Hose and Coupling Assembly and Repair Process Guide{0684, 3016, 3103, 3154, 4133, 4257, 4304, 5057, 7554} Caterpillar

Caterpillar Products: All

Introduction

The following information explains the repair/assembly process for hydraulic hoses through the hose service shop. The steps follow the Caterpillar recommended best practices. Every service shop is different, but the basic workflow and process still applies to all. It is a management decision at the dealership as to what extent they follow the process. The dealer can use the Service Operation Development and Assessment (SODA), SERF8918 to access their level of compliance. The compact disc can be ordered through the media logistics system. After the assessment is completed, a plan can be developed based on the findings. Service Operation Development and Assessment (SODA), SERF8918 will help identify process and tooling gaps in operations. This document also references other supporting documents that cover the various stages of the hose repair in detail.

References

Workflow

1. Customer brings in a hose to a clearly marked hose shop.

2. The work order is written.

3. Parts availability is verified.

4. New hose is cut to the correct length.

5. Clean the hose.

6. Skive the hose.

7. Reclaim the old couplings if needed for the new hose assembly.

8. Install first coupling on the new hose.

9. Crimp the first coupling onto the hose.

10. Install armor guarding if necessary.

11. Set the angle of orientation of the new couplings.

12. Crimp the second coupling onto the hose.

13. Deburr the couplings if necessary.

14. Clean the final assembly.

15. Recheck the assembly for the correct angle of orientation and overall assembly length.

16. Install caps or plus on the couplings.

17. Attach the bag containing seals to the hose assembly.

18. Apply the appropriate stickers to the finished assembly.

19. Apply the metal assembly part number band.

20. Present the final assembly to the customer or store the assembly on a shelf for the customer to pickup.

Parts Counter / Receiving Area

The first thing the customer should see is signage off of the frontage road. The sign should indicate hydraulic hose shop. Marketing literature for promoting Caterpillar hose and couplings should be on the parts counter for the customer to read. The customer should be greeted by the counterperson or hose assembler who will fill out the work order. Information required from the customer is the machine type, system pressure and temperature, and environmental conditions. This information is necessary for the identification of the proper hose components. The Caterpillar Hydraulic Information System needs to be available for cross referencing all hose product to available Caterpillar hose and coupling offering.

Work Bench

The following items should be located next to the parts counter:

• A layout bench equipped with a bench vise.

• A tape measure for checking total assembly length.

• A 7S-1125 protractor for measuring the angle of orientation of the old assembly.

• A calculator available to prevent errors when calculating the hose cut-off factor.

• An 8T-0450 thread identification kit for measurement and identification of the couplings.

• Caterpillar's Hydraulic Information System in order to identify the correct part numbers.

• A copy of Caterpillar's Product Guide, PECP5030, "Cat Hose Products & Tooling" as a back-up to Caterpillar's Hydraulic Information System is unavailable.

The parts availability must be physically verified including any seals that are required. All required seals must be kept in a clean shipping bag that will be attached to the finished assembly.

Coupling Storage Cabinets

All couplings should be stored in cabinets or drawers. The cabinets need to be labeled on the outside for easy identification of parts location. Store the low and medium pressure couplings separate from the high pressure couplings. This will ensure that the low and medium couplings aren't used on the high pressure hoses. The flow of the assembly process will be more efficient by keeping the low and medium pressure couplings near the machine that is used to crimp these couplings. Couplings are not interchangeable with different styles of high pressure hose. Reusable couplings need to be stored separately from the permanent couplings. All of the drawers or compartments need to be labeled with the correct part number of the coupling or with a bar code. This will make it easier for inventory control and ordering.

Hose Storage and Cut-off Area

The technician must cut the correct length of the proper hydraulic hose. The hose storage area should have all the hoses neatly rolled up and stored in slots or bulk hose can be stored on the shipping spools. All hoses may be run through a tubing storage/delivery system, as long as they are separated and easily accessible. Tubing takes the curl out of the bulk hose. The minimum length of the storage tubing is 3 m (10 ft.) in order to ensure the proper straightening of the hose. Utilize the 202-8559 cut-off support group in order to ensure a perpendicular hose cut. The saw needs to be equipped with a fume exhauster to draw the fumes and dust out of the area. This will cut down on the airborne contamination. Use a fine tipped gel pen to mark the cut location on the hose. Utilize 174-8912 abrasive cut-off wheel . Proper safety equipment, such as a face shield is recommended when operating the saw. Measure the hose again to ensure the hose has been cut to the proper length.

