Tales from the Traveling Rep: Introduction

Joe Kelly

Fluid Connector Specialist

Parker Hannifin

Hi, my name is Joe Kelly. I’m a Parker Sales Rep and Fluid Connector Specialist in training. For the next few months I will be making sales calls on behalf of The Hope Group as a part a yearlong training program with Parker. I’ll be documenting my experiences along the way, here on The Hope Group’s Parker Store Blog.

A little bit about me: I have a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Drexel University in Pennsylvania, and I began working for Parker this past summer after graduation. While working for Parker I have visited 14 states, 10 Parker Divisions, and six Parker manufacturing facilities. I have met countless new people and I have learned all about Parker’s Fluid Connector Products.

As part of my training I attended product schools at each of the six Parker Fluid Connector Divisions: 

• Tube Fittings Division
• Hose Products Divisions
• Fluid System Connectors
• Quick Couplings Division.
• Industrial Hose Division
• Parflex Division

At each school I got an in-depth look at the division’s scope of products, applications, manufacturing, and most importantly to my future role I was able to meet key individuals at each division. I spent the most time at Tube Fittings Division where I worked with everyone from Customer Service Representatives and Product Sales Managers to Engineers, and Lab Technicians. It has been a crazy six months and I’ve learned a lot, but through orientation and extensive technical training in fluid connectors, I am now getting ready to hit the road on my own to represent Parker and The Hope Group.

To get things started, let me tell you about my first month at The Hope Group. When I arrived at The Hope Group back in late January I had no idea what to expect. Since then, I have travelled with THG sales people, worked in the Hose Shop and Warehouse, and spent time working in the Manchester Parker Store with Scott Levesque and Jim St. Clair.

When I got to The Hope Group – Manchester branch, I had only crimped hoses in training, so I was nervous to be crimping hoses that would be used in the real world. The first hose that came through the door after I arrived was a failed hose from a bucket truck. Scott told me to grab the hose, and make a new one. I knew that the customer was going to rely on the hose to operate efficiently and safely. Scott watched me throughout the process, catching me when I almost put on the fittings without marking the proper insertion depth. Scott was there to make sure I followed all of the proper procedures and explained why things were done the way they are. When I was finished I checked to make sure the crimps were in spec, and as I saw that the crimp diameter was inside the appropriate range, I prepared to Ultra-Clean™ the hose and hand it over to the customer. I really enjoyed my time in the store, and by the end of the week, I had a much better knowledge of the process and a good start on learning part numbers.

Next time, I’ll be reviewing my experiences travelling with The Hope Groups Fluid Connector sales team and what it was like to make my first customer visit by myself.

We Are Pleased to Feature Racor and Velcon Filtration

Drew Swanton

Parker Store Mgr.

DSwanton@TheHopeGroup.com

Through its partnership with Parker, The Hope Group is pleased to announce the introduction of the Racor and Velcon line of filtration products, including the one-piece design Racor SNAPP filter, a small, quick-service outboard engine filter that is 99 percent effective in separating water and solid contamination from marine and diesel fuels.

Our customers ask about filtration all the time. Inadequate fuel filtration can cause damage to the engine and result in costly repairs. Now that we are stocking high-performing filtration by Racor you can expect to prevent many of these issues and extend the life of your engine. While upgrading to a premium fuel filter water separator can come with a sticker shock, the protection it offers your engine translates into an overall cost-savings. 

As the temperature drops, more water is freed up where it can cause engine problems.  Free water can cause filter plugging, holes in fuel tanks, and fuel injector failures. These problems are more common as the temperature drops because the fuel’s saturation point also decreases and it will hold less dissolved water. Free water can also freeze and impede fuel flow in cold temperatures. Diesel fuel holds more moisture than gasoline, and biodiesel holds even more than ULSD, so engines running on these types of fuels are the most at risk when the filtration system has inadequate water separation or a low-quality filter is being used.

OEM Quality Material

Where competitors may offer a cheaper alternative, they lack the original equipment specifications that you want for your filter. Racor uses the same media and materials as OEM’s in both original equipment and replacement filters. Some copy filters even contain banned substances in the canister coating and plating. Racor guarantees that their canisters contain no banned substances and they undergo extreme salt spray and climatic condition validating for integrity. 

