You need to know seven basic pieces of information make up your need to know when looking for a hose assembly. In fact, these 7 questions have become a standard in the industry and are denoted by the acronym S.T.A.M.P.E.D.
STAMPED stands for:
Size
Temperature
Application
Media
Pressure
Ends
Duplication
Here’s how it works.

Size:
Before you can determine which assembly you need, you have to know what size hose you need and how long the overall assembly needs to be.
The size of the hose is determined by the inner diameter and outer diameters and is usually noted as I.D. and O.D.
Make sure to take note if your hose assembly will have to bend at various angles. The fewer angles the better but if they are necessary you’ll want to account for that length.

Temperature:
Not knowing the temperature range that the hose will be exposed to can lead to a quickly failing hose assembly at best, and a catastrophic failure at worst.
When looking at temperature ranges, it’s important to consider the temperature of the material flowing through the hose, as well as the temperature around the outside of the hose.
Both the high and low temperatures are significant because that goes a long way in determining what material your hose assembly should be constructed from.

Application:
What exactly is the hose being used for? The kind of hose you’ll need will vary based on its purpose.
Therefore, it’s important to know if your hose will be used for suction, venting, hydraulic fluids, etc.
Different applications require different types of hoses constructed from different materials.

Media:
Media refers to the substance or material that will be flowing through the hose. This can be anything from air to chemical fluids and even various gases.
Because some substances react with materials differently than others, it’s important to understand exactly what media you are working with. You would hate to install a new assembly and then have the chemicals you are moving cause deterioration to the hose.

Pressure:
Understand the pressure that will be flowing through the hose assembly helps determine not only what type of hose you need, but also help determine the pressure ratings you need to have on your fittings.
Extremely high pressure flows for long periods of time, or even in bursts, can create an extreme amount of wear and tear on your hose if it’s not designed to handle that kind of pressure.
It can also cause leaks in fittings that are not designed to stand up to fluctuations in flow.


Ends:
Getting the right fittings for the hose assembly is a very important part of the process. If the fittings aren’t designed to go on the hose you have, the assembly will quickly fail.
Other important factors are the angles you need the fittings to be at, the pipe thread you need, and if you need male or female fittings.
The size it important too. Does your assembly require a metric or JIC fitting? These two are not always interchangeable as the angle of the threads is not the same. The wrong fitting could lead to leaky hoses if not much worse.


Delivery/Details
When does your customer need the hose assembly? Are there more details? Sometimes you may not have the components to mmAake exactly what the customer needs, but if it is an emergency be creative. Use a higher pressure (NEVER lower) hose. if need be use adapters and swivels to get the end fitting configurations necessary. Does the hose need spring guard? Armor guard? Fire sleeve? Make sure you get all the details before making the hose assembly.


Choosing a hose assembly won’t feel like rocket science as long as you can answer the basic STAMPED questions. Each question plays a determining factor in making sure the hose is constructed of the right material, that it fits properly, that it will seamlessly connect to the equipment, and no leaking or other negative reactions take place.
Once you’ve got STAMPED answered, the rest falls into place.

The FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) is a pretty intense read. While it may be a confusing mess to wade through, it’s imperative you understand exactly what has changed, and how it affects you and your business. Let’s break it down and find out what you really need to know.


Who is Affected?For all intents and purposes, the FSMA affects any shippers, loaders, carriers or receivers transporting (by both vehicle or train) or otherwise handling food intended to be eaten by humans or animals within the United States.
Note: If the food is simply traveling through the U.S. to another destination, the new regulations will not apply.


What’s Required for Each Party?– Shippers are now required to provide to the carriers, in writing, the exact food safety requirements needed for safe transportation of their product. This extends to the type of equipment that is required as well special training associated with the transport of the product.
– Carriers are required to provide documentation upon request that details the trailer temperatures during every leg of transport. With many carriers moving to telematics devices that store data in the cloud, shippers are looking to receive this information real time. Carriers will also be required to show proper maintenance and cleanliness of trailers and equipment to ensure food safety.
– Freight Brokers, you aren’t off the hook. According to the FSMA rules, you are held responsible for the compliance of the carriers you work with. If you broker a move with a carrier that is not able to provide the necessary information upon request or is unable to meet the specific requirements of the shipper, your company can be held responsible.
– All parties must keep all written records of shipments and/or written agreements that fall under the FSMA guidelines for at least 12 months after the conclusion of the agreement.
– All parties must be prepared to show proper measures taken to prevent cross contamination of food. This includes but is not limited to raw food not coming into contact with prepared food or the introduction of allergens or chemicals that could contaminate the food.
– While all parties have a role to play in the training of proper food handling along the supply chain, the carriers have the additional responsibility of being able to produce documentation that all personnel was trained in sanitary transportation practices.
Note: The only caveat here is if the shipper does not agree that the carrier is responsible for sanitary conditions during transport.


Who Doesn’t Have To Comply?Given that the food and beverage industry is so heavily regulated as it is, the new provisions do make a few allowances.
These waivers are mainly for businesses who are already subject to State, Federal or local controls.
– Businesses in the milk industry who already have permits and are inspected by the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments.
– Businesses that are already certified and inspected by the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference’s National Shellfish Sanitation Program.
– Businesses that are authorized to provide food directly to consumers. This can be restaurants, non-profit establishments or other food retailers.


Other waivers and exemptions include:
– Transportation of live animals that are intended for food.
– Transportation of human food by-product that will be used as food for animals and doesn’t require any further processing.
– Activities associated with food transportation on a farm.
– Shippers, carriers, and receivers in the industry of food transportation but do not have more that $500,000 in annual revenue on average.
– Food that is being transported through the United States but will be consumed in another country.
– Food that is imported to the United States for future export and will not be consumed or distributed in the U.S.
– Compressed food gases, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, that will be used in food or beverages.
– Food that is completely enclosed in a container and does not require temperature controls for safety.


Now, it’s important to note the deadline for compliance has passed (April 6, 2017). But, if you are considered a small business with 500 or fewer employees, or a carrier that does less than $27.5 million annually, you have until April 6, 2018, to comply.
If you have more specific questions, check out the FDA’s page on frequently asked questions regarding the FSMA.