1. Special Focus - Hoses www.EquipmentIndia.com
Equipment India november 2016102
C.A.S.H
H
igh pressure, large di-
ameter and volumet-
ric capacity hoses
fitted with appro-
priately speced fittings and
protection covering are key
ingredients for heavy construc-
tion and mining machinery.Such
hoses have endured extreme
usage under adverse to poor
operating cycles and environment.
Hoses:The lifeline of equipment
Hoses are the lifeline of various
construction and mining equipment,
conveying hydraulic and fluid power,
required for the various operations of
the equipment at high pressures.
Earlier systems of friction (clutches,
ropes etc) and mechanical gears (drive
train components) was demanding a lot
of physical energy from operator and also
creating fatigue which was affecting pro-
ductivity a lot. Further, friction and me-
chanical components having tendency of
faster wear leads to low availability of
machines power and high operating cost.
Says H Jayaram,Managing Direc-
tor & CEO,GMMCO,“All the current
construction and mining machines right
from drilling,loading,hauling and support-
ing machines are designed with hydraulics
in power train and implements.Hydrau-
lic system is faster and smoother in op-
eration which gives higher productivity
with low operating cost. Smooth func-
tioning of joystick control system also
gives lot of comfort to the operator.
Further,hose assemblies play a vital role
in equipment hydraulic system to transfer
the fluid from one place to other place
safely and smoothly as required.”
Subhasis Chatterjee, Managing
Director - India,Hydraulics Group,
Eaton highlights the importance of
hoses in off-highway equipment, “Hy-
draulic systems are widely used in
off-highway (mobile) equipment when
heavy force or torque is involved, such
as lifting loads weighing several tons,
crushing or pressing strong materials
like rock and solid metal, and digging,
lifting, and moving large amounts of
earth. Hydraulic hoses bring about the
mandatory flexibility needed for the
operations of the various actuators in
these equipment. Hoses also help in
absorbing the high vibrations these
machines are subjected to where rigid
pipes or tubes will invariably fail. A
hydraulic hose meets all these applica-
tion requirements while serving the
basic purpose of conveying pressurised
fluid between various components
within a hydraulic system.”
Reusable fittings: A way to
economise
Various types and sizes of end fitting
with permanent and re-usable couplings
and various types of hoses pipes are the
main allied components of hose assemblies.
The assembly consists of a cut to
length hose, permanently attached with
couplings at both ends.The couplings
undergo a controlled mechanical defor-
mation, called crimping at the time of
permanently attaching with the hose.
Reusable couplings on the other hand are
just tightened on the hose with a vise and
wrenches.Reusable couplings are gener-
ally used for low pressure applications
and where assembly equipment is scarce.
Hoses and fittings are the major
components in hose assemblies. Chat-
terjee elaborates on Eaton’s offerings,
“Eaton also provides adapters as well as
protective coils/sleeves for additional
hose protection on extreme abrasive
conditions in construction and mining
applications.Though reusable fitting are
used in construction and mining, it has
some limitations in terms of withstand-
ing very high pressure.Preferred option
is always crimped fittings for high pres-
sure applications.”
According to Jayaram, re-usable
couplings are mainly used in high pressure
with larger diameter hoses to minimise
operating cost to customers.“Normally
cost of couplings in this class will be
Aligned with CE Growth
Driven by the demand growth in construction and mining equipment, hose market in India is
gaining pace.
Eaton’s range of Aeroquip hydraulic hoses that offer high reliability.
Eaton’s Dynamax hose is tested and qualified for three million impulse cycles offering
the highest reliability under tough conditions.

2. Special Focus - Hoseswww.EquipmentIndia.com
103Equipment Indianovember 2016
C.A.S.H
50 per cent of total hose assembly cost,”
he says.
Maintaining quality
Quality of the hose is dependent on
the design and quality of the rubber
compounds,reinforcements used in the
hose, fitting design and compatibility.
