Because pneumatic tubing is a common component in machines, many designers don’t give it the attention it deserves. But the reality is choosing the right tubing is a critical aspect of machine design, and your selection process must consider factors that extend beyond the more “obvious” operating conditions.
For example, if your machine is located near welding equipment, then it’s important to understand if and how the tubing can handle weld splatter. If it can’t, due to thin wall thickness, for example, then odds are your tubing will fail prematurely. Most of the time, tubing failure causes downtime for the equipment the tubing’s attached to—leading to costly production losses, as well as extensive engineering effort to find and correct the cause of failure.
Given what’s at stake, it’s important to ask the right questions about your machine’s surroundings during the initial design process. Understanding both the obvious and less obvious conditions your tubing will be exposed to will enable you to make the right choice in polymer—whether polyurethane (PU), polyamide (PA) or polyethylene (PE), among others.
This white paper will explore several common causes of tubing failure—many of which can be easily overlooked during the design process. We will also discuss various scenarios that can lead to tubing failure, as well as the damage mechanism and failure mode of several mechanical and environmental factors.
By the end, you should have a better understanding of the kinds of conditions to consider when designing your machine, minimizing the risk your tubing will fail.
