Hydraulic hose spiral wrap, explained

Black spiral wrap

Introduction to hose protection

Protecting hoses is essential for maximizing the service life of your hydraulic and pneumatic equipment. Hydraulic hose protection plays a vital role in preventing damage to hydraulic lines, which can otherwise result in unexpected downtime, costly repairs, and reduced efficiency. Whether you’re working with hydraulic hoses, pneumatic hoses, or other types of industrial hoses, the right hose protection solution can make a significant difference in the longevity and reliability of your machinery.

One of the most popular and widely used methods for hose protection is spiral wrap. Made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), spiral wrap is designed to provide a flexible, resistant barrier that shields hoses from abrasion, wear, and environmental hazards. This protective layer helps prevent direct contact between hoses and other surfaces, reducing the risk of damage and extending the life of your equipment.

However, as technology advances, new hose protection products have emerged to address the limitations of traditional spiral wrap. Wrap sleeves, for example, offer enhanced flexibility and resistance, making them ideal for applications where superior protection is required. With a range of hose protection offerings available, it’s important to choose the product best suited to your specific application—whether you need to protect against abrasion, crushing, or chemical exposure.

A guide to spiral wrap hose protectors

In this guide, we’ll help you understand spiral hose guards and spiral hose wrap, or as they’re also known as, hose protectors and spiral hose protectors. We’ll cover:

What is spiral hose guard?

Spiral hose guard is critical to ensuring that your hydraulic and pneumatic hose assemblies perform to expected standards.

Consider what industrial hoses are up against. Hydraulic hose typically operates in demanding environments, where abrasion, crushing loads, UV rays, chemicals and flying debris present constant threats. It is important to select spiral wrap based on the specific environment, such as exposure to extreme temperatures or chemicals, to ensure optimal hose protection. The most common cause of damage results from hoses rubbing against each other.

If the hose fails, you’re looking at the cost of clean-up, disposal and replacing hydraulic oil. You also have to contend with the collateral damage to other components, which can also be caused by contaminants. And of course, machine downtime presents yet more costs.

All of these possibilities make hydraulic spiral wrap critical to your hose assemblies. Hose spiral wrap provides a physical barrier between the hose and these threats, prolonging the life of your hose and saving you the stress and expense caused by damage.

Before starting your project, we strongly recommend that you learn more about hose in our guide What are the components of a hydraulic hose assembly?

Types of plastic hose protectors

Hose wraps are available in metal or plastic. This article focuses on wrap, but there are other types of protection available, which you can learn about in our guide Hydraulic hose protection to ensure safe designs and also A guide to hydraulic hose sleeves.

First, let’s look at the two most popular plastic wraps:

Spiral guard hose protector

Hydraulic hose protection wrap spirals around the hose and can be installed before or after the hose assembly is mounted. The spiral can be oriented up and to the left, depending on the design, to ensure optimal coverage and durability.

TECTORGUARD® Spiral Hose Guards.

The example here is part of Essentra Component’s range of TECTORGUARD® Spiral Hose Guards. With a double-beveled design and excellent anti-crushing properties, this particular hose wrap prevents snagging and abrasions. Made of a flexible HDPE, it’s ideal for smaller hydraulic and pneumatic hose, providing good memory, UV protection and requiring less pressure on the hose radius curve. Spiral wrap is available in both black and yellow, allowing users to choose based on visibility or safety requirements.

Spiral hose guards are also helpful for bundling hydraulic hose for a clean appearance – as often done in automotive – while protecting the hose from punctures and abrasions. Spiral wrap can also be used to bundle and protect individual wires, preventing abrasion and tangling.

Use for: Tractors, lifts and cranes, robotics, automated manufacturing

For heavier-duty applications, spiral wrap for hydraulic hoses with mining safety approval is also available. Fire-resistant anti-static (FRAS) hose spiral guard offers additional protection for more demanding applications.

Spiral wrap can increase the durability and visibility of hoses, cables, and wires, prolonging the life of your hose and improving safety in various environments.

