• Most screeners make a large circular motion upon start up and shut down. This stretches the connecting sleeve and can cause premature failure.
  
  
• Connecting sleeves fail at the most inopportune times causing lost production and housekeeping headaches. 
  
  
• Corrugated sleeves have “pockets” which may trap product causing a sanitation issue particularly in food and dairy manufacturing.
  
  
• Moving dry particulates generate static build-up and may discharge a spark causing a safety issue.
  
  
• Plain hem fabric connecting sleeves do not stay in place until fastened with a hose clamp. This makes installation with one pair of hands difficult and time-consuming.
  
  
• Common rubber and fabric connecting sleeves do not offer visual material flow.  This means blockages may not be spotted and attended to until a problem alerts the machine operator.
  
  
• Exposure to UV light and weathering causes premature wear of most rubber and fabric materials.
  
  
• Harsh chemicals, low and high temperatures will destroy most common rubber and fabric materials leading to premature wear and sleeve failure.

• Abrasive wet / dry particles combined with constant flexing will prematurely wear rubber and fabrics sleeves.
  
  
• Fabric sleeves accumulate dust, become clogged, look dirty and require washing.  Warm water and air in the cleaning process cause the sleeves to shrink and lose their fit rendering the sleeve difficult to re-install or useless.
  
  
• Connecting sleeves are not always installed properly.  They are commonly compressed or stretched to fit.  Over-tight hose clamps have sharp edges which cut into the flexible connector.
  
  
• Flexible connectors may be specified as having the same diameter and length.  However, in the plant, lengths will vary with the machine installation and adjustments. Operators must stock different lengths of the same diameter sleeve and keep track of where they are installed and how many are on hand.
  
  
• Industrial plants process more than one type of product or material and need a variety of durable, easy to use flexible connector materials designed to withstand the applications.
  
  
• The “savings” from using the least expensive connecting sleeves never equals the money lost through increased machine downtime.

 Product entrapment

 Misalignment

BFM Fitting

BFM Fitting

Sleeve-within-a-sleeve Sift-Socks

 Hi-Flex Hose with / without cuffs

Seamless Rubber Tubing

Sleeve-within-a-sleeve Sift-Socks

Clear-Flex Tubing and Sleeves

PTFE (Teflon) Laminated Tubing and Sleeves