Factors to keep in mind while choosing pneumatic air line tubing hoses

Pneumatic air line tubing is done to carry compressed air to air-driven equipment in homes, workshops, industries as well as aerospace environments. For any applications where there is a need for pneumatic air line tubing, one needs to make sure that the right pneumatic air line tubing fittings and air hose are chosen. 

If this is not done, there may be air leakage as pneumatic air line tubing connections and fittings are a continual source of compressed air leaks and thus there can be huge production interruptions or performance degradation. Before deciding the right pneumatic air line tubing type, determine the following factors of your application:
  • Pneumatic air line tubing type needed which is determined based on the project.
  • Also determine the inches of the internal diameter and the correct length of the pneumatic air line tubing.
  • A standard or a recoil pneumatic air line tubing hose?
  • The length of usage and the operation cycles of the particular machine.
  • The material whether thermoplastic or metal
  • Air pressure and P.S.I. requirement
  • Thread type of pneumatic air line tubing fitting needed - pipe, British pipe, metric, SAE Straight Thread
  • The surrounding vibration concerns that may affect the pneumatic air line tubing components.
  • Material needed for fitting - brass, stainless steel, thermoplastic, nickel plated brass.
  • Specifications laid down by various departments that would approve the machinery.
Pneumatic air line tubing

The pros and cons of the pneumatic air line tubing hoses made of various materials are listed below. Choose the most appropriate one according to the requirement of the application:

Rubber
Pros
  • Lies flat and does not occupy much space when not functional
  • Does not kink
  • Easily available
  • Costs less
Cons
  • It is heavy in weight
  • Does not sustain low temperatures and thus has a mediocre performance in cold weather
  • Not suitable for high temperatures
PVC
Pros
  • Light in weight
  • Suitable for most environments
  • Very cheap
Cons
  • It coils easily
  • Has low kink resistance
Nylon
Pros
  • Nearly weightless
  • Can maintain tension well
  • Is very suitable for coils
Cons
  • Is prone to kinks
  • Very low durability compared to other materials
Polyurethane
Pros
  • Sustains best in cold weather
  • Light in weight
  • Good resistance for high temperatures
Cons
  • Kinks very easily
  • Very expensive
  • May stick to itself if not used over a period of time
  • Low resistance towards solvents
Apart from the material, the sizing, the length and the maximum pressure rating also determine the capacity of a pneumatic air line tubing hose to deliver air. The hoses with large diameters which operate at high pressures deliver more air. Tools like nail guns and sprayers need hoses with diameter as small as 0.25”. Larger diameter hoses are only needed for pneumatic air line tubing that runs longer than 100 ft. or when the air tool being used it large in size. 

Also the bigger the pneumatic air line tubing hoses, the heavier they are and the weight ma affect the handling of the tool and the lighter the machinery of the hand tools like sprayers and nail guns, the more is the dexterity. So make sure the hoses are as light as possible.

Also, the longer the length of the pneumatic air line tubing the more is the reduction in the output pressure. So never keep the lengths of the pneumatic air line tubing hose more than the necessity of the application. If the pneumatic air line tubing hose is being regularly replaced, make sure that the diameters of all the hoses match or else it may result in huge output pressure variations.
As pneumatic air line tubing is the main factor influencing the output pressure delivered by the machines, the above mentioned points are extremely critical.


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