Global hydraulic and industrial hose products manufacturer Alfagomma’s 740AA 85 bar high-pressure concrete pumping hose offers a range of benefits to customers and has been designed to suit requirements across various industries.

It was first introduced into the Southern African Development Community in 2007. Since then, it has been very well received by the construction and mining sectors in South Africa, owing to its durability, lower weight, flexibility and high-pressure rating, says Alfagomma industrial product manager Ruan Pretorius.

“When first launched, Alfagomma provided one of our local original-equipment manufacturers with 51-mm-diameter hoses for mobile blasting equipment for the underground mining sector, which included gold, platinum-group metals, iron and various other minerals,” he explains.

The 740AA pumping hose has demonstrated its usefulness in underground and surface mining, infrastructure applications such as commercial and industrial construction, and pilings.

Specifications
High tensile steel spiral reinforcement ensures the durability and strength of the 740AA Alfagomma concrete pumping hose. However, despite its robust design, the hose is lightweight, making it better to use in manual labour conditions, compared with many of its competitors.

The hose is easier to move, for example, in situations where a 51 mm inside diameter hose is required underground for roof support spraying applications or alternatively where manual manipulation is required on larger bore hose sizes such as 102 mm and 127 mm.

In addition to its strength and weight, the 740AA hose is made of a unique blend of rubber, with natural rubber as the main component. This increases abrasion resistance, making it up to 50% more durable than similar products.

The outer cover of the hose is a blend of styrene butadiene and natural rubber, which offers significant resistance to outer abrasion factors, such as dragging it along rough terrain, whether it is used for surface or underground applications.

Pretorius explains that the 740AA’s flexibility allows for using it in tighter, less accessible areas, which offers a more complete coverage of an area.

The hose offers excellent structural stability, as it can move without being affected by kinks, elongation, and vibration. This also ensures that the hose remains in a good condition for longer, reducing the need for costly repairs or replacements.

It also offers the applicable safety and hazard markings on the 740AA hose for safe use, he adds.

Ensuring Support
Buying the 740AA hose or any of Alfagomma’s products, through Alfagomma South Africa, its subsidiary Alfagomma Hydraulic and Industrial Services, or any of the authorised Alfagomma distributors, customers have direct access to “world-class expertise and knowledge in terms of product support and additional value-added services”, says Pretorius.

Buying from an authorised Alfagomma distributor, customers are also closer to the source of manufacturing, offering a price-point advantage as opposed to additional markups through middlemen.

Alfagomma currently stocks the 51 mm, 63 mm, 76 mm, 102 mm, and 127 mm inner-diameter hoses. Market demand currently dictates standard hose-ends from mechanical pipe joining systems developer and manufacturer Victaulic, which Alfagomma stocks from 63 mm upwards. For the 51 mm inner-diameter hose, the company uses a British standard pipe taper male configuration, on to which a Victaulic flange is connected.

Alfagomma also has access to other flange configurations, such as Schwing, California or the shouldered styles, depending on customer requirement, although shipping lead-times do apply, Pretorius concludes.