Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
  • Tire Business
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Tire
    • Airless Tires
    • Non-Tire
    • More News
    • Suppliers
    • Silicone
    • Latex
    • Technical Notebooks
    • Opinion
    • Online Exclusive
    • Special Reports
    • Automotive
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • Sustainability
    • Blogs
      • Products
      • Wacky World of Rubber
    • Best Places to Work
    • War in Ukraine
    • Rubber Division IEC
    • ITEC
    • Women Breaking the Mold
  • PFAS
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
  • Resources
    • Directory
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
  • Data
  • Events
    • RN Events
    • RN Livestreams/Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Past Events
    • Rubber News M&A Live
    • PFAS Live
    • Ask the Expert
    • International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC)
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
  • Advertise
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Hose
May 27, 2021 04:45 PM

Crushproof Flex Flow line gains traction in specialty uses

Andrew Schunk
Rubber & Plastics News Staff
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Flex Flow hoses from Crushproof Tubing Co. can fit into tight, confined spaces for commercial laundry equipment.

    McCOMB, Ohio—Flexibility remains the name of the game for Crushproof Tubing Co., a smaller hose manufacturer that provides high-grade rubber products used in the military, automotive aftermarket and breathing markets, with its recent nationwide product breakthrough.

    The growing company of 42 employees housed at a 40,000-sq.-ft. site in Northwestern Ohio said it received "outstanding" reception for its Flex Flow line of synthetic rubber hoses, namely from its target industry customers: the laundry community in hotels, hospitality facilities, nursing homes and assisted living places.

    The hookups for the line of EPDM hoses are broadly standardized, the time-to-install is a fraction of that required for PVC pipes (about 45 seconds per installation for Flex Flow hoses) and the ability to place the Flex Flow line in tight spaces is unrivaled, said Todd Grayson, director of product development at Crushproof.

    "The response has been outstanding," Grayson said of the hoses, released about one year ago. "Our biggest problem has been market awareness. Those who have ordered are reordering, and it seems we are a classic example of a small business with a nationwide type of product.

    "It is a great item, but we do not have a massive marketing budget for the line. The product itself has been very well-received."

    The hoses fit 2- to 4-inch PVC fittings and machines, typical sizes for the laundry industry. And they work well in tight, confined spaces, with the ability to wrap around poles, make tight turns and conform to odd angles. Their ease of installation even can help reduce workers' compensation claims, Crushproof said.

    "With our product it is pretty simple. You just pick the Flex Flow hose size that matches the drain pipe and outlet you're working with, and that's the only part you need to complete an install," Grayson said. "We highly recommend this product to anyone working in the commercial laundry industry. You can save materials, labor, time and money."

    Many processors use big tanks of water, whether for cleaning or draining parts in a chemical bath or for industrial laundry applications, he said.

    "Anywhere you are hooking up pipes to machines, there is the possibility of vibration being an issue. Machines jostle and they can break hard seals. This solves the problem of conforming to different sizes as well as vibration isolation," he said.

    A proprietary line, the Flex Flow hoses are difficult to copy, or "knock off," Grayson said. "If it was easy a lot of people would do it," he said.

    The line did not take long to develop—the actual engineering took only a few months, essentially "having been done before it was started," Grayson said. But the challenge was in the customer solutions side.

    "The key was finding the right mix of end pieces to meet customer demand," he said. "What is the most popular? There are standard thresholds within the industry, whether that is connecting a 3-inch to a 2-inch pipe, or a 1.5-inch to a 3-inch pipe. We listened to our customer base and we are adding as many features as we can and trying to diversify the line, without turning into New Coke."

    The Flex Flow line of hoses is made of EPDM rubber—Crushproof works exclusively with synthetic rubbers, whether EPDM, butyl nitrile or neoprene—and the hoses are constructed via cold-feed extrusion.

    They are then specified out and cut to their various diameters and sizes, and cured in an autoclave using heat and steam.

    "With our seamless construction method, there is nothing to separate, delaminate, loosen or unglue—and that means fewer failure points over time," Grayson said. "There are no leak points in the hose and each end provides a clamped rubber seal that's easy to remove, adjust or inspect if necessary.

    "Our system is a drastic improvement over the traditional solvent-welded PVC pipe method. Flex Flow requires no cutting or gluing and machines can be moved or adjusted easily both during and after installation."

