New app is a game changer for hydraulic hose safety and efficiency

A SELF-SERVE app described as the ‘Just Eat of the hydraulic hose industry’ has been launched by engineering company Forth.

Hosebuilder allows customers to design, order and manage hydraulic hoses in minutes, helping businesses reduce costs, improve efficiency and minimise expensive equipment downtime.

Every hose manufactured through the system is fitted with an embedded RFID chip and linked to Forth’s industry-leading Hosetracker technology.

By simply scanning the chip with an NFC-enabled smartphone, users can instantly access drawings, specifications, maintenance history, manufacturing records and supporting certification.

The technology also makes replacing hoses significantly easier. Instead of removing a damaged hose, taking it to a trade counter for measurement and waiting for a replacement to be assembled, customers can simply scan the chip and order an identical replacement at the touch of a button.

Users can also modify existing designs, such as changing hose lengths, with the system providing step-by-step guidance and automatically preventing incompatible fittings from being selected.

Mark Telford, CEO of Forth, said: “Hydraulic hoses are everywhere, from cars and tractors to heavy machinery operating in some of the UK’s most demanding environments.

“When a hose fails, the cost is often far greater than the replacement itself. Equipment can be out of action for hours while somebody removes the hose, drives to a supplier and waits for a new one to be built.

“Hosebuilder removes that process. Customers can identify exactly what they need, order a replacement immediately and get equipment back into operation much faster.”

Forth is the only business in Cumbria to be a member of the British Fluid Power Association (BFPA), and the app has been developed with input from the industry body.

The platform incorporates BFPA guidance through a simple Red, Amber, Green rating system, giving maintenance teams an instant indication of a hose’s condition and age. Hoses under three years old are classed as green, between three and five years old amber, and those over five years old red.

Users can also access pressure-test certificates and material certification where required, helping organisations meet compliance requirements and maintain complete records for critical equipment.

Mark added: “For too long, businesses have had to rely on guesswork when it comes to hose replacement and asset management.

“A single hose failure can result in significant downtime, costy repairs and, in some cases, serious environmental consequences if hydraulic oil is released.

“By simply scanning a hose, customers can instantly access the information they need to make informed decisions, improve safety, support compliance and reduce the risk of avoidable failures. What we have created is the Just Eat of the hydraulic hose world.”

The launch is being supported by specialist training courses designed to help organisations embed hydraulic hose best practice and improve asset management across their operations.