Manufacturer Improves Customer Safety with Large Oval Bellows

There are few things that a manufacture fears more than a recall due to safety hazards. This particular application had two hydraulic hoses that created a pinch point that needed covered for safety reasons. The hoses also needed protected from the environment.

Executive Summary:

Crushproof Tubing Company has helped an industry leader to create a rugged and affordable large oval bellow for their client.

Challenges Faced by the Manufacturer / Problem Areas

  • Protection: The bellow had to prevent customers from pinching their fingers while operating the machinery.
  • Price: The cost of having such a large bellow molded was prohibitive and priced the client out of the market.
  • Flexibility: It also needed to remain flexible in extreme weather conditions to prevent machine breakdown.
  • Tear/puncture resistance: It could be subjected to impacts from branches or other pointed objects and needed to bounce back and resist puncture without failure.

Solution

Crushproof started by getting all the dimensional requirements, which included a unique oval shape that would typically require a mold, but not with Crushproof! Then they listened to what the client needed the snorkel hose to do and determined the appropriate material and construction to get the job done right and on budget.
Once the client was happy with the overall concept, Crushproof created a 3D model and 2D drawing of the proposed part. This ensured that everything was exactly as the client expected. This whole process generally happens the same or next business day from first contact, as it did in this case. The client reviewed and approved the drawing, so the free, custom sample process that Crushproof is famous for was initiated. Just a few days later Crushproof was able to send them a set of production quality samples that they could test in both their lab and the field. Since the samples are made on production tooling, Crushproof bases pricing on the sample parts and sent a quote out at that time.
The field tests of the large oval bellows surpassed all expectations, and the client approved the design and sent over an order immediately. Crushproof got the parts into production quickly and shipped inside their normal 30-day window.

Quantifiable Results / Client Benefits

The client made the large oval bellow a standard part on their machinery. The Crushproof brand of custom bellows provided the client a unique solution at a great price that was otherwise unavailable to them.

About Crushproof Tubing Company

Founded in 1949 with a goal of making vehicle garages safer by removing carbon monoxide containing exhaust fumes, the company has branched out over the following decades to make hoses and tubes for virtually every major industry on the planet. They are a true “solutions” company, making client challenges their own and being dedicated to thinking outside the box. No project is too big or small for review and neither are their clients, as they deal with start-ups as well as some of the largest businesses in the world. With fast, friendly service; a commitment to ISO9001 quality; free, custom samples; and off-the-shelf pricing for custom products; they lead the way when it comes to finding solutions to complex design problems.