Half a billion hours of reliable service

An Icore International product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 21, 2006

Convoluted PTFE hoses have now achieved more than half a billion hours of reliable service in demanding heat transfer applications on some of Europe's most powerful electric railway locomotives

Convoluted PTFE hoses manufactured and supplied by Icore International have now achieved more than half a billion hours of reliable service in demanding heat transfer applications on some of Europe's most powerful electric railway locomotives.

The hoses, which are light in weight yet exceptionally robust, are used to remove heat from the thyristor modules which control the power applied to the locomotive's traction motors.

The hoses are used in conjunction with Midel 7131, an environmentally friendly liquid coolant produced specifically for electrical applications by M and I Materials.

Thousands of Icore hoses have been used in this application, many of them providing more than a decade of continuous service.

In addition to the ability to withstand the effects of long-term exposure to Midel at elevated temperatures, a key requirement for the hoses was that they should be non-conducting.

To achieve this while retaining a high degree of protection against abrasion and other mechanical damage, Icore supplied a version of its high-performance convoluted PTFE hose with the standard metal overbraid replaced by a polyester alternative.

In developing the hoses, Icore also had to address the triboelectric effect, which leads to a build up of electrostatic charge on non-conductive hoses when they are used to transport non-conductive fluids.

The company has successfully minimised this effect by equipping the hoses with special designed metal end fittings.

The hoses for this application are supplied in six different configurations, complete with fittings, ready for immediate installation.

Icore offers an extensive range of PTFE hoses suitable for all types of fluid transport applications.

The company specialises in producing customised hoses and hose assemblies, not only for the rail industry, but also for use in the aerospace, marine and military sectors.

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