ISO 10380 Piping - Corrugated Metal Hoses and Hose Assemblies

The “ISO 10380 Piping – Corrugated metal hoses and hose assemblies” standard, developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), describes the minimum requirements for the design, manufacture, testing and installation of corrugated metal hoses and metal hose assemblies.

Corrugated metal hoses are designed with or without braiding, and their installations are designed to allow for frequent movement or flexibility. These design requirements should ensure long-term, safe operation of the corrugated metal hoses without degradation when properly installed and used under the chemical, mechanical, and thermal conditions of general use.

Corrugated metal hoses are divided into four different types and tested accordingly as described in this standard:

Type 1-50: Corrugated metal hoses with high flexibility and high fatigue life
Types 1-10: Corrugated metal hoses with medium fatigue life and high flexibility
Types 2-10: Corrugated metal hoses of average flexibility
Type 3: Corrugated metal hoses where only flexibility is required

The corresponding radii for flexibility tests and the corresponding radii for fatigue tests are included in the tables given in the standard.

The fatigue life of corrugated metal hose is mainly affected by bending radius, pressure and temperature:

For a given bending radius, fatigue life increases with decreasing working pressure.
At a given working pressure, fatigue life increases with increasing bending radius.

Passing a test does not imply that the minimum or average fatigue life will be achieved under conditions other than those specified in the test procedure. If a user requires a fatigue life higher than that specified in this standard, the manufacturer should be consulted. Installation configuration, such as type of movement, pressure characteristics, and environmental conditions, have a strong influence on the fatigue life of corrugated metal hose assemblies. The lubrication status of the braid affects the fatigue life of corrugated metal hose. Loss of lubrication may occur during installation, cleaning, transportation, storage, or service.

Nominal dimensions shall be as given in the table. The inside diameter of a corrugated metal hose shall not be less than 98 percent of the nominal size specification. Other nominal dimensions may be manufactured to suit the customer's requirements. Performance values shall be interpolated from the values for the nearest nominal dimensions given in the table.

Unless expressly agreed upon between the manufacturer and the purchaser, the overall length of the metal hose assembly shall be the ordered length with a tolerance of plus 3 percent and minus 1 percent. For short hose assemblies, these tolerances do not apply because a chamfer tolerance is often required depending on the connection technology of the fittings. In no case shall the overall length be less than 99 percent of the ordered length.

Corrugated metal hose must be constructed from seamless pipe, welded pipe, or strip. When welded construction is used, the hose may be butt-welded or overlap-welded. The weld may be axial or spiral along the length of the hose and conforms to qualified welding and forming procedures. Corrugations may be ring-shaped or helical. The corrugation must be regular, continuous, and concentric along the length of the hose and free from defects such as nicks, dents, cuts, or weld variations that could lead to premature failure. If necessary, a hose may be heat treated after it has been formed. Heat treatment affects flexibility, fatigue life, and pressure-carrying capacity. Therefore, the manufacturer must provide details on the properties affected by such treatment.

Materials for the manufacture of corrugated metal hoses and metal hose assemblies should be selected based on their suitability for fabrication (e.g., cold forming, welding) and the conditions under which they will be used. Lists of suitable materials and alternative equivalent European material designations are included in the tables provided in the standard.

The ISO 10380 standard is deemed necessary for the following reasons:

Safety assurance: Corrugated metal hoses are often used in high-pressure, high-temperature, or hazardous environments (e.g., chemical plants, refineries, power plants). This standard ensures these hoses are designed and tested to withstand these harsh conditions, reducing the risk of failure, leakage, or explosion.
Standardization and collaboration: This standard simplifies procurement and installation by defining uniform requirements for design and performance (such as pressure ratings, bend radii, dimensional tolerances), promoting compatibility across manufacturers and systems.
Quality and durability: This standard includes requirements for fatigue testing, leak testing, and pressure testing. This ensures that the hoses are durable, leak-proof, and reliable under dynamic loading over many service cycles.
Performance classification: This standard offers three performance classes (Class A, B, C) based on the hose's flexibility and pressure capabilities. This helps engineers and designers select the right product for their application based on performance needs.
Global trade and compliance: Manufacturers using this standard can demonstrate compliance with internationally recognized standards, facilitating global market access and customer confidence.

Our organization, which has been supporting businesses across all sectors for years through a wide range of testing, measurement, analysis, and evaluation activities, has a strong team of employees who closely follow global developments in science and technology and are constantly improving themselves. In this context, we also provide testing services in accordance with the ISO 10380 Piping - Corrugated Metal Hoses and Hose Assemblies standard.