Choosing the right pressure hose

The pressure hose – or suction and delivery hose – you should choose for your food industry business depends on three things: the products that pass through the hose, the temperature of the products and the working pressure you work with.

You can select the right pressure hose hose relatively easily on the basis of these three points. Elpress has two pressure hose hoses in its product range: the Trelleborg Alikler and the Continental Blue Food Flexwing. Next, it’s important to choose the right version of the hose. How long does the hose have to be? What diameter do I need? And which coupling should I choose?

The right diameter of a pressure hose

The diameter of the pressure hose hose depends on the stainless steel line and the tank or filling machine to which the hose has to be connected. The diameter of the couplings that are used for this determines the diameter of the hose. This should, of course, be the same. In some instances, the diameter of the stainless steel line and the diameter of the filling machine are not the same. In this case, an adapter will be installed on the pressure hose hose that is placed between the stainless steel line and the filling machine. This adapter can be welded or screwed in place. A screwed adapter is preferred because it is more hygienic. An adapter with a welded seam offers an easy place for bacteria to accumulate.

Sanitary coupling or clamp for a pressure hose

The coupling between the pressure hose hose and the stainless steel line, filling machine or tank can take the form of a sanitary coupling– also referred to as a dairy coupling – or a clamp. The advantage of a clamp is that it can be used more flexibly. The user can screw it on and off the hose by hand. A sanitary coupling is pushed onto the hose by a specialist.

The advantage of a sanitary coupling is that it is more hygienic. Bacteria cannot easily accumulate on it. They can do so more quickly on a clamp due to the use of screws. In addition, a sanitary coupling is safer because it is professionally pushed into place and thus connects firmly to the hose. A clamp is tightened by hand, can deform the hose and can pop off if not properly fastened.

Obviously, the clamp is cheaper to buy and is often used on hoses that transport unprocessed products at low pressure, such as raw milk that is pumped from the milk tank on the farm to the milk tanker and then from the tanker to the storage tank at the milk factory. In the food treatment process – i.e. in the factory – the preference is for sanitary couplings for reasons of hygiene and safety.

Coupling to DIN standard

Elpress works as standard with DIN 11851 couplings. These are frequently used couplings that comply with the DIN standard (DIN stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung). When purchasing a pressure hose hose, it is important to check whether the couplings of, for example, the tank or filling machine to which the hose will be connected also meet this standard. That’s because this guarantees a perfectly fitting coupling. Do you have a different coupling on your tank or machine? Then we can replace this with a DIN 11851 coupling or supply a pressure hose hose with another coupling that fits.