How Hose Master’s Product Analysis Lab Can Help
By: Frank Caprio | On: July 12, 2016
It is important for a salesperson to be able to identify and prevent hose failures at the jobsite. Asking questions about the application requirements, conducting proper training on hose handling, and looking for signs of improper usage are tactics to help you. But what if the cause of failure isn’t readily identifiable? That’s where the Hose Master Product Analysis Lab can help.
Our Product Analysis Lab can offer assistance by finding clues that are not apparent in the field, thus improving your ability to solve mysterious hose and expansion joint failures. Our lab is in-house and we do not rely on third-party lab analysis providers. Our dedicated lab technicians bring value that is not available elsewhere and this service is available at no charge for our distribution partners.
Hose Master’s Product Analysis Laboratory is outfitted with some of the best equipment in the industry, including:
- XRF alloy analyzers
- Cycle testing machines: U-bend and cantilever
- Hardness and tensile testing equipment
- External pressurization chambers
- Proprietary burst, elongation, and deformation analysis equipment
- And much more
It is important to remember that different failure modes may often exhibit similar properties, e.g. cracks in the hose wall, deformed corrugations, etc. Additionally, a hose or expansion joint may exhibit several symptoms, but only one causal factor. Once the mode of failure has been determined, that information is provided in detail on our Analysis Report.
- Analysis reports
- Help you to know what conditions to look for in the field (vibration vs rapid cycling, loose pump mounts, et al) that led to failure
- Identifies potential factors that may contribute to premature failure in the future
- Helps to protect you from unjustified customer claims
- Adds value to the customer by helping reduce unplanned shutdowns through more reliable hose and EJ performance
Here are some examples of failures we encounter in the lab that just aren’t evident by looking at a hose or expansion joint in the field.
Example of vibration-induced metal fatigue. Note the branched fatigue fractures through the corrugated hose wall. Only through lab analysis can this be identified correctly, and is often confused with failure due to excessive cycling
Both of these assemblies exhibit bulged corrugations, but the first hose failed due to over-bending and the other failed from over-pressurization. Note the similarities between them.
These examples help illustrate the advantages of our Product Analysis Lab. Support services like this make you even more indispensable to your customer, ensuring their loyalty in return. Like a detective on a case, we must not only find all of the clues that may help us deduce the mode of failure, we must also identify potential sources of future problems. While some modes of failure are easily identifiable, others are not so evident. Contact us today if we can help solve your toughest application.
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