Crimping Hydraulic Hoses and Swaging Cables

[Wallybanger]

Hey guys, haven't posted in a while but I did search the forum before posting so hopefully this hasn't been discussed.

I have motorcycles, trucks, tractors and sailboats and everything needs either hydraulic hoses or stainless braided cables swaged/crimped from time to time. This got me thinking about cable/hose crimping. I see there are lots of collet looking hose crimpers out there even the Parker tool looks like it's a bastardized shop press which makes me wonder if I can get a crimping tool for my shop press. I have a 30 metric ton hydraulic press and I'm wondering if I can get tooling for it as opposed to paying out the arse for a specialized tool. I know people will say "just go to a hose shop" but I'm living in mexico and it is almost always better, cheaper & faster to do stuff yourself down here and I don't mind investing in tools... especially tools I can make money with.

Specific questions:

1) Is there specific nomenclature that I should be using when searching? I've been searching for "hydraulic hose crimp" "crimping dies" "cable swage" etc and I am not finding much except chinese hand tools that look like garbage. What are these tools called? Crimping collets?

2) What kinds of pressures are needed for a secure and safe swage/crimp? I imagine my 30ton press is sufficient. I don't want to do anything too big, just standard size SS brake lines, and hydraulic hoses for small tractors and maybe something a little bigger down the line. I'd say nothing bigger than 1" running, what, 5000psi? Maybe that's even overkill.

Looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

 

[Garwood]

I suggest you research the pros and cons of different kinds of crimpers so you understand what is available. Then research kinds of dies for the applications you're looking to crimp.

Once you have an understanding of what different crimpers do and what they're good/not good at and how specialized the tooling is for a given task you can decide if you think your shop press is going to cut it or not.

 

[Wallybanger]

I suggest you research the pros and cons of different kinds of crimpers so you understand what is available. Then research kinds of dies for the applications you're looking to crimp.

Once you have an understanding of what different crimpers do and what they're good/not good at and how specialized the tooling is for a given task you can decide if you think your shop press is going to cut it or not.

I appreciate the reply but I think part of the problem is that I don't know what's available and trying to find information is proving to be very difficult. As far as I can tell it appears that anything professional level has a die with 6+ fingers that runs into a cone and applies pressure when pressed into the cone from above, as in the Parker Parkrimp system. It seems like all of the commercial machines are a variant of this style. I saw a machine that rotates a ramped ring that pressed the fingers in.

I do know this about swaging/crimping, you want to apply even pressure around the outside of the fitting and you don't want to over or under crimp. I feel like a 6+ finger style crimp should be sufficient for different applications and running into a cone should apply a good even pressure around the outside of the fitting. I fail to see how this could be different for hose or cable. Again, the biggest issue would be crimping in a way that doesn't over or under crimp the fitting but that could be addressed in various ways.

I guess the real question is, is there a commercially available kit that can be purchased for a press?

 

[machinistrrt]

if you have experience with sailboats, you know that 1x19 wire can be swaged but the machine is large and heavy. Also, you only get one shot, you can't reswage with any degree of safety. Cone terminals (Sta-lok, Norseman) can be installed in the field. They say 1x19 can be spliced, but I was never able to do any good at it. 7x19 is supposed to splice more easily, never tried it.

 

[Garwood]

I appreciate the reply but I think part of the problem is that I don't know what's available and trying to find information is proving to be very difficult. As far as I can tell it appears that anything professional level has a die with 6+ fingers that runs into a cone and applies pressure when pressed into the cone from above, as in the Parker Parkrimp system. It seems like all of the commercial machines are a variant of this style. I saw a machine that rotates a ramped ring that pressed the fingers in.

I do know this about swaging/crimping, you want to apply even pressure around the outside of the fitting and you don't want to over or under crimp. I feel like a 6+ finger style crimp should be sufficient for different applications and running into a cone should apply a good even pressure around the outside of the fitting. I fail to see how this could be different for hose or cable. Again, the biggest issue would be crimping in a way that doesn't over or under crimp the fitting but that could be addressed in various ways.

I guess the real question is, is there a commercially available kit that can be purchased for a press?

You could use any crimp to stop kind of tooling in a shop press. This tooling is made by the manufacturer for their fittings. There's certainly some carry over, but not always.

You can't use any crimp to diameter tooling in a press without precise depth control.

That's your 2 kinds of crimping presses.

Crimping cables and brake lines is custom tooling. You will not buy brake hose crimping tooling anywhere without a monstrous investment.

IMO, you're wasting your time. Look for a good deal on a crimp to diameter machine with an assortment of dies. If you're a decent machinist you can make the tooling you don't have to run in the crimper you own.

Speak to, like in person, a sales rep for a wholesale hydraulic supply house. These guys rent and sell crimpers and have to know their shit to do their job. They don't care if you buy or rent a crimper- They just want to sell you fittings.

I paid $300 for my Imperial Eastman closed loop crimp to diameter machine with dies. I've seen the same crimper for $500, $5000, $25,000. They pop up cheap regularly.

If you buy a crimp to a stop machine you lose a ton of versatility.

 

[rimcanyon]

I have one of those cheap Chinese hydraulic crimpers for swaging cable, and those dies could easily be used with a shop press. The dies crimp to a specific shape with the only variation being which size die you choose. You can do trial and error to find the right die, they come in graduated sizes. I also have a hydraulic crimper for hose ferrules that I picked up at a tool sale. It came with no documentation, and the dies it came with don't have the right size or shape for the one application I want to use it for: Porsche fuel lines, which have crimped ferrules to clamp flexible hose to steel fuel line. So my intention is to make a new set of dies that will fit the machine and do the job. I expect that once I have a program written to make a set of dies with the right shape, I can adjust the size until I get a set of dies that produces the right crimp.

Here are some photos of the hydraulic crimper. I think the dies would work with a hydaulic shop press just as well as the purpose made hydraulic press shown below.

The smallest die in the set will fit the ferrule on the left, the Porsche fuel line ferrule is on the right



These are some of the fittings the set will handle:

 

[Superbowl]

I have had a number of hydraulic hoses made and have had the same thoughts because they are so expensive. However, to do it yourself means you need to stock a selection of all those different hose ends and a bulk reel of different size hoses. Otherwise you are ordering hose ends as needed and paying shipping each time. Often you need the machine back working right away so the wait would be killer. Before going down this path consider the cost of not just the crimper, but also all these hose ends and hose you need to stock.

 

[john.k]

I have always used Duffields reusable fittings .............there is another system Ive used ,a kind of crimp that doesnt need expensive dies .....Caterpillar XT3 and XT5......a push on collar compresses the fitting .....a simple hydraulic press makes the largest hoses..........and the system is reusable ,if you want to.

 

[Ginawyllie1]

Crimping hydraulic hoses and swaging cables is a crucial skill in many industries, especially for ensuring the integrity of fluid systems and cable connections. Properly crimped hoses and swaged cables ensure safety, reliability, and optimal performance. It's a skill that empowers professionals to maintain and repair machinery and equipment efficiently, ultimately contributing to smoother operations and reduced downtime.

 

[candeservices]

I have made my own hoses and cables for about 8 years now. I have a 20 ton press and got dies thru ebay(used) all my supplies were ordered thru them also. Do Not regret my choice and my wallet tends to agree.
If you like to sue someone because your shoelace came undone, DO NOT make your own.
If you are the Nickola Tesla type then you should try it.