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Rubber Tubing Failure? Tips to Succeed

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  • Is Your Rubber Tubing Failing? Tips to Help You Succeed
  • May 3, 2019

Is Your Tubing Failing?

Whether you use tubing for seals, connections or liquid transport the last thing you need is for your tubing to fail. The safety of your employees and customers depends on it. And, not all tubing is created equal. It’s important to consider several factors before you order tubing. We’ll go over some of the most common considerations below, but it’s always a good idea to get an individualized consultation before proceeding.

Rubber Tubing in a variety of Sizes and Colors Aero Rubber

Tubing Vs Hose – What’s the Difference

While sometimes used interchangeably, rubber hose and tubing are different. Tubing is used for low pressure applications. Hose is used in high pressure situations and is reinforced with fabric or wire.

Tubing Performance Factors

Do you struggle with extreme temperatures? Have tubing slipping off assemblies? Or find ozone, UV or chemical exposure is a problem? Any one of these factors could degrade rubber tubing and cause unneeded failures if an incompatible elastomer is chosen.

  • Environmental Factors

    • Temperature
    Where you store your tubing and external temperatures impact your choice of tubing. Not all rubber works well in every temperature. Too hot or too cold and the rubber tubing will need to be retired early. Consider outdoor temperatures or the temperature of liquids flowing through the tube when making tubing decisions.
    • Ozone & UV
    Just as sun and ozone levels can harm our skin, they can also deteriorate rubber materials creating cracks or dry rot. Take careful note when testing products inside, that will ultimately be used outside.
    • Abrasion
    Does your rubber tubing get dragged or does it rub against something? If so, you will need an abrasion resistant rubber to withstand erosion or mechanical wear. Higher durability means reduced maintenance.

  • Chemical Exposure

    Chemical contact, both inside and outside the rubber tube impacts performance. Always consider the factors your tubing will encounter before choosing a type of rubber. Using Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) tubing for ozone or UV exposure is ideal. But, run petroleum products through the tubing, and it will quickly deteriorate and become fragile.

  • Special Standards

    As we said earlier, no one tubing meets all needs. . Dairy, food, medical and military manufacturers all have unique needs. And, Aero Rubber can provide the material you need. Spec grade materials such as 3A Dairy, ASTM, MIL SPEC, AMS and more are available in many different elastomers. And to further meet your needs we also provide Hi-grade, Mid-grade, and economy grade rubber formulations to ensure that your tubing choice can also fit your budget.

  • Sizing

    While the size of the tubing is always your choice, fit and function must work together to ensure the best performance. For instance, if the tubing needs to fit on an assembly, then the inside diameter (I.D.) must be sized correctly for a secure fit. In addition, the wall thickness (WT) will influence the flexibility, the bend radius and the degree of kinking.

Fortunately, there are many good choices to extend the expected life of rubber tubing if you factor environmental factors, chemical exposure and size into your decision. By choosing the best rubber tubing for your needs you can improve efficiency, lower costs and provide safer conditions. Take a few minutes today to inspect your tubing. If it looks worn, has cuts, looks corroded or seems like it’s underperforming give us a call.

Aero Rubber specializes in custom industrial high volume rubber tubing as well as custom rubber hose and sleeves and can help. Our consultative sales teams can give you appropriate rubber choices for your needs, so you can make an informed decision about your rubber tubing needs. Aero will not engineer nor specify the total requirements for your tubing but will discuss the environment and use of the tubing to offer you a choice of materials, elastomers and specifications.