    A further advantage of the Flex Flow drainage line, Grayson said, is that the hoses are unaffected by UV light, ozone, detergents, bleaches and high temperatures.

    "Flex Flow is truly unique," he said. "It is amazingly fast to get a system in, and then on the back end, it is easy to maintain, modify, switch it or move it. Troubleshooting and changing or moving industrial machines can be done easily. This is one of its biggest marketing virtues."

    The hose line also reduces warehouse inventory for customers, Grayson said.

    "Instead of having to have a bunch of different elbows, connectors and lengths of pipe, you can have one set of items," he said. "I need 20 tubes for 20 machines. No elbows, 45s, 90s, different pipe lengths—all of this helps reduce inventory."

    Outside of the laundry and part-washing spaces, Grayson noted that the line has been requested for use in air intakes, which require flexible tubing.

    "It's a similar scenario here," he said, where different sizes of pipes need to be connected to a generator.

    Like manufacturers large and small, Crushproof has not been immune to supply line difficulties at seaports and distribution hubs caused by the pandemic.

    "Thankfully, we do a lot of other stuff," Grayson said of the virtues of remaining diversified. "But anything we need to get imported, lead times are unbelievable. Stuff that took a month is taking six months. It is absolutely crazy—we find ourselves contributing to the death spiral of production, as extended lead times means over-ordering, and this then makes the problems that much worse. You can put a 'me too' on that one for us."

    Grayson noted that demand in construction and home improvement never really declined for Crushproof, though automotive aftermarket service has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic levels, a "subtle wear-and-tear issue for aftermarket providers," he said.

    And there was a huge spike in demand in medical at the onset of the pandemic, for which Crushproof manufactures bellows and rubber boots for hospital beds. But even that has tapered off.

    "It is kind of like the ventilators—everybody was freaking out about their construction, and at the end of the day it was a nice PR release to say you were part of their production. But they never really impacted the market like we thought they would," he said. "It was a big burst up front that kind of went out."

    Crushproof Tubing Co. began in 1949, and its ability to adapt to market niches and unforeseen industry volatility continues for the company that first specialized in garage exhaust hoses for the automotive aftermarket.

    "We are extremely diverse," Grayson said. "We dabble in every major industry on the planet. We keep our prices low because of the standard of assortment."

    Simple Drain for a complex time

    In addition to its Flex Flow line, Crushproof Tubing offers its Simple Drain line, a plumbing and drainage system engineered with an antimicrobial additive, Micropel, placed into the mixture when the EPDM is compounded.

    "Simple Drain uses antimicrobial rubber, which can be disinfected in ways that a standard pipe cannot be," Grayson told Rubber & Plastics News last year.

    Simple Drain can be used in conjunction with any single-basin sinks in houses, industrial settings and hotels, Grayson said.

    Because of its antimicrobial nature and ability to be cleaned with a bleach-and-water solution, Simple Drain can ward off the coronavirus or Legionnaires' disease.

    Related Article
    Crushproof Tubing stays flexible during tough times
    Crushproof Tubing sees Simple Drain as alternative sink solution
    Crushproof Tubing offers customers online ‘Build-A-Hose' option
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    Most Popular
    1
    Updated: UAW expands strike on Ford, GM
    2
    Freudenberg works to reduce CO2 footprint in facilities, compounding ingredients
    3
    UAW strike prompts smaller suppliers to seek federal aid
    4
    Egypt investors propose $1 billion tire plant project
    5
    Analysis: UAW strike just one issue to watch in auto industry
    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Tire
      • Airless Tires
      • Non-Tire
      • More News
        • Automotive
        • Executive Action
        • Government/Legal
        • Sustainability
        • Blogs
          • Products
          • Wacky World of Rubber
      • Suppliers
      • Silicone
      • Latex
      • Technical Notebooks
      • Opinion
      • Online Exclusive
      • Special Reports
        • Best Places to Work
        • War in Ukraine
        • Rubber Division IEC
        • ITEC
        • Women Breaking the Mold
    • PFAS
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
    • Resources
      • Directory
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Data
    • Events
      • RN Events
        • International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC)
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
      • RN Livestreams/Webinars
      • Industry Events
      • Past Events
      • Rubber News M&A Live
      • PFAS Live
      • Ask the Expert
    • Advertise
    • DIGITAL EDITION