Triad Team Member Crimping Hose

In a wide variety of industries, hydraulic hoses play a pivotal role in power transfer and machine operation. Some industries may rely on daily hydraulic power consumption, causing increased wear and requiring regular service and replacement of parts. With an on-site hose crimper, you can save time and money by making the parts you need in-house. However, not all crimpers are built the same, and it is important to know your needs before making a crimper purchase. This comprehensive guide will explore the intricacies of hydraulic hose crimper selection, empowering you to make an informed decision about your system.

 

There are three factors that should be considered when deciding which Parker crimp machine is right for you:

- Hose Size & Type
- Power & Location Needs
- Assembly Rate

 

Parker makes a wide variety of hose types, each built for a unique purpose. It is important to know a few factors when selecting your crimper to ensure you get a full seal and to prevent improper assembly.

Reinforcement: Parker hoses are reinforced to withstand the inner pressure created by the flow of hydraulic oil. This reinforcement creates resistance to the crimp machine during hose assembly. Some hoses, such as spiral wire reinforced hoses, provide greater resistance and require a heavier duty machine, while others, such as fiber reinforced hoses, provide only modest crimp resistance and are compatible with most crimper options.

Size: Hose size also contributes to how much resistance a crimp machine must overcome.  Larger hoses generally require more crimping force than smaller hoses.

To effectively achieve a full crimp, crimp machines must overcome the resistance resulting from the hose size, reinforcement, and fittings. Some crimpers are only capable of crimping small sizes of one type of reinforced hose, 50% of the sizes of another, and any size of a third. By knowing the size and resistance of the hoses you need to assemble, you can ensure you find a crimper that meets all your assembly needs.

Parker offers both portable and stationary crimper options. Portable machines usually weigh less that 100 lbs. and can easily be moved around for greater flexibility, while their benchtop counterparts are heavier but faster. Portable and non-portable crimpers are also powered differently, based on your needs. Parker’s portable machines include Minikrimp, KarryKrimp 1 (portable), and KarryKrimp 2 (portable). The KarryKrimp 1 and 2 also offer a bench-mounted, non-portable version. Other stationary machines include the Parkrimp 1, Parkrimp 2, and Phastkrimp 2. Visit our Crimpers page for more information and crimper specifications.

The final factor to consider when selecting a crimper is how quickly you need hoses assembled. The Phastkrimp 2 is the quickest of all of Parker’s crimpers, intended for production rate crimping where there is need for a high output per hour. However, it is also the most expensive. The portable crimp machines have the highest cycle time to complete a crimp, but are also more affordable, especially if you have low output needs.

 

Selecting Your Crimper

Here are a few simple steps to make your crimper selection:

1. Analyze your assembly needs and create a hose-by-size list. This should include hose style, coupling style, and size.

2. Select a crimper you would like to investigate. In terms of Parker’s total hose product line, Minikrimp has the least versatility, followed by KarryKrimp 1/Parkrimp 1, KarryKrimp, Phastkrimp, and finally the Parkrimp 2, which offers the greatest range.

3. Visit Parker’s Crimpsource Tool to test whether your selected crimper is compatible with your full list of hose sizes and types. This tool allows you to enter the crimp machine of interest, hose style, and the coupling style. Once these variables are entered, the size box will show all compatible sizes of the given hose style. Run a test for all expected hose use cases. Crimpsource Online is constantly updated by Parker and will give you the most accurate assessment of hose compatibility.

4. If the selected machine covers the full scope of your hose assembly needs, you are ready to order! If not, bump up to the next machine outlined in step 2 and continue comparing against your hose list until you find a machine that can handle your full range of hoses. If the limiting hose style/size combo is covered, all of the others checked to that point will also be covered.

5. Once your crimper arrives, you will receive a decal that defines the sizes of each hose style with which the machine is compatible. If new hoses are added to your assembly process, this allows you to quickly confirm their compatibility with your crimper or identify your need for an upgrade.

 

A user needs to assemble three hose styles:

     - Parker 201 hose sizes -4, -6, -8, -12, -16
     - Parker 387TC hose sizes -4, -6, -8, -12, -16
     - Parker 487TC hose sizes -4, -6, -8, -12, -16

They would like to know if a KarryKrimp 1 benchtop machine will suit their needs. Consulting Crimpsource shows the KarryKrimp 1 machine is compatible with many of these fittings and styles, but it will NOT crimp 487TC-16 - that hose is too stiff for the 30-ton cylinder to crimp effectively. By stepping up to the KarryKrimp 2, which has a 60-ton cylinder, the user can crimp 487TC-16 hose in addition to all sizes previously checked on the KaryKrimp 1. In this example 487TC-16 is the limiting use case that drives the machine selection.

Keep in mind that since a KarryKrimp 2 machine, is significantly more expensive than is KarryKrimp 1, an end user might consider how necessary is it to be able to assemble 487TC-16 on site.  If the other hoses constitute most of the volume and 487TC-16 is only needed occasionally, it may be more cost-effective to use the smaller crimper for the in-house assembly and purchase 487TC-16 from your local ParkerStore as needed.  Every user’s situation is different, and this decision must be determined on a case-by-case basis.  If the limiting case is high volume, select the larger machine.

 

For more information on hydraulic hose crimpers from Triad Technologies, visit our Crimpers page, or comment your question below to hear directly from a Triad Technologies expert!