Identifying Hydraulic Hose Fittings
How do you identify hydraulic hose fittings when at first glance they can easily all look the same? Fortunately, it's a lot easier than it looks by following the steps below. Step 1: Reusable or permanent?Is the fitting reusable or permanent? Permanent or crimped fittings are widely used in the fluid power industry for the ability to easily and quickly remove them. They are also more reliable than a reusable fitting. Step 2: Identify fitting ends and port connectionsUse the chart below to properly identify the fitting ends and port connections.
Step 3: Identify the sealing methodHydraulic fittings types vary depending on size, configuration and thread types. O-ring, mated angle and threaded are the most common, though several more types of hydraulic hose fittings are available. O-Ring: O-ring seal designs have three types, O-ring boss, flat face O-ring seal and O-ring flange. With these types of couplings, the O-ring seal is the main component in creating the seal.
Mated Angle: SAE 45° or JIC 37° is one example of a mated angle, though more exist. Angle seat fittings have straight or parallel threads for sealing. When the male and female counterparts are threaded together, the threads do not form the seal. Rather, a seal is formed when the two mating angle seats are joined together.
Tapered Threads: Male and female are the two types of taper thread fittings. Male fitting threads are on the outside, while female threads are on the inside. When the two are threaded together, the tapered threads deform, applying pressure on the couplings which ultimately forms the seal. Tapered threads have a tendency to be imprecise, though never use tape to ensure the seal. Step 4: Look at the fitting designLook at the location of the O-ring, nose seat, seat angle and fitting termination. You can see the O-ring location as well as the type of nose seat. A seat gauge will be needed to determine seat angle. Mated Angle Seat with O-ring:
O-Ring Face Seal:
Mechanical Joint or Mated Angle:
Thread Interface:
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