Festo Pneumatics > Having Trouble with your Tubing
In the majority of pneumatic systems, tubing is at the heart of the action, as well as being the string that connects the entire solution together. Once this fails the expenses soon add up to more than the starting purchase costs.
At Festo their forensic investigations team normally discover that there is not a guilty party, however that detrimental environmental factors are at fault. However solutions are simple and cheap, when tackled at the design stage.
An evaluation of complaints and damage reports promptly demonstrates the actual origin of the majority of tubing problems is poor choices during the product selection process. In many instances, the incorrect type of tubing is chosen or one type of tubing is used for every application and afterwards it is just a matter of time until eventually damage arises.
Environmental conditions, for example extreme heat, very low temperatures, UV radiation and contact with disinfecting agents, lubrications or coolents are frequently neglected. Even contact with water vapour can result in unpredicted implications. The hydrolysis chemical reaction attacks the tubing. Therefore becoming brittle, small cracks appear plus the tubing can tear as pneumatic pulses happen.
The team of experts within the Festo research and development department for accessories develops the best tubing for each application, from flame retardant to antistatic, from food industry to compatibility to resistance to welding splatter. For each kind of tubing there's a matching range of connector fittings- well over 14 in total for the majority of frequently occurring applications.
The suitability of tubing for use in specific environments depends on the material characteristics: flexibility, temperature and media resistance all have an influence. Pulling, compressing and heating in the laboratory tests the tubing’s endurance. Kinking is simulated to check the viability of the tubing for real-life applications.
A handy brochure with pull out mini posters allows for faster selection of popular tube and fittings combinations. Available upon request from the Electroquip team.
The most recent addition to Festo tubing range is called PEN. Festo PEN (polyethylene material) supplies a brilliant compromise between rigidity, flexibility and kinking. Because of a new manufacturing method, PEN tubing handles even small bending radii. When it is kinked, ‘memory effect’ makes sure that it recovers to approximately its original shape. This all-rounder is perfect for all standard applications up to 10 bar and temperatures up to 60°c.
When joined with QS-B connectors, this makes the ideal economical solution for standard application typically in the automotive and process industries where costs for longer tubing runs are essential. To find your ideal Festo tubing to best suit your application contact us at Electroquip.