Using cooling hoses properly in steel mills: Hose Master’s advice

Hose Master cooling hoses are common in steel mills.

Sudbury International Engineered Products Limited supplies products by Hose Master, including cooling hoses for steel mills. Workers use these hoses for cooling steel, furnaces, casting units, and hot strip mills with water. But many piping systems are configured in a way that exposes hoses to stresses they cannot accommodate.

Hose Master offers these tips on preventing torsion-related failure in water-cooling lines when using its hoses from Sudbury International.

Incorrect installation or fabrication

Cooling hoses are designed for various movements in piping systems. Users must avoid twisting hose assemblies, but torque can be applied to metal hose assemblies in various ways. Sometimes, assemblies are twisted while in service, when torque occurs during cycling. This is common when roofs are removed before furnaces are charged: roofs can sway back and forth, which twists hoses. Workers should determine whether the hose can be installed in a plane of movement that avoids torsional stress; if not, a swivel joint should be applied on one or both ends of the assembly.

Incorrect installation is another common issue. Users may accidentally twist cooling hoses while tightening the connection, and sometimes, hoses with flanged ends get twisted to align the bolt holes of the hose ends with mating connections in piping systems. “Floating” flanges, which rotate on stub ends to enable proper alignment, solve the latter problem.

Another cause of torsional stress is improper hose fabrication. If the fabricator has not applied the braid straight and tight against the hose before welding, the hose may twist when assembly is pressurized. Some hose manufacturers may encourage incorporating multiple sources for hoses and braids into assemblies to reduce costs, but mismatched components can compromise safety and performance.

Finally, even if a cooling hose from Sudbury International has been properly designed and installed, system-related issues can occur; pressure spikes or water hammer can damage and deform corrugations. The hose may seem kinked, which may result in vulnerability to torsional stress if the assembly is no longer aligned with the required movements.

Keep these scenarios under consideration and Hose Master hoses can do the job.

For more information, contact Sudbury International.

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