Common methods of protecting hydraulic hoses

 Spring guards, as the name implies, are wound steel springs typically zinc-plated for corrosion resistance. They come in various diameters slightly larger than the hose OD. They install by simply sliding over the hose and are available in standard lengths or in bulk coils that can be cut to fit.

 

 

Steel-spring hose guards support hydraulic hoses and help prevent damage. They’re commonly used on construction equipment but are suitable for any application that needs protection against abrasion, cuts, deep gouges, impact, and accidental compression.

 

A related product is the open/closed coil hose guard. Like spring guards, they fit over the hose OD. However, they do not run the entire hose length but only extend from the coupling for about 10 to 12 inches. Spring coils that run about half the length are closed—each wire coil abuts the next— for firm support and attachment near the fitting. The remainder has open, spaced coils typical of conventional spring guards, for strain relief. The device acts as a bend restrictor and helps prevent the hose from excessive bending and kinking adjacent to the coupling.

 

Protective sleeving. Protective sleeves are textile tubes that slide over a hose. They’re made of materials like woven nylon or polyester and provide excellent resistance to external abrasion and UV radiation. The construction often offers a smooth interior wall that lets hose move freely inside the sleeve and prevent internal abrasion. Some products are rated for MSHA flame resistance. Others, made of materials like polyamide, are reinforced and protect workers and machinery against hydraulic hose bursts and pinhole leaks. Sleeves are also an effective way to bundle together similarly rated high- or low-pressure hoses that bend and flex in the same direction. Hose sleeves can also improve aesthetics, as they provide a more-streamlined look to hydraulic hose on machinery.