Cleaning “new” hydraulic hoses helps keep oil clean and protects precision parts on equipment. At Tipco Technologies, our reputation relies on providing design, engineering, and manufacturing solutions and helping our customers optimize the performance of the products we sell.
It’s an accepted fact that oil needs to be clean to achieve optimal hydraulic performance. However, what happens if clean oil passes through a dirty line? What if the line is new? There is an assumption that a new hydraulic hose is clean. In fact, one of the biggest misconceptions from distributors is that the hose is clean because it’s new. However, “new” and “clean” are not the same.
As a child, my mother used to take me shopping with her. Whenever she bought dishes, she would wash them first before putting them away. This seemed silly at the time, after all, they were brand new! But when asked, she said, “You never know where those dishes have been!”
As usual, Mom was right. From manufacturing to shipping to display on the shelves, there were many opportunities for “new” dishes to collect dust and germs. Interestingly, the same principle applies to the Fluid Power Industry.
From the manufacturer to distributor to the end-user, there are multiple ways that a hydraulic hose can get dirty:
- Mandrel lubricant from hose fabrication is never cleaned out at the manufacturing facility.
- Cutting a hose into smaller lengths for hose assembly generates rubber dust in the tube.
- Crimping causes “flashing” (small metal shards) to break off into the line.
- Leaving a finished hose un-sealed allows air-born dust and grime to enter the line. (Or, worse, the hose gets thrown into the back of a dirty truck during transportation to the job site.)
There is an opportunity for enough contamination to ruin even the cleanest oil. Likewise, for the hydraulic tubing: bending, flaring, and de-burring all leave visible and microscopic particles inside the line that can effectively destroy precision parts on equipment.
So much relies on the functionality of hydraulic hoses. Why not clean them before use to reduce contamination? Sometimes, the most basic of principles can maximize the performance and longevity of your equipment.
Tipco Technologies is committed to helping our customers get the most from the products they purchase. If you have an additional question, call 410-356-0003 and speak with one of our engineers.
