Choosing the right tubing can be a daunting task. There are many aspects to consider – pressure or vacuum needs, abrasion resistance, taste and odor transfer, surface characteristics, flexibility and kinking, temperature resistance, hardness/softness, and a host of others.

For example, consider the impact that the weight of a tube or hose can have on the final product. If you're designing for an industry like aerospace, weight can be crucial. You need a product that will help keep overall equipment weight at a minimum but one that can handle the job. Tubing material, size, wall thickness and reinforcement, if any, affect its weight. To illustrate, a typical 100 ft. coil of unreinforced polyurethane tubing, 1” I.D. x 1-1/4” O.D., weighs about 23 lbs. A similar size and length of reinforced PVC tubing weighs 29 lbs. or 26% more.

The overall weight of the tubing, reinforced hose and its assembly components used in your application must be examined. Multi-layered hoses – especially those incorporating metal reinforcement – can be quite heavy. Add metal fittings and clamps to form an assembly, and that increases the weight further. You'll want to make sure you don't create a situation where a hose assembly’s weight pulls on other components like a bulkhead, putting a strain on the entire system or structure.

Download this paper and learn about tubing and hose details that can be overlooked, questions to ask your supplier, and research you can do to help avoid purchasing an unsuitable product for your application. The paper aims to help avoid the downtime, costs and frustration involved when the wrong plastic tubing or reinforced hose is ordered.

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