Which metal hose best suits your application?

Which metal hose best
suits your application?

There are several variations of metal hoses, including corrugated and wound hoses. Corrugated metal hoses are the most common variant. The ridges and furrows of the metal hose make it possible to bend it. A corrugated metal hose allows you to transport liquids from A to B, as opposed to a wound hose, which must always be used in combination with a sealed hose to be able to transport liquids.

Corrugated metal hoses are available in various shapes and sizes. To find out which metal hose suits your application, you should consider two factors: the application and the maximum operating pressure. First of all, consider the application that the hose will be used for. This will determine which type of stainless steel hose you should choose.

When it is clear which type of hose is suitable, you should consider which hose can withstand the maximum operating pressure. The hose with a suitable maximum operating pressure will be the hose that best suits your application. Read on to find out which metal hose best suits your application.

Different areas of application

When choosing the right hose, it is important to consider the application that the hose will be used for. See below which hose is most appropriate for each area of application.

Hoses for transporting gas or liquid

For transporting gases or liquids from point A to B or to eliminate piping expulsions due to heat, your best choice is the Metalvisor series 4. This hose is used in chemistry (including petrochemistry), basic industry and machine construction.

Flexible metal hoses and vacuum technology

When you need a flexible hose with a short bend radius or a hose to be applied in vacuum technology, your best choice is the 161M. This hose is used in machine construction, semiconductor industry, the chemical industry and transporting foodstuffs.

Hoses with higher pressures and specific temperatures

If you need a hose with higher pressures combined with temperatures exceeding 40°C or pulsating pressures, your best choice is a hose with a thicker wall and heavier braiding. This provides a higher safety margin than a metal hose for general applications. The thicker wall also makes the hose stiffer. Choose the 161H or 162H series, or the dual-layer and highly flexible corrugated 161/2H or 162/2H series hoses.

Hoses for high pressures

type 2/161M Hoses for high pressures, pressure surges, rhythmic volume flows or vibrations are highly susceptible to fatigue. A dual-layer metal hose has been specially developed for these applications: the 161/2H or 162/2H series. The two thin layers of the corrugated hose give the hose an extra-thick wall. However, as the hose has double layers, it is still flexible.

Hoses with reduced end-to-end length

Hoses for situations where end-to-end length is limited or very short bends are required need to be extra flexible to allow some degree of flexibility and to ensure manoeuvrability. The series that best suits these requirements is the 161XMF.

Hoses for extremely high pressures

The 162X series of hoses has been developed for extremely high pressures. This corrugated hose is extra thick, the braiding has thicker wires and the hose is double braided. For the smallest size, the operating pressure is 330 bar.

Hoses for transporting foodstuffs

EC1935/2004 A hose with a more V-shaped corrugation profile than the above hoses has been developed specially for the transport of liquid foodstuffs. This makes the hose easy to clean and means that no medium remains in the ridges. This profile does make the hose less flexible. One condition is that the hose must be welded according to DIN2827. Aseptic fittings compliant with DIN11864 are welded onto the pipe by welding robots to ensure a full aseptic connection between the hose and the link. The type of hose that best suits these requirements is the 161Food in accordance with EC1935/2004.

Hoses for transporting heated liquids

If the medium must not be allowed to cool during transport, you should choose a type 2/161M double-walled stainless steel product hose. This hose-in-hose assembly is also referred to as a jacket hose. The medium to be transported goes through the "product hose" (see the blue arrow on the image), which is encased by a "heater hose" (see the red arrow on the image). This prevents the product from cooling down, meaning it will not solidify, for example.

Maximum operating pressure of each stainless steel hose

As well as the application that the hose will be used for, it is also important to consider the maximum operating pressure. If a hose does not meet the maximum operating pressure, it is not advisable to use this hose for your application. We have made a list of measurements summarising the maximum operating pressures with which the above stainless steel hoses comply.

Internal diameter of the hose (Nominal diameter [DN] in millimetres)	Operating pressure in bar
	Metalvisor series 4	161M	161MXF	161H	162H	161/2H	162/2H	162X
6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	330
8	135	80	160	-	-	-	-	240
10	80	65	130	-	-	-	-	270
12	80	65	110	125	165	-	-	225
16	-	55	85	100	160	94	113	188
20	64	50	65	110	140	120	158	-
25	50	40	50	80	120	86	113	-
32	44	30	40	80	90	56	71	-
40	40	30	45	70	105	49	71	-
50	35	32	40	55	88	38	49	-
65	24	23	26	50	60	23	34	-
80	20	25	29	40	45	30	45	-
100	18	16	20	32	40	30	38	-
125	14	10	20	24	37	-	-	-
150	12.5	10	23	24	37	-	-	-
200	10	5	15	16	25	-	-	-
250	-	5	-	11	19	-	-	-
300	-	4	-	7	13	-	-	-

Temperature resistance

Stainless steel hoses are particularly appropriate for low temperatures, e.g. for transport of liquid nitrogen up to 196°C. Pressure resistance and flexibility do not decrease at these low temperatures. On the other hand, the maximum temperature is limited and is around 550°C for these hoses. Meanwhile, the pressure resistance decreases at temperatures above 50°C. Multiply the values displayed alongside the temperature by the operating pressure of your system. Stainless steel tubing is suitable for 100% vacuum applications and for pressures up to 330 bar, depending on the application. Stainless steel hoses are also the only hoses suitable for 100% vacuum applications.