5 Key Benefits of Implementing Hose Self-assembly Systems with Hayley Fluid Power

Hydraulic hose is a vital component of all hydraulic mechanisms, widely utilised across a range of applications and industries from the aggressive and dusty setting of a quarry, to the heavily-sanitised environment of a food-processing facility.

Gates®, a strategic supply partner of Hayley Group, has been a leading manufacturer of hydraulic hose products for over a century. In recent times, Hayley Fluid Power has seen a growth in the number of enquiries and sales of Gates® self-assembly starter kits, with the kits being a real value-added success story for these customers.

By combining the manufacturing excellence of Gates® in the design of the self-assembly systems, and the technical know-how of Hayley Fluid Power hydraulic experts, users can expect to enjoy several benefits. In this article, we outline a selection of those benefits that the ability to assemble their own hydraulic hoses has brought to our customers.

 

1. Lower costs

Over the last few years, Hayley Fluid Power has successfully helped many customers to lower the cost of their hydraulic hose repair and replacement processes by implementing a Gates® self-assembly system. In a lot of cases, these customers were previously relying on mobile hose repairers, called in at short notice to attend to hoses that had failed. This fast and convenient service often comes with a high price tag, which can start adding up to a significant figure if call-outs are frequent.

A Gates® self-assembly solution, provided and stocked by Hayley Group, can mean that the money currently spent on expensive third-party repairers can be recouped by the business. This enables an often very short payback period on the initial investment for our customers, with the cost-savings quickly outweighing the initial investment required to purchase the equipment.

 

2. Reduce downtime

Hydraulic hoses are often found within business-critical machinery, with any failures carrying with them the possibility of taking down whole production lines until the problematic hose can be replaced. Time is very much of the essence in situations like these, as operational downtime affects productivity and revenue with every passing minute. Mobile repair service providers can often be onsite within a couple of hours, but with the situation being so time-sensitive, these hours of downtime accumulate over time and can represent alarming amounts of lost revenue. Having a crimping machine and the hoses and fittings on site means that the crucial mean time to repair (MTTR) is shortened considerably.

Take for example, where we recently worked with a customer in the building materials industry who would lose £1,000 worth of production per hour of downtime caused by hydraulic hose failures at their plant. With failures occurring weekly, and the mobile repairer taking an average of one hour each time to arrive on site, the cost of annual downtime for this customer totalled more than £50,000. By investing just short of £10,000 on a fully-stocked self-assembly facility, the ability to create quality hoses on site paid for itself within five months.

 

3. Become self-sufficient

If you are considering installing a Gates® hose self-assembly at your facility(s), the expert personnel at Hayley Fluid Power are there to support you at every step of the way. Interactive demonstrations of the equipment can be arranged for your teams to participate in, to help you to visualise the benefit that self-assembly can have. When a decision has been made to purchase a kit, a certified trainer from our team can visit your site and deliver training sessions on the use of the equipment.
The aim of the expert-led training sessions is to ensure that, when faced with a burst hose or another hose failure, on site engineers are confident in their ability to assemble replacement hoses. By becoming self-sufficient in hose assembly, engineers are upskilled, and the reliance on external service providers is removed.

 

4. Guaranteed quality and performance

Upon completion of the training, and by using the kits provided, engineers will be able to produce factory-grade hose assemblies locally. Quality is guaranteed when using Gates® hose products with the Gates® crimping machines. For instance, hoses produced using either the Gates® MC1001 or MCX20 crimpers will fully comply with European Directives and the most stringent of international standards.

Uniquely, all Gates® hose assemblies, even when produced on our own customers’ premises, are absolutely guaranteed leak-free. All Gates® products are tested to standards well above industry norms, and typically they will also last up to three times longer than other products on the market.

 

5. Access spares quickly

Thanks to Hayley Group’s long-lasting partnership with Gates®, our customers enjoy fast and efficient access to Gates® products. With over fifty branches and specialist centres serving customers in every corner of the United Kingdom, you are never far from an unrivalled local Hayley Group stockholding. In the event of a breakdown, customers need replacement components quickly, and that is why we place such a significant emphasis on our ability to assist customers when they need us most. Lead times from manufacturers can be extensive, so you can trust Hayley Group to supply you with spares on quick and convenient delivery times every time.

 

If you are currently using the services of a mobile hose repairer or are simply interested in looking into assembling your own hydraulic hoses, please contact your local Hayley Group branch.