Most competitor copies use a low quality media which performs poorly and can clog 70 percent sooner than Racor media.

If the construction is shoddy, unfiltered fuel may bypass internally or leak through seals and reach the engine, which Racor addresses by using high-quality materials and adopting high production standards. The heavy-duty, high-impact nylon construction bowl is designed from a unique durable clear plastic with high clarity, excellent UV protection, low and high temperature resistance, and is impervious to all fuel types. It is tested to resist damage from impact, pressure spiking and corrosion. Fuel can leak through poor quality seals that crack or harden in cold weather, which is why the pump diaphragms and seals are rated for operating temperatures of -40 to +255 degrees Fahrenheit. Racor uses high quality automotive grade gaskets and seals such as NBR, HNBR, and Viton® which are compatible with B20 bio-diesel in addition to traditional marine and diesel fuels. 

One of the best features of the SNAPP filter is that it is so easy to use and maintain. Simply snap it into the stainless steel mounting bracket and attach the quick connect fittings. No tools are required to service it. To change a dirty filter, you just squeeze the quick-release tabs and pivot the filter forward. When done, you snap it back into place. The replacement filter’s one-piece bonded construction gives you a complete kit with all the seals. This means no fiddling around with replacement seals that are easy to lose.

Aquabloc® Technology

Racor SNAPP filter’s ability to separate damaging free water from fuel comes from its proprietary Aquabloc® technology that meets or exceeds water removal and particle efficiency requirements for OEM fuel injection systems. The Aquabloc® media is a blend of high-grade cellulose compounded with engineered fibers, and a special chemical treatment. Water will not cling to the filter, Aquabloc® repels it. 

Here’s how it works: As fuel enters, it spirals causing heavier molecules such as water droplets and large particulates to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Smaller water droplets bead up on the sides of internal components and the filter element surface until they are large enough and fall into the bowl as well. What’s especially good is the filters not only remove asphaltenes, varnishes, algae, dirt, gums, rust and other tiny solids, they are also waterproof, so they remain effective longer, saving you money.

Micron ratings of 2, 10 and 30 are all readily available. For convenience, the end caps of all elements are color-coded: Red = 30 micron, primary filtration; Blue = 10 micron, secondary filtration; and Brown = 2 micron, final filtration. The top cap also includes a handle for easy servicing and an emergency filter bypass button if things get hairy. 

For serious sailors, Racor offers the Turbine Series, an ultra-heavy-duty, high-capacity water separation and fuel filtration duplex unit to offer mariners the peace-of-mind of having a clean filter in reserve. Rough seas can stir up tank sediment which will quickly clog a single filter. With the simple turn of a valve you have a clean filter back on-line and are free to service the clogged filter. All with the engine still running.

Offering the most complete, efficient, and reliable engine protection available symbolizes Racor’s commitment to the science of filtration. The Turbine Series is rivaled by no other although many may attempt to imitate its rugged capabilities. Models that include an aluminum bowl or stainless steel shield meet ASTM FS1201 certification, are UL-listed, American bureau of Shipping, Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, ISO 10088, and USCG accepted. Did we miss any?

For more information on what we have to offer and prices to please contact one of our customer service representatives at The Hope Group: Nathan Miller: nmiller@thehopegroup.com; Drew Swanton: dswanton@thehopegroup.com; or you can call our ParkerStore at 207-774-6266.

Our Rental Program Saves You Time and Money

Drew Swanton

Parker Store Mgr.

DSwanton@TheHopeGroup.com

Here at THG Corporation, we have an excellent array of rental equipment from portable hydraulic crimpers, oil filtration systems, and hand‐crank tube benders. While outright buying this equipment can be costly a daily or weekly rental can be just the thing for a short‐term project.

