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FLOTEC RAILTEC HYDROSTATIC RAIL HOSES
Loughborough-based Flotec, a leading supplier of reliable hose and engineering solutions to rail, advises using its range of Railtec hydrostatic hoses and couplings for rail applications.
Choosing the Flotec Railtec branded hydrostatic rail hose product is a wise choice for rolling stock and traction fleets and is compliant with EN 45545-2 fire safe regulations.
Hydrostatic Rail Hose Issues:
Poor routing and support are major factors in premature hose failures.
Flotec has observed that existing hoses fitted to rail do not stand up to excessive temperatures and sometimes are non-compliant with EN 45545-2 standards.
Complications can also arise from extended maintenance times because of the traditional use of spiral wrap.
Following an NIR incident, it was discovered that the use of spiral wrap was also found to prolong high temperature burning.
Flotec is aware that mobile van operations sometimes install a standard hose for rolling stock applications due to limited product being held in the van, which makes the modification a ‘short-term fix’.
The Flotec Railtec Hydrostatic Rail Hose Solution:
Flotec attempts to shorten hose lengths to reduce the amount of material and weight whilst improving the routing which lifts the hose installation higher from the ground to avoid ballast strikes.
Flotec mitigates this risk associated with spiral wrap by utilising correct clamping and bracketing, eliminating the need for spiral wrapping.
The Flotec application also protects the hose from additional abrasion and heat penetration.
Historical Hydrostatic installations have utilised standard products, with a working temperature of 100 Degree Celsius, where premature failures have occurred due to ‘baking’ of the hose materials.
The Railtec branded MED2-HT hose which is exclusive to Flotec, can withstand temperatures of up to 150 Degree Celsius, making it a far more robust, fire safe and reliable product.
This is a significant factor when realising that hoses are placed in a heated engine environment.
International standards for hydraulic hose assemblies state they must pass 200,000 cycles as standard, Flotec hoses are tested to 600,000 impulse cycles making the life of the product three times longer than other hose products on the market.
Click here to view and download the Railtec MED2-HT hydrostatic rail hose technical data sheet.
Click here to view the complete Flotec Railtec hose range.
Who says leak-free is not guaranteed?
Flotec uses a patented coupling innovation which benefits from revolutionary technology to guarantee a leak-free solution.
Firstly, the MegaCrimp coupling solution uses a unique tooth profile which ‘bites’ into the wire to remain inserted during the crimping process whilst providing superior coupling retention.
Within the MegaCrimp® is a remarkable ‘C-insert’ component ensuring the connection stays round to the shape of the hose, eliminating the issue of the ‘polygon’ effect which is known to contribute to leak paths.
Combining these features with the Gates TuffCoat plating application helps to provide 4x more resistance to corrosion.
Hydrostatic High-Pressure Rail Hose Solutions
EXHI HIGH PRESSURE HOSE
The Flotec EXHI high pressure hose is ideal for extremely high pressure and impulse hydraulic applications, such as hydrostatic transmissions, up to 420 Bar.
The hose has been tested to 1,000,000 impulse cycles as opposed to the industry standard of 300,000 and has a temperature range of -40 Degree Celsius to +121 Degree Celsius with additional extreme temperatures being available. Again, offering an increase in lifetime expectancy.
Global Spiral Couplings are specifically designed for spiral-wire hoses such as the Flotec EXHI high pressure hose.
An added advantage is they offer a 'no skive' coupling solution, which reduces the risk of contamination and labour costs during the assembly process.
The Flotec Service Offering
As well as providing robust, high quality and fit-for-purpose products, Flotec is committed to delivering a best-in-class customer service.
Flotec is empathetic towards issues and burdens experienced by rolling stock operators.
Minimising fleet downtime and associated costs is of considerable importance to rail clients where the Flotec mission is to supply and install hydrostatic solutions which guarantee zero failure between scheduled overhauls. This in turn reduces a loss of service; thus, addressing the need for rolling stock operators to deliver a better and more reliable experience for their passengers.
By using fit-for-purpose and rail compliant products, rail customers can feel confident of a superior modification which eliminates historical ‘short-term fix’ scenarios.
Highly skilled and experienced Flotec engineers attend site to fully analyse and inspect the issues and design the most suitable solution where the Flotec engineering team will do the fitting on behalf of the customer.
Flotec can supply this solution as a full kit and provide video training and step-by-step user guides for self-instillation. Alternatively, Flotec engineers can be utilised as labour to fit modifications on the customers behalf.
View the Flotec hose brochure PDF:
As well as its hydrostatic solution, Flotec offers a superior coolant application with the EPDM Bluestripe hose, PowerGrip band clamp and portable Powershrink unit.
Flotec has built an enviable reputation within the rail sector but worth remembering, Gates hydraulic hoses are also suitable for a wide variety of fluid power requirements and applications.
Whatever your hydraulic hosing need, from Agriculture through to bus or automotive, contact Flotec today and our team will be able to help you.
