Whether your equipment serves the agricultural, construction, or mining industries, protecting the integrated hydraulic systems is of paramount importance to maximize the lifespan of the equipment.
Every OEM aims at providing quality products for the best possible price. However, overlooking important protective sleeves and covers on newly installed hydraulic lines can not only have detrimental effects on the equipment, but it can also lead to end-user injury, potential lawsuits, and an overall tarnish to your product name.
Now, protecting hydraulic hoses (HH) has never been easier for OEM’s thanks to innovative protective solutions that can be installed easily during or post-manufacturing to extend the hose life.
In this article, we are going to discuss OEM protection levels and what we recommend:
- 3 Levels of Protection for OEMs
-
Hydraulic Hose Protection Options: Finding the Best Fit Product
- Selecting the Right Hose
3 Levels of Protection Options for OEMs
At a base level, understanding how hydraulic systems fail under pressure is important to select the correct level of protection. Typically, hydraulic hoses fail due to one of three main reasons:
- Hydraulic fluid operating at unsafe temperatures or pressures
- The hydraulic lines are the wrong size or were installed or assembled incorrectly
- Extreme ambient conditions include vibration, abrasion, extreme temperatures, volatile/harsh chemicals, damaging UV rays, and more
Depending on the use of the equipment in question, as well as the end-users budget, different levels of protection can be added on during the manufacturing phase and when routine maintenance is performed.
Let’s break down these levels in detail and discuss their benefits and optimal operating environments:
- Good: 1050 Wrap Sleeve
- Better: 5601 Wrap Sleeve
- Best: Diamondback Tubular Sleeve
1. 1050 Wrap Sleeves: good
Whether you’re installing during or post-assembly, 1050-style wrap sleeves provide a user-friendly experience without the hassle of disassembly. However, 1050 wrap sleeves aren’t as durable or flexible as the “better” and “best” options.
Key Features of Leading 1050 Wrap Sleeves Include:
- Mil-spec 1050 grade ballistic nylon fabric with a small coating of urethane
- Water and oil resistant materials
- UV protection that meets the EN 13758-1 standard
- Puncture, tear, and abrasion-resistant
2. 5601 Wrap Sleeves: better
The 5601 sidewinder-style sleeve earns the “better” spot because its rugged makeup retains its flexibility against extreme temperature and the heavy urethane coating reduces surface friction. This provides excellent abrasion resistance for high UV, sharp edge, and wet applications.
Key Features of Leading 5601 Sidewinder Sleeves Include:
- 1000 Denier Cordura with a 4 oz urethane lamination
- Extreme Temperature Range: -60°F (-51°C) to +250°F (121°C)
- Abrasion Resistance tested to ISO 6945 Specifications
- UV Protection meeting EN13758-1 standard with a max rating of 80 new/dry
- Water and petroleum wicking materials
- Meeting MIL-C-83489, FED-STD-191A, MIL-STD-810F Standards
3. Tubular Sleeves: Best for OEM Applications
For easy installation, burst protection, pinhole leaks, and more, the Python Diamondback PRO Tubular sleeve offers the best level of operator protection from hydraulic hose failure. Often used in construction applications, Diamondback is made from a proprietary engineered fiber woven tightly and heat-treated.
The Diamondback PRO hydraulic hose protective sleeve offers unmatched pin-hole and burst protection, and top-of-the-line models. It meets the “line-of-site” operator protection specifications, while also featuring easy installation.
Key Features of the Diamondback Tubular Sleeve Include:
- Highly abrasion-resistant material tested over 1.7 million abrasion cycles (ISO 6945)
- Meets “Line of Sight” operator protection specification EN982, ISO Norm 833, EN414, ISO Regulation 3457:2003(9.1)
- Pinhole protection tested to 4,000 PSI
- Burst protection Tested to 12,000 PSI
- Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) approved IC-289/01
- Meets conductivity standard ISO 8031
It’s evident that no matter what environment the machine will operate in, or the budget of the end-user, integrating HH protective sheaths is a surefire way to not only maximize the lifespan of the equipment, but to ensure operator safety.
When it comes to extreme conditions, custom-use solutions are available, too.
Hydraulic Hose Protection Options: Finding the Best Fit Product
Operating heavy equipment in extreme environments often calls for specific, custom-use-case-scenario protective equipment.
For cold operations, ensuring your protective sleeve is radiant-lined eliminates the risk of your HH freezing up and bursting in extremely cold settings. For extreme heat applications, woven fiberglass or silicon-coated fire sleeves* are required to protect not just the lines from melting, but also to maintain a safe operating temperature of the hydraulic fluid.
*A note about fire-style sleeves: While these sleeves work excellently to maintain safe operating temperatures, they are not designed to provide added protection from extreme ambient conditions or abrasion.
Selecting the Right Hose for You
It’s clear selecting the proper style, type, and level of hydraulic hose protection wrap can be a difficult and often confusing process. Consulting the experts can save you time, investment, and any potential for line failure.
For bulk ordering and OEM’s with large equipment catalogs, our team at Python is excited to answer any and all of your hydraulic hose protection needs. Contact us to get started on your project today!