According to Gates India, the hoses
should be able to withstand the severe
pressure cycling, flexing, elevated tem-
peratures, abrasion of the hose against
the machine body or other hoses.All
these have an impact on the life of the
hose.Another important factor is the
fittings or couplings used on these hos-
es.The hose and the couplings should
have been validated together.The gen-
eral practice of mix and match different
makes of hose and couplings has a high
potential for failure in the arduous con-
ditions in which these equipment work.
Chatterjee explains,“Design (tube and
cover material, reinforcement, fitting in-
tegrity and accuracy) and manufacturing
process are the two major factors affect-
ing the quality of a hose.In addition,some
important factors that impact the life of
a hose are operating pressure and tem-
perature,routing,pressure surges,ambi-
ent temperature,bend radius and fittings.”
He further adds,“Construction and
mining applications demand higher flexi-
bility and tighter bend radius in hydraulic
hoses for enhanced installation and
routing capabilities on equipment.Hoses
have to deliver higher product life and
abrasion resistance to support extreme-
ly demanding duty applications and tough
working conditions that mining and
construction equipment operate in.
Selecting suitable hoses and fittings
for the required application thus becomes
very critical. Eaton’s highly engineered
hoses and fittings are designed to meet
this application requirements.”
The whole process of hose con-
struction, selection of appropriate
hoses as per application, quality of
hoses and end-fittings, assembling and
testing play vital role in the quality and
life of hose. Says Jayaram, “Right hose
for right application based on operating
pressure and temperatures, precise
angle of end-fittings, correct length and
orientation, and usage of recommend-
ed lubricants enhance life of hoses.”
He further adds,“A hose assembly
with poor quality hose,poor quality end
fitting and poor workmanship may cost
less initially but ultimately it leads to
higher operating cost due to premature
failure,loss of lubricant and some times
even damaging major components like
pumps and motors. GMMCO manufac-
tures hose assemblies with high quality
CAT hoses and end fittings and tested
as per CAT guidelines.Hence safety and
long life are assured.”
Market trends
According to Jayaram, the demand
for hydraulic hoses is anticipated to grow
in the coming years.“In India,the poten-
tial of hydraulic hoses in Caterpillar
construction and mining machines is
from Rs 80 crore to 100 crore per annum.
Make in India initiative definitely help
Indian hose market and also consumers
as it helps in reducing manufacturing cost
which ultimately benefits the customers.”
According to Gates India,the market
for various types of hoses in the country
is estimated upwards of around $100
million.The company is optimistic about
the Make in India initiative as it says,“The
Make in India initiative will open up
opportunities in various segments like
defence and transportation.With more
equipment production encouraged in
India,the component manufacturers have
access to wider market.Gates has always
been manufacturing a global line of hos-
es in India right from inception and will
help to service our customers with a
global product made in India.”
Chatterjee is also quite positive on
the emerging market trend in India for
hoses and he hails the Make in India
programme that can boost local produc-
tion.“Manufacturing has always been
considered as one of the most vital cogs
in the wheel of development and we
believe that the Make in India initiative
in general does have the potential to
boost local manufacturing and increase
industrial productivity in India.Though I
am hopeful that the initiative may also
help the hose industry improve, we can
only be sure with time and how policies
unfold and get implemented.”
Technology trends
With OEMs are coming out with new
Eaton’s LifeSense®
is a path-breaking
technology in hose condition monitoring
system capable of forewarning the users
of impending hose failure.

3. Special Focus - Hoses www.EquipmentIndia.com
Equipment India november 2016104
C.A.S.H
generation machines and equipment with
new designs and configurations,compo-
nent manufacturers are looking at pro-
viding the matching products to stay afloat
in the most demanding industry scenario.
