Title: Air Fittings, Hoses, and Connections
Course: Fluid Power Pneumatics (Sandbox) > Section: Module 4: Breaking Down a Pneumatic System / Air Delivery Side - 10 Hours

Flexible Hoses

Pneumatic systems often use flexible hoses. Sometimes these hoses use quick-connect fittings to connect them to the components. As its name implies, a quick-connect fitting allows fast and easy assembly and disassembly of circuits. This also allows for facilities to quickly rearrange machines and pneumatic components to best utilize space and optimal layout. Most facilities will use hard plumbing (i.e., copper, black pipe, etc.) to run main air supplies to the facilities and machines. Going into the machines, most facilities will use flexible lines.

In the following picture, the blue pipes are the hard plumb pipes that bring in the main air supply. The yellow flexible hoses are hoses that can be used on various machines and can easily be taken off and put back on.

Here is a picture of some different pneumatic quick-disconnect hoses and fittings:

The following picture shows a type of quick-connect fitting that we use in our trainers:

As you can see, the hoses can easily be taken off and inserted simply by pushing in on the black outer-ring that is on the fitting. Watch the following video where I demonstrate how to do this:

Schematic Symbols for Air Fittings

Below are some schematic symbols used for different air fittings. We will be discussing these in greater detail in future modules.

This is the pneumatic symbol for a "Tee" fitting. It is used when you want to split one air supply into two different air supplies.

This is the pneumatic symbol for a "Cross" fitting. It is used when you want to split one air supply into three different air supplies.

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