How to measure the length of hydraulic assemblies?

Many hydraulic hose installers aren't trained on how to correctly measure the length of hydraulic hose assemblies. As a result, when a hose is replaced, it may be longer or shorter than the original. Among the reasons to do this properly is to avoid delays and additional costs.

When a hose assembly is ordered, its length can be identified in two ways:

“Over All Length” (OAL) which means total length.
“Cut Length” which means cutting length.

The first of these (OAL) is the most commonly used.

OVER ALL LENGTH (OAL)

When assembling a hose it's important to know when length is critical. In most industrial applications (such as water and general purpose) the overall length is not such a determining factor, but in many hydraulic applications the overall length OAL may be due to space constraints. The OAL of a hose assembly can be determined by measuring the hose assembly from end to end. Here are some examples taking into account straight, 90° elbow and 45° elbow connections. It's important to remember the following when calculating OAL:

Straight connections are measured from the tip of the connection.
Elbow fittings are measured at the center of their sealing surface.
Select the hose and fittings required to make the desired hydraulic assembly. Measure the total length of the assembly and then use the formula below to calculate the required hose cut length.
Hose cut length = Total assembly length minus (C1 + C2). The cutoff value "C" is the length of the part of the fitting that is not in direct contact with the hose. For this reason, subtracting the sum of 2 "C" values from the total length of the assembly will result in: