What is an Air Hose?
A device used to deliver or transport air, compressed or otherwise to a product such as air compressor or air tool is known as Air Hose. Its uses cover a wide scope of domain from recreational and daily uses to life-saving mechanism and industrial use. Manufactured keeping the durability in mind, the proper operation of air hose depends upon its ability to remain airtight. We see plenty of application of air hose in our daily lives, especially with air compressor, which is in turn linked to another device through hose. Car owners would have used one for inflating tyres and they are often found at petrol pumps, available for use for either no charges or minimal charges.
In regards to its industrial use or its application in garages or workshops, the Air Hose are often used with various kinds of Air Tools that require pressurized or compressed air to operate. These air tools such as torque wrenches, sprayers, nailers, air hammers, air drills and screwdrivers run on air instead of electricity. While operating these air tool one need to be careful of sharp objects or corners that can damage air hose.
Importance of Air Hose
When working with an air system or pneumatic system, our main point of focus are the large components such as compressors, gauges, valves, heaters, blower etc. However, we tend to neglect the smaller elements, such as hose, necessary for proper functioning of a system. Slight leakage or not enough or more pressure can fail to produce ideal result and damage the parts. There are several factors to consider while understanding the required characters of a hose for its selection and setting.
Length
Length of a hose is a major decider of air pressure. They can pose as one of the biggest reason for pressure drop in an air system. A way to keep things in check is to keep the length of connecting hose as short as possible. In case long runs are unavoidable, try use rigid pipe with smooth wall to minimize loss.
Right Material
The material of the air hose decides its physical properties such as its weight, flexibility, durability and strength. Some systems have specified requirement and thus, depending upon the application, the material of hose should be selected. At present, a variety of air duct hose is available with many distinct properties such as high flexibility, corrosion resistant, can handle high temperature and high pressure, abrasion resistant etc.
Maintain Airflow Dynamics
To keep the airflow consistent, ensure there are no twists and sharp bends in the hose, as it will cause pressure drop and decreased airflow. If dealing with multiple parallel routes, avoid asymmetry i.e. keep the length and shape of each duct the same to avoid unequal airflow.
Selecting Criterion: Physical Characteristics/ Construction Features
When selecting the ideal air duct or hose, there can be many selection criterions. This section refers to the factors concerning construction attributes of the hose providing a number of different features that may be significant for distinct application.
Coiled: Hose with regular curls offer better flexibility and elasticity, and thus making it expandable and comparatively easy to store.
Anti-static: To avoid the build-up of static electricity, hoses are conductive or semi-conductive.
Crush Resistant: Hoses are designed to resist collapsing and crushing caused to due to external force. The feature is significant for application where slight kinking and flow interruption can cause severe system damage.
Flame Proof: Hoses are constructed so that there is no damage in presence of fire or flame.
Air Hose Accessories
Selecting the right hose have many criterions from material type and physical characteristics to length, diameter and type (straight or coiled) depending upon it application. It is equally important to select the right Air Hose Accessories keeping in mind the above-mentioned specifications for the hose. The choice of right specifications can increase productivity of operation while preventing accidents. The air hose accessories to consider are as follows:
Hose Reels: With complete encasing for the hose and retracting feature, current Hose Reels are designed to offer protection to the hoses. The Hose Reels, available for floor mounting as well as wall ceiling, also help in keeping the loose uncoiled hoses on floor neatly folded in one place avoiding any accidental damage.
Pressure Gauge: A pressure gauge is an important device that permits the user to measure the pressure of the system. The gauge ensures the pressure in the system does not exceed the required measure in accordance with the application or product specification.
Hose Fittings: The fitting used with air hoses are designed to survive the required pressure for the application to operate smoothly and with safety. Usually made with stainless steel, brass or zinc plated steel; the material used to design the fittings should be corrosive resistant from the effect of the gas.
In conclusion to this blog, it is extremely important to meet certain standards and benchmark while selecting the perfect air hose in accordance to the usage and application. To know and understand the exact required design, material and measurement of air hoses, fittings and accessories can provide maximum productivity from the air system. Keeping every small and big aspect in mind, Ranger Stork provides a wide range of Air hoses and Air Hose accessories for your garages, workshops and other work areas, all under one roof. Explore our website for our wide collection of Tyre Service Products, Tyre Repair products and consumables.