure, flow, media, and ambient conditions are all factors.

The application requirements sometimes overlap when selecting industrial hose, or conversely, very specific applications require very specific hose. Bulk fluid transfer hose can pump water, oil or sewage from a tanker truck, but special food-safe materials must be chosen for all-important syrup or liquid chocolate transfer. Such a hose is large in diameter with a spiral reinforcement to prevent kinking when bending or collapsing under mild suction.

Sometimes, the hydraulic and industrial hose worlds collide, requiring ultra-specialized hose solutions specific to its needs. High-pressure water jet applications have several specific requirements for its hose: smooth ID for low pressure drop, a high ratio of OD to ID for inherent strength and a high-tensile spiral wire for burst protection. It&#;s not uncommon for water jet cutting machines to operate upwards of 40,000 psi, a pressure we&#;ll likely never see in hydraulics.

Hydraulic and industrial hose are close cousins separated by small details of application and construction. This is why manufacturers of one also often manufacture the other. That being said, be sure to select the appropriate hose for its designated purpose &#; no matter how similar looking from the outside, vacuum hose must never be confused with water jet hose.

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