Eaton has a wide range of product offer-
ings in hoses and fittings.Says Chatterjee,
“In our product portfolio, we have all
ranges and sizes of hoses from 250 to
7,250 psi, extensive range of industrial
hoses right from air/water transfer to
highly abrasive and highly critical applica-
tions like cement, concrete transfer, dry
material and bulk transfer, mud suction
and discharge hose, etc.We also offer a
variety of hose fittings,tube fittings,quick
disconnect couplings,Flexmaster®
joints
and Snap-to-Connect connectors.
As I mentioned earlier, the mining
and construction segment mandates
the highest degree of reliability and best
quality of equipment and components
as the cost of downtime of applications
is huge. More so as most mining and
construction sites are located in remote
areas and minimising component re-
placement time is vital to ensure max-
imum uptime.”
He further adds,“Eaton has always
focused on product performance and
reliability by developing and delivering
fluid conveyance solutions that last
multi-million impulse cycles.For example,
our high pressure DynamaxTM hose is
tested and qualified for three million
impulse cycles – first of its kind in the
industry. Eaton’s LifeSense® is a path
breaking technology in hose condition
monitoring system.The technology is
capable of forewarning the user of im-
pending hose failure,while,the custom-
er hitherto was dependent on either
preventive maintenance (depriving the
user of full usage life of hose) or chang-
ing the hose as and when it fails (with
disadvantages of potential safety issues,
downtime costs, loss of expensive lube
oil which also is detrimental to the en-
vironment etc).This break-through
technology from Eaton also comes in
wireless solution which can be used for
remote monitoring of hose conditions.”
Jayaram elaborates on the GMMCO
range of hoses and assembly components.
“At present we are offering hose assem-
blies for all Caterpillar machines including
traditional and expanded mining.GMMCO
Chennai facility is producing about 8,000
hose assemblies of various sizes per annum
and is planning to upgrade the existing
crimping unit by adding a higher capacity
unit. GMMCO has also commissioned a
hose crimping unit in Nagpur (Buttibori)
facility in Nov 2015 and is producing 1,000
hose assemblies per annum. Caterpillar
supplies‘Tough Guard’ high pressure XT
hoses for highly abrasive environments
or applications.”
Gates India, a major player in the
Indian hose industry, explains on its
ranges,“We offer hydraulic hoses rang-
ing from low to high pressures up to
420 bar, specialist hoses used in fuel
handling,drilling,steam and various MRO
applications.We also offer tube assem-
blies, fittings and adapters to be able to
offer a ‘port-to-port’ leak-free solution
to our customers.”
Product developments
According to Chatterjee, Eaton has
a long-standing commitment to inno-
vation, research and development.“We
have been consistently driving
ground-breaking innovations in our
products and solutions through cus-
tomer collaborations. Over the years,
Eaton has invested significantly to enhance
the product portfolio for hose and
fittings, either through acquisition or
through new product development and
this has helped us to offer complete
solutions to our customer under one
roof,” says Chatterjee.
He further adds,“For instance, the
acquisition of one of the world’s largest
hose manufacturing plants (located in
Europe) in 2012 by Eaton helped broad-
“The key would be to deliver greater
value to equipment manufacturers
while maximising uptime.”
- Subhasis Chatterjee,
Managing Director - India, Hydraulics Group, Eaton
o, we can foresee great potential in construction industry as government is
nning for laying new highways, construction of irrigation projects, ports etc.,
Any other information you would like to share?
ny companies make hoses in India but very few are focused on safety and quality.
hose assembly with poor quality hose, poor quality end fitting and poor
rkmanship may costs less initially but ultimately it leads to higher operating cost
to premature failure, loss of lubricant and some times even damaging major
mponents like pumps and motors.
MCO manufactures Hose Assemblies with high quality CAT hoses & end fittings
tested as per CAT guidelines. Hence safely and long life is assured.
e can foresee great potential in construction industry as government is
g for laying new highways, construction of irrigation projects, ports etc.,
other information you would like to share?
ompanies make hoses in India but very few are focused on safety and quality.
assembly with poor quality hose, poor quality end fitting and poor
anship may costs less initially but ultimately it leads to higher operating cost
premature failure, loss of lubricant and some times even damaging major
nents like pumps and motors.
