一,Find out what caused the leak in the food-grade silicone tubing
If the inner diameter of the silicone tube is bigger than the outer diameter of the connection, it won't be possible to make a true sealing structure, even if clamps are employed after installation. If the inner diameter is too tiny, putting it in the tube too hard can stretch and thin the tube wall, which can lead to microcracks and chronic leaks over time.
Too much work pressure is the second most important reason. Silicone tubing that is safe for food is not a pipe that can handle high pressure. The pipe wall will keep expanding when it hits liquids in high-pressure pumping systems or when it is used to move things over long distances. The interface will also be able to handle repeated tensile forces, which will eventually cause the seal to collapse.
The third cause is the temperature. Silicone can handle high temperatures, but being around high-temperature steam for long periods of time and moving between hot and cold environments often can speed up the ageing of the material, make it less flexible, and make it less able to seal over time.
二,Choosing the right food grade silicone tubing is the first step in stopping leaks.
When choosing, you need to be clear about three main things: the inner diameter, the exterior diameter, and the wall thickness. Silicone tubing should fit into the joint naturally without stretching or bending, and the wall thickness should be strong enough to handle the system's working pressure. as using high flow systems, you should utilise thick-walled or reinforced silicone tubing to keep it from changing shape as the pressure changes.
the withstand voltage level needs to be looked at. differing varieties of food-grade silicone hoses can handle differing amounts of pressure. Most of the time, regular conveying silicone hoses work well in low-pressure systems, whereas braided reinforced silicone hoses work well in medium to high-pressure systems. When choosing, you must obey industrial safety rules. For example, the system's maximum pressure should not be more than 70% of the silicone tube's rated pressure.
三,The way it is installed influences whether or not it works
the choice of type of connector. Food grade systems should use hook and loop connectors, Tri Clamp quick fit connectors, or sanitary grade clamp connectors. These connectors are designed to be anti-slip and can create a mechanical locking effect with silicone tubing.
Next, look at the clamp's quality. The clamp must be made of stainless steel and have a broadband structure that can uniformly spread pressure and keep the silicone tube from getting damaged by too much pressure in one spot. To save money, a lot of businesses employ regular iron clamps or plastic cable ties. They may seem fine for a while, but over time they will develop tiny cracks that will cause leaks that last a long time.
Cleaning the interface, fitting and placing, adjusting the clamp position, uniformly locking, and pressure testing should all be part of the normal installation process. The reason there are so many leaks is because people don't follow the testing steps.
四,How the design of the system architecture affects how well it stops leaks
The structural design also decides if food grade silicone tubing is likely to leak from the point of view of the whole conveying system.It is not a good idea to stretch silicone tubing for a long time or bend it sharply often. If the pipeline direction makes an abrupt 90-degree turn, the interface will still have to deal with bending stress, and over time, the seal will come free. So, when designing, it's best to use a big bending radius and include more fixed brackets to spread the stress on the pipeline.
To keep mechanical vibration from going straight to the silicone tube contact, shock-absorbing pads or flexible support structures should be provided to equipment that vibrates a lot.
五, Maintenance management is the last line of defence against leaks that happen all the time
This is why regular checks are so important. Every three to six months, you should check the colour change of the pipe wall, look for whitening or microcracks, and see whether there are water stains or leftover liquid at the interface. At the same time, see if the clamp is loose.
The replacement cycle should be based on the conditions under which the device is used, even if there are no evident concerns. In places where there is a lot of steam and heat, it is best to change silicone hoses every six to twelve months. In places where food is delivered regularly, it is best to change them every one to two years.Silicone is a type of polymer, and once it starts to break down, it can't be stopped. Once its flexibility goes down, it can't seal again.
