This article first appeared in the November/December print issue of Industrial Distribution. To view the full digital edition, click here.
Looking for an industrial hose, couplings, or hose accessory product line to carry? There are a few happenings in the market you should be aware of before you pick a brand to stick with.
Crimping vs. Clamping
According to hose and accessories manufacturer Kuriyama (Schaumburg, IL) one major trend in the hose market is towards crimping hose assemblies instead of clamping, as crimping provides a stronger seal around the outside of a hose than clamping. Traditionally, different coupling designs had to be used for each method, requiring distributors to stock duplicate coupling inventories.
New hybrid designs, however, can be used for both crimping and clamping, eliminating that problem. For instance, Kuriyama’s new Tri-Couple design allows distributors to purchase a crimp-ready coupling at an economical cost.
“The distributor can offer the customer a crimped assembly, which is safer, and more durable, at the same cost as a clamped assembly,” says Ken Moore, Kuriyama Couplings Product Manager. “Additionally, not having to stock dual inventories reduces the distributor’s overall costs, allowing them to pass this savings on to the customer.”
Moore says Kuriyama expects the market to continue to trend toward crimped assemblies, as more and more distributors carry both high and low pressure hoses.
Value
As with all industrial products, value is the name of the game. Products should be fair priced without sacrificing quality. Kuriyama says that generally, domestic produced couplings offer the highest degree of quality, but with the right quality controls in place, an import coupling can offer a similar degree of quality. As always, distributors should take care to ensure the manufacturer has such quality controls in place before selecting a coupling product line.