I will start with some of our hydraulic crimpers: 

KarryKrimp

Our most common rental crimper is the ‐ the Karrykrimp, which is the ideal crimper for on the job crimps and emergency situations. The Karrykrimp can be used with a hand style pump for locations without electrical access, or a small, lightweight power unit can be plugged into any standard power outlet to provide a quick and easy crimping system. This crimper is good for hoses up to 1‐1/4” ID (2 wire braided hose) or 5/8” ID (4 wire spiral hose)

KarryKrimp 2

This unit is a more powerful version of the Karrykrimp, with the ability to crimp a much wider range of those series. The karrykrimp 2 can handle up to 1‐1/4”, 2 and 4 wire hose, and it can even crimp up to 1”, 6 wire hose. While it is double to weight of its smaller cousin, the karrykrimp 2 is still very portable for what its capabilities are.

MiniKrimp (Air over hydraulic)

The MiniKrimp is the best portable crimper on the market. By utilizing a one‐piece high strength cast aluminum frame, the MiniKrimp is light, robust, and highly corrosion resistant. This crimper features an all‐in‐one unit that operates with as little as 60psi air pressure.

These are just come of the models that we offer for rental. We also have some heavier duty bench mountable crimpers that are good for long‐term and ongoing projects; however they are not nearly as portable as the ones I previously mentioned.

Guardian Filter‐ Portable Oil Filtration

The guardian portable filtration system is a pump/motor combination designed for conditioning and transferring petroleum based and water emulsion fluids. The guardian circulates and “polishes” fluid in your existing system to reduce the contamination to an acceptable level.

420 / 424 Tube Bender

The Parker Exactol Tube Benders are probably the most versatile bench benders available today. Built for easy manual bending of copper, brass, aluminum, steel and stainless steel tubes to exact tolerances, the 400 Series benders are also compact and portable to any area for service use where a vise is available. A variety of tools can be used with these benders for all types of bending: close bend radius blocks, mandrels for thin wall tubes, bench mounting adapters and more.

For more information on what have to offer and prices please contact me!
dswanton@thehopegroup.com or you can call me direct at 508‐351‐2710.

Compressed Natural Gas [CNG] Growing As Alternative to Costly Gasoline Usage

Drew Swanton

Parker Store Mgr.

DSwanton@TheHopeGroup.com

You have probably noticed that compressed natural gas [CNG] has taken off as an alternative to gasoline for transportation fleets such as buses, waste removal trucks, and long-haul trucking.

The worldwide production of CNG has been growing at almost an exponential rate with a lot of other countries converting a large number of personal vehicles to gas too. At The Hope Group we have recognized this growing industry and have the means to set you up with everything you need to get your state of the art CNG station going.

For those of you who don’t know much about CNG, it is basically compressed methane gas that can be used as a cheaper fuel replacement for gasoline and propane with less undesirable side effects of the combustion process (i.e. harmful exhaust fumes such as CO2, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, etc.) CNG also releases more than 1.5x the amount of energy than standard gasoline but because it is a gas (not to be confused with a liquefied gas) more storage space is required.

Because of the storage requirements early usage was mostly limited to municipalities who had the means to fund an expensive storage system. Now that CNG has become more common and the price of storing and transferring has become cheaper it is a great way to save money on gasoline and diesel. Current CNG prices are around half the cost of standard oil based fuel prices and remember- you get more bang for your buck from a GGE (gasoline gallon equivalent) of CNG than you do with regular fuel.

CNG storage tanks on a personal vehicle in the spare wheel well.

As a Parker distributor we can provide certified CNG hose assemblies for your vehicle, transfer station and pumping station. We also stock plenty of stainless steel tubing, fittings and flex metal hose to get your CNG station going fast. If you want to know more about our capabilities please visit our website at www.cnghoseassemblies.com or feel free to contact me via e-mail @ dswanton@thehopegroup.com .

Partek Defense Sleeve

Drew Swanton

Parker Store Mgr.

DSwanton@TheHopeGroup.com

Continuing with the trend of last month’s blog on preventative hose maintenance, I am going to introduce the brand-new Partek Defense sleeve that Parker is now offering.  No matter what you do, chances are at some point a hose will fail and how nice would it be to be able to contain some of the mess when that does happen…(Drumroll please) Now you can!

Designed for the safety of personnel who are using equipment in close proximity to the machine itself, Partek Defense is a great way to protect your equipment, personnel and job site from a high pressure hose burst. The defense sleeve is able to contain a hose burst of up to 12,000 psi, which should handle most hydraulic applications. It comes in 1/4"  through 3/4" (I.D.) for most series of hose that Parker offers. The defense sleeve is also great for areas where an oil spill could have high repercussions and possible EPA fines, such as a marine environment.