Use for: Underground, such as mining, quarrying, drilling, offshore oil & gas construction, marine sub-sea and agriculture

​Hose wear protectors

Hose wear protectors

When only a limited area of the hose comes into contact with other surfaces, there’s no need to cover the entire assembly. In these situations, an economical solution is hose wear protectors, also known as point-of-contact protectors, which are attached to the hose using cable ties as seen here.

Hose wear protectors

The molded grooves prevent the ties from slipping and wearing prematurely. Made of flexible, durable PVC, they’re easy to assemble and remove.

Use for: Hydraulic hose, fuel and oil lines, brake systems, wiring harnesses and battery cables.

Comparing spiral guard plastics

HDPE and PVC share many of the same characteristics, as seen below. Keep in mind that materials, whether metals or plastic, can be enhanced with additives to obtain higher levels of the properties you’re interested in.

Comparing plastics
Engineer holding spiral wrapped hose

Sizing spiral hydraulic hose wrap

To determine the size and the quantity needed is a straightforward process:

  1. Determine the outside diameter (OD) of your hose or bundle.
  2. Match the manufacturer’s hose wrap to the hose OD.
  3. If the hose OD is at the top of the wrap’s ID range, use the next size up to ensure smooth installation.

Essentra Components makes it easy to determine the right size wrap. Online, you can choose to view each wrap’s specifications in inches or metric sizes. It tells you exactly what hose diameter each size wrap is compatible with. You can also use the search or filtering options to quickly find the correct size or product. Simply look for your hose diameter and you’ll have the size wrap you need. Below is an example of the same wrap in inches:

Sizing hose wrap
Calculate Spiralguard quantity

Spiral Guard Wrap simply slides over the hose end and along the length, making it easy to install even for users with minimal experience. Any fittings present on the hose are not a problem. The spiral expands as you wrap it to accommodate your assembly. Note: keep in mind that if you are wrapping around fittings, this will shorten the spiral’s length, and thus the coverage for your hose.

The fastest way to install spiral wrap is to use a special tool. Types vary, but they all facilitate the spiral installation. A common handheld tool opens the spiral for you, making the manual rolling easier. You can also use a mounting installation tool and drill, which you attach to the fitting at the end of the hose. Manually wrap the spiral guard over the hose a few times. Then use the drill, which turn the hose and with it, the spiral guard. This type of installation is especially quick.

Spiral wrap products are typically in stock and available for immediate shipment. Customers can add spiral wrap products to their cart for quick ordering, including bulk or custom orders. Our customer service team is available to respond promptly to any installation or product inquiries.

Pneumatic hoses protection

Pneumatic hoses are often exposed to demanding environments where abrasion, crushing, and wear can quickly compromise their performance. To ensure the service life of your pneumatic hoses and the reliability of your equipment, it’s crucial to invest in effective hose protection solutions.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) spiral wrap is a popular choice for pneumatic hose protection, offering a flexible and resistant shield that guards against abrasion and everyday wear. This material is designed to withstand the rigors of heavy-duty applications, making it suitable for environments where hoses are subject to frequent movement or contact with other surfaces.

In addition to spiral wrap, wrap sleeves provide an extra layer of defense for pneumatic hoses. These sleeves are engineered to be both flexible and durable, helping to protect hoses from crushing forces and other forms of mechanical damage. By using the right hose protection product, you can help prevent costly downtime, reduce the risk of hose failure, and extend the operational life of your equipment.

Selecting the appropriate pneumatic hose protection not only safeguards your hoses but also contributes to the overall efficiency and safety of your machinery. With a range of products designed for different applications, you can choose the solution that best meets your needs and ensures long-lasting performance.

Download free CADs and try before you buy

Free CADs are available for most solutions, which you can download. You can also request free samples to make sure you’ve chosen exactly what you need. If you’re not quite sure which solution will work best for your application, our experts are always happy to advise you.

Whatever your requirements, you can depend on fast despatch. Request your free samples or download free CADs now.

Questions?

Email us at sales@essentracomponents.com or speak to one of our experts for further information on the ideal solution for your application 800-847-0486.