A Clean ID CL3 metal hose, manufactured by Penflex, is assembly tested, tagged, bagged, and ready for shipment. (Image: Penflex Corporation/PRNewswire)
Penflex’s new hose is said to eliminate post-production cleaning, draining, and drying.
GILBERTSVILLE, Pa.—A new metal hose product introduced by flexible piping manufacturer Penflex Corporation is produced without any internal tooling or fluid, which are necessary components in traditional mechanical forming processes and hydroforming processes. The result is a hose without any of the greases, moisture, oils, or particulate left behind by other forming processes, according to a release from Penflex.
Penflex’s Clean ID (CL3) Hose will be used in the cryogenics, ultra-high vacuum, and semiconductor markets. Penflex is a major manufacturer of flexible metal hose and braid, as well as metal bellows and expansion joints. The company also offers services such as failure analysis and specialized welder training, the release said.
In high-tech applications where cleanliness is paramount, users must currently invest additional time and money in post-production cleaning, draining, drying, and subsequent testing to ensure desired standards are met.
“Advances in cryogenic and vacuum sciences are enabling ever greater levels of precision, creating the need for a new kind of metal hose in the process,” said Penflex President Robert P. Barker, in the release. “We are excited about the benefits Clean ID delivers. It’s a product that will streamline the supply chain by removing several steps while also enabling more efficient processes.”