Smartflex

If you want to know more about the new SMARTFLEX series from Schauenburg, read our interview with Christian Mühlenbeck, Head of Sales managers at Schauenburg.
 

Hi Christian, Thank you for attending this short interview.

When we read about the SMARTFLEX hoses, we became curious about what Schauenburg had now developed. Perhaps the most relevant question is whether Smartflex replaces one or more products in the Flexadux range?
 

»To answer this question you have to go back in time a bit. In the past there was a wide variety of different hose types with different properties, depending on the application and requirements. In order to bundle as many properties as possible, such as microbe and hydrolysis resistance, flame retardancy and antistatic we developed and established the SMARTFLEX. So we are not really speaking about a replacement but rather a complement.«
 

Why the name “SMARTFLEX”?
 

»When we thought about how we wanted to name the new hose series, it became clear to us very quickly that "SMART" was the best name for it. A hose that has so many properties and is a really smart solution for our customers in the most diverse areas could only be called "SMARTFLEX".«
 

There are many types of polyethene hoses, and the most significant differences are probably the quality of the polyethene used and the combination with other materials. Can you tell us what materials SMARTFLEX consists of and why they are unique?
 

»The SMARTFLEX series is made of a high-quality ether polyurethane, which is resistant to microbes and also hydrolysis. In addition, due to its enormously high abrasion resistance, we offer all benefits of extended service life compared to many comparable products and plastic materials. According to fixed recipes, we use prime materials for the granulates and additives.«

You write that SMARTFLEX is especially suitable for the wood industry in several of your factsheets. Can the hoses be used in other industries?

»The SMARTFLEX is an “all-round talent” that can be used in various industries such as Wood industry, plastics industry or chemical industry. These are just a few examples of many. The SMARTFLEX can therefore be used almost anywhere where dust or solids are conveyed or extracted.«
 

The SMARTFLEX series consists of seven different hoses, each with a different wall thickness. But how should the customer know which thickness to choose? Can you give our customers a piece of good advice?

»The selection of the right hose always depends on certain criteria that have to be taken into account. What is being extracted or conveyed? What overpressure or underpressure must be guaranteed? What is the installation situation, is there a bending radius that must be observed? Basically, it can be said that more flexible hoses with a wall thickness of 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm are used for the extraction of air and dusts, while the more stable variants such as 0.7 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.4 mm or even 2.0 mm have their place for solids such as powder or granulates.«
 

Has your sister company Vacuflex, which makes hose sleeves, cuffs and other hose connections, made similar accessories for SMARTFLEX?

»For many of our SMARTFLEX hoses we can offer standard sleeves which are manufactured by our sister company VACUFLEX. However, we are also able to produce customised solutions.«
 

Thank you so much for making us smarter at SMARTFLEX. We hope you will help us get wiser another time.