When you are looking at the setup of a hydraulic system, regardless of the type, you will see a slew of different elements that are incorporated and included. Among the most common are hydraulic hose fittings. Fittings on hydraulic system hoses can serve an array of different purposes, but each purpose is of high importance and should be properly recognized. If you consistently work with hydraulic systems, it can be helpful to know the purposes of different fittings when you need to make adjustments or repairs. Take a look at some of the common purposes of hydraulic hose fittings. 

Fittings to Connect Hydraulic Tube Sections 

Hydraulic tubes within a hydraulic system carry hydraulic fluid and sometimes air between different points in the system setup. Hose fittings that are used to connect the hydraulic tube fittings serve the vital purpose of joining different sections and preventing leaks of either air or fluid during operation. In a complicated setup in which there are several bends and turns, there can be multiple hose sections and multiple hose fittings in place. Even a single joining fitting that goes bad can completely inhibit the hydraulic system from properly functioning. 

Fittings to Connect Hoses to Valves 

Valves in a hydraulic system, just like valves in any other setup, are designed to allow the cutoff or opening of flow of fluid or air from one hose to another. Therefore, what looks like a regular hose fitting on the outside will also have a small switch or screw that can be tightened to close off flow to a portion of a hydraulic hose. These valve fittings are typically only required to be used during maintenance work of a hydraulic system, but they can also be valuable if you are testing for leaks. 

Fittings to Serve as Actuator Connections 

The general definition of an actuator is a part of a machine that is directly responsible for controlling a certain part or action of that machine. In a hydraulic system setup, an actuator may be used to directly encourage fluid or air flow from one place to another, and there are actuator fittings that do just that. Hydraulic hose actuator fittings can take different shapes and forms, but all of them are in place to serve some kind of important control over a certain action within the system. At times, actuators may have to be calibrated or adjusted by hand.