Our Hose Manufacturing Process
The first step in manufacturing top of the line polyurethane air hose and garden hose is to start with premium plastic products and state of the art manufacturing equipment. Our Research and Development team blends two types of plastic to provide for the most flexibility and toughness in our polyurethane air and garden hose, while maintaining its lightweight features.
The hose manufacturing process is one that requires patience and a penchant for detail. The urethane is first put into dryers where it is heated to 210˚ Fahrenheit to remove moisture. Polyurethane that has moisture in it when it is molded will bubble and jeopardize the integrity of the hose. The drying process takes 2 1/2 hours.
The urethane is then sucked down a tube and taken to the extruders. The polyurethane is then gradually heated to between 310 and 450˚ Fahrenheit (we wouldn't want to give away our trade secrets now would we). While the plastic is being heated the molding die is also heated to its appropriate temperature.
Passing through the die the polyurethane is formed and vacuum sized within .003 of an inch, ensuring the precision sizing of our air hose or garden hose.
Laser and sonic sizing features are critical to the cooling process. The hose temperature is cooled to 40˚ Fahrenheit while it travels 22 continuous feet down the cooling line. During the cooling process the inner diameter is continually vacuum sized while the outer diameter is laser sized for accurate hose diameters.
The hose is then braided to increase its strength and durability. This stage in the hose manufacturing process may seem insignificant, but it is crucial to the safety and integrity of the hose. Our spiral rap braiding process creates a 4 to 1 burst pressure. Another important element in this stage of manufacturing is the role the tensioner plays. The tensioner maintains the proper speed and tension on the hose. If the tensioner is out of sink it effects the timing of each stage of the manufacturing line.
After the air hose and garden hose has been braided our patent-pending ribbed cover is put on the hose. Our ribbed cover makes our hose extremely tough, flexible, adds greater kink and abrasion resistance, creates less friction and helps the hose to lay flat and not slide when on an incline(it will stay on a roof). Urethane that has been dried is mixed with the appropriate color dye and put into a new set of extruders. The urethane is again gradually heated to between 310 and 450˚ Fahrenheit and put on the hose as it passes through another set of dies. The air hose or garden hose is then cooled in another cooling line. After cooling is complete the laser printer puts the labeling information on the outside of the hose. The air hose or garden hose is then put on a reel where it is allowed to cure for 24 hours.
The hose manufacturing process is not complete until we visually inspect each reel of hose and pressure test multiple hose samples. We then take the hose and cut it to the desired length and put the brass hose fittings on. It is sorted, tagged and ready to be shipped. If you have any questions or if you would like to contact our customer service team about private labeling hose products for your company or project contact our customer service team at
factorydirecthose.com.
Six Steps to protect and extend the life of your air or garden hose
Want to know how to train your air hose and garden hose and extend its life? The following tips are from the Head of our Research and Development Department – leading the industry in quality hose manufacturing. (Corny puns courtesy of the customer service staff at Factory Direct)
Tips:
- When you first get your air hose or garden hose - unroll it to its full length. Let it stretch out for a minute. Hose has memory. Uncoiling it allows it to recondition itself. If you bought an air hose charge it with air and let it stand for a few minutes, then let out the pressure. We all need to take a deep breath and hold it in once in awhile and your air hose is no exception.
- DO NOT CHAIN ROLL your hose! A major no no! Chain rolling is winding your hose up in a figure eight. Many people like to do this with their extension cords, but don't be shocked if your hose doesn't last if you chain roll.
- Always loop roll your air hose and garden hose at the end of the day. A loop roll is best described as how the hose looked when you bought it. If your hose gets stiff and unmanageable – stretch it out in the sun, let it warm up and then loop roll it. Remember we mentioned that hose has memory (just in case you forgot) and that's not a bad thing - we just have to train it up right. To paraphrase The Good Book: "Train up a hose in the way it should go and it will not depart from it." Use it, coil it, and it will always be easy to handle.
- Don't put yourself in the deep freeze! Drain your garden hose and unhook it from the faucet before freezing weather hits. Not only will this prolong the life of your hose and prevent ugly cracking and stiffening, it will save you the chilling experience of having to crawl underneath your home to fix a leaking or broken faucet. (Not to mention the big hairy spiders that are hiding down there!)
- If you smoke, be careful where you set down your cigarette. The cigarette tips (cherry's) are hot and will burn through a hose fairly quickly. This sounds like a no brainer, but you would be surprised how many air and garden hoses go up in smoke.
- "Ain't nothing like the reel thing baby!" The best way to protect your air hose or garden hose and have it retain its positive memory is to use a hose reel.
We hope you remember us at Factory Direct Hose for all your premium air and garden hose needs. We also carry top quality metal hose reels. Remember, you save on the best because we ship straight from the factory to your front door!
www.factorydirecthose.com.