Hose Cleaning

The inside of the hose must be cleaned after cutting to the correct length. Refer to Special Instruction, SEBF8485, "Cleaning Fluid-Carrying Hose and Tube Assemblies in Shop and Field Applications" for the complete cleaning instructions. This manual also lists the hose cleaning groups available through Caterpillar. The hose cleaning group consists of a gun, nozzles, projectiles and projectile catcher. Make sure the hose cleaning process is in sight of the customer. Cleaning the hose in front of the customer indicates a level of quality and attention to detail. A perceived contaminant free assembly establishes a differentiation between the dealer service shop and the competition. An air line will be necessary for the operation of the gun. It is also recommended that the air pressure is at least 620 kPa (90 psi) in order to ensure that the projectile will travel the entire length of the assembly without lodging the projectile in the hose. Storing the nozzles in a 156-0055 Rack-Nozzle Organizer will keep them separate and make it easier to locate the correct nozzle. Store the various sizes of projectiles in a modular drawer or other contamination free cabinet. The projectiles need to be located close to the cleaning station. Post the Projectile Selection Chart, NEEG2955 in the cleaning area for reference when locating the correct nozzle and projectile. A 130-6420 Catcher Bag needs to be utilized in order to capture the projectiles fired through the assembly. The used projectiles need to be shown to the customer in order to prove that using the hose cleaning group is providing them with a contaminate free hose. The projectile may be placed in a bag and sent with the assembly for later reference.

Skive Area

All high pressure hoses must be skived. The correct tooling must be utilized including a skive tool along with a 226-7150 hose gauge kit . A Skive Length Chart, NEEG2956 should be available for easy reference in order to identify the correct skive length. Use a fine tipped marking pen to mark the correct length on the black outer cover of the hose. A skive vise should be mounted on the workbench to help support the hose during skiving. The hose is ready to be skived after the hose is marked and the hose is clamped in the vise. Place a waste bin in the skiving area to capture the outer cover that has been removed during the skiving process to keep the areas as clean as possible. Collect the skived material. Housekeeping in this area must be managed especially if in view of the customer.

Tooling

All of the tooling required for the assembly and/or disassembly of the coupling needs to be kept on a shadow board or in labeled drawers. This will insure that all the tooling has been returned. Clean all the tooling before returning to storage. Cleaning the tooling will help prevent assembly contamination and prolong the life of the tooling.

Coupling Reclamation

Reusable couplings must be reclaimed if replacement couplings are not available. Refer to the Tool Operating Manual for the machine being used for reclaiming, Tool Operating Manual, NEHS0746, "Combination Hose Machine" or Tool Operating Manual, NEHS0745, "XT-Hose Machine" may be used. The Tool Operating Manuals provide a list of all the tooling required and a step by step process for reclaiming the couplings. The couplings need to be reclaimed, cleaned, and inspected before they can be reused. Use a filtered parts washer to maintain coupling cleanliness when required. Inspect the couplings after cleaning. Refer to Guideline for Reusable Parts and Salvage Operations, SEBF8176 to determine the coupling reusability.

Assembly

The assembly process can be started once the hose has been cleaned and the couplings are obtained. Refer to the Tool Operating Manual of the machine being used for the tooling needed in the assembly process. Crimp one coupling. Check and record the crimp diameter to ensure the coupling is within crimp specifications. Refer to Chart of Proper Crimp Diameters and Tolerances, NEEG2746. Make any adjustments to the tooling prior to conducting the next crimp. If armor guard is needed, install the armor guard on the new hose before assembling the second coupling. The angle of orientation must be set before crimping the second coupling. Refer to the Reusable Coupling Tool List, NEHS0750 for the correct angle of orientation. Crimp the second coupling. Check the crimp diameter and record all of the values.

Final Inspection and Cleaning

Visually inspect the final assembly. Deburr any rough edges that may be on the couplings due to the crimping process. Check the final assembly for the correct assembly length and angle of orientation. The finished assembly then needs to be cleaned one last time. Obtain the correct projectile for the couplings being used. Fire the projectile through the assembly from the end with the smallest opening. After the hose is cleaned, the couplings need to be capped or plugged to keep out contaminates. A various assortment caps and plugs must be available at the cleaning station and installed immediately following the final hose cleaning. The assembly should be tagged indicating that the assembly is now contaminate free. Attach the "Certified Clean" sticker to the finished assembly. Attach the "Reuse this Coupling" sticker to any reusable couplings. Attach the identification tag to the finished assembly, if applicable. Place any saved projectiles in a bag and attach it to the assembly for customer inspection. Place the seals in a clean bag and attach the bag to the assembly. The finished assembly is now ready to be delivered to the customer. If the customer is not present at the time then store the assembly on a rack for easy retrieval when the customer arrives for pick-up.