See this is what happens when you don’t use the Partek Defense Sleeve

Now do not confuse the Partek sleeve with an abrasion sleeve. If you use the Partek sleeve like an abrasion sleeve it will not work the way it was designed. If you want abrasion resistance AND the hose burst protection I would suggest using two sleeves, the Partek sleeve and another one over it to handle any abrasion issues you might have.  Using the Partek sleeve for abrasion resistance will weaken the sleeve anywhere it rubs and can compromise the energy burst containment. Overall the Partek Defense sleeve is another way to save time, money and another of your customer’s lawns.

Preventative Hose Maintenance

Drew Swanton

Parker Store Mgr.


Determining whether or not to change out an old hose on a fluid system sounds like it should be something straightforward, if the hose leaks replace it right? Obviously, but why wait until it leaks to repair or replace? I know a lot of people go by “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But let me ask you this, if you saw exposed wire on your vehicle tire, how quickly would want to replace it? Hopefully right away, the same goes for hoses.

Should be able to get another 5,000 miles out of this bad boy

While working at the retail counter I have been exposed to a lot of different examples of hoses that should have been replaced well before they were slapped on my counter in a leaky, oily mess.  A small leak on a hydraulic circuit can lead to many different problems; potential pump failure if the leak goes unnoticed for a period of time, bad hysteresis, and of course the oil spill itself can be very damaging and sometimes costly to clean up.  So how do we know when to do preventative maintenance on a hose? Really the only and best way is a physical examination.

Whoa! Wrong physical.

Because you should do a physical inspection, and I can’t reiterate this enough, by no means inspect the hose while the system is running. If you do have a leak, even if it is a pin-prick, and you run your hand over a system that has thousands of PSI working pressure you can cause great bodily harm and even death.  While examining your hose you should check for any signs of exposed wires (or fiber), places where the hose is rubbing, rubber that is cracked, flaking or decayed, and rust on the ends where the hose is connected.  Preventative maintenance can save you time and money, because nobody wants to have a machine down while on the job, particularly your customer who you just emptied 5 gallons of hydraulic oil on their lawn.

OK, so maybe that’s more than 5 gallons

So how often should you check your hoses? Well again this depends on several factors; how often do you use the machine? Where is the machine kept? Do you have it exposed to the weather outside or is it protected in a garage away from the sun and elements? These factors all contribute to hose longevity. If you are finding that certain hoses wear out quicker than others it might be a good idea to get nylon, plastic, or steel hose wrap to protect it even further to get the most out of your hose. If you aren't sure you should replace your hose take it off and bring it down to one of our Parker store locations, and our professionals will be sure to take care of you.

Parker’s E-Z Form Is Amazingly Flexible

Drew Swanton

Parker Store Mgr.


If you haven’t heard about this new product from Parker, you will find that it is amazingly flexible. We are now stocking the Parker E-Z Form™ at our South Portland and Lewiston, Maine, and Weymouth, Mass. Locations.

We are very excited to offer this new state of the art industrial hose, which comes in sizes from 1/2” to 4” ID.  This is a general service hose with an amazingly flexible and non-kink style. Literally you can tie this in knots and it won’t kink!

No kinks, no problems… who’s going to untie it though?

The E-Z form™ hose is perfect for use on mobile and industrial equipment; it’s specifically engineered to handle oil, air, water, fuel and some coolants. This hose is designed for applications that require the most intense bends without affecting full flow rates.  The secret of the flexibility comes from the special corrugated Greek cover, where the grooves in it allow for the extreme bends.

Groovy.

We carry both series that Parker offers in house, the general service (7395) and oil resistant/fuel transfer hose (7219). With length availability ranging from one foot to a three hundred foot reel, we can make sure you have the right hose and length for the job. This hose is a great replacement for expensive factory pre-formed hoses that are usually inherent with tight bend applications.  It also can save you time from ordering by replacing the pre-formed hose with a cut-length of E-Z Form™.

For more information about this product or any general questions please contact me!  E-mail or phone is great- you can even fax us.