O manufactures Hose Assemblies with high quality CAT hoses & end fittings
ted as per CAT guidelines. Hence safely and long life is assured.
GMMCO manufactures hose assemblies with high quality CAT hoses and end fittings tested as per CAT guidelines.

4. Special Focus - Hoseswww.EquipmentIndia.com
105Equipment Indianovember 2016
C.A.S.H
EI
“Demand for hydraulic hoses is
anticipated to grow in the
coming years.”
- H Jayaram,
Managing Director & CEO, GMMCO
en its hose portfolio and enabling us to
service emerging markets with a wider
range solutions. In fact we are one of
the few companies with such a breadth
of products offerings.
In addition,we are extremely focused
on new product development. Eaton’s
10,000 patents worldwide including hose
technologies such as LifeSense®,
Dyna-
maxTM etc,that I mentioned earlier are
a testimony of this enduring commitment.
Eaton is continually working on cut-
ting-edge technologies for the future
through its five state-of-the-art innova-
tion centres,one of them being in Pune.
Eaton’s focus on global mega-trends
supported by our market intelligence
and customer engagement teams ensure
that our innovations are relevant,effec-
tive, sustainable and competitive.”
According to Jayaram,GMMCO is in
regular coordination with Caterpillar on
advance technical features. He adds,
“Introducing ‘Tough Guard’ hose is one
such initiative.Further,we are also plan-
ning to enhance production capacity
from Chennai.”
Says Gates India,“We are looking at
several products to meet customer
requirements of high reliability and our
team of application engineers work
closely with the customers to anticipate
their needs and develop solutions.
Looking ahead
Overall,hose manufacturers are bull-
ish on the market outlook in the coming
years. Says Chatterjee,“The technology
is fast shifting towards more compact
machines with higher productivity,more
efficiency and reliability with guarantees
on uptime.This offers an opportunity for
a technology-driven organisation like ours
to keep developing efficient and smarter
solutions for the benefit of the end mar-
kets.The key would be to deliver greater
value to equipment manufacturers while
maximising uptime. Eaton is already in-
novating in this direction and our hose
solutions such as LifeSense®
and DynamaxTM
are clear examples of this focus.”
According to Jayaram, due to huge
potential in coal segment,higher capac-
ity hydraulic excavators,dumpers,grad-
ers, loaders and dozers are going to be
deployed to meet the increased coal
demand of the country.“Also, we can
foresee great potential in construction
industry as government is planning for
laying new highways, construction of
irrigation projects, ports etc,” he adds.
According to Gates India,“With the
massive push on infrastructure develop-
ment by the government, we are very
excited about the growth prospects in
terms of production and as more and
more advanced and specialised machines
are being inducted there is demand by
the customers to offer products with a
lower cost of ownership.These industry
requirements will see hoses with more
stringent performance requirements
being specified.Also we see increased
demand for onsite asset management
for hoses, for tracking and monitoring
of hose performance with large users.”
All in all, the hose market in India is
here to grow further in the wake of the
increased demand for construction and
mining equipment and an estimated
growth of these equipment in the com-
ing years.New stages of emission norms
will gradually improve the technology
and efficiency of the hoses. Customers
demand hydraulic hoses which are more
compact and flexible,even as the system
pressures and temperatures are increas-
ing and hose manufacturers continuous-
ly innovate to offer products to suit the
specific application requirements of the
customers.The industry has recovered
to a good growth momentum after four
years of low or negative growth.
CAT Hose couplings
CAT Hose RE-usable Couplings
CAT Hose couplings
CAT Hose RE-usable Couplings
CAT hose couplings. CAT hose re-usable couplings.
- Sudheer vathiyath