PROTAPE® film hoses
PROTAPE® is the film hose construction from NORRES BAGGERMAN — a spiral-welded hose built from a thin extruded film tape and an embedded spring steel wire. It is extremely light, compressible and flexible. Where AIRDUC solves the task with high axial stiffness, PROTAPE solves it with low weight and foldability.
Construction description
PROTAPE is built from a thin extruded film tape spiral-welded around an embedded spring steel wire. The welding process was developed specifically by NORRES BAGGERMAN and produces a coherent, gas- and liquid-tight seam. It is the narrow overlapping between the strips that makes the hose highly compressible — it can be compressed to a fraction of its extended length and rolled up without losing its shape. It is also what makes it so flexible: each overlap acts as a small hinge that lets the hose fold evenly around a tight bend.
The film tape can be extruded with reinforcement at primary wear points, combining local wear resistance with the low overall weight. The spring steel wire is bare steel — not PVC-coated — to retain strength at higher temperatures and preserve electrical conductivity for grounding. It is the combination of thin film and bare steel that makes PROTAPE the lightest of the spiral-welded constructions.
Properties
The construction principle gives PROTAPE a property profile that differs sharply from the thicker-walled constructions — it is optimised for situations where low weight, foldability and compressibility matter most:
- Extremely lightMarkedly lower weight than AIRDUC, NORPLAST and rubber hoses of comparable dimension — important on mobile blower and extraction units.
- High compressibilityThe narrow overlap between film strips lets the hose compress and roll up — ideal for storage and transport.
- Extreme flexibilityEach overlap acts as a hinge — the hose follows even tight bends without sharp kinks.
- Even foldingFolds neatly under bending and preserves flow — no collapse in kink zones.
- Optimised flow surfaceThe film tape is extruded to interior smoothness — lower pressure loss and less deposition.
- Local reinforcement availableThe film tape is available with reinforcement at primary wear points — without significantly affecting overall weight.
- Bare spring steel (no PVC coating)Retains strength at higher temperatures and gives full electrical conductivity for grounding.
- Customisable colourFull or partial colouring is available from the factory — useful for zone marking.
Variants — TIMBERDUC® 531 and 532
TIMBERDUC® 531 and 532 are PROTAPE variants optimised for the woodworking industry. They build on the same spiral-welded film tape and spring steel as standard PROTAPE, but are tuned to the specific loads of wood dust, chips and granulate. The aim is to preserve PROTAPE's light and foldable character — important on mobile extraction units in wood workshops — while the material withstands the abrasion of hardwoods and retains flexibility at the lower ambient temperatures.
Beyond TIMBERDUC, PROTAPE is available in FOOD, AS (antistatic) and HT (high-temperature) variants. See also the standalone PROTAPE® MEMORY construction, which uses the same base principle but adds outer reinforcement and a folding geometry that makes the hose crush-resistant.
Applications
PROTAPE is typically used wherever low weight and foldability are decisive: mobile extraction units, hand-held tools, transportable blower units and applications where the hose is frequently packed away. The construction principle of thin film tape and bare spring steel makes it the lightest solution among spiral-welded hoses — without giving up grounding via the steel spiral.
In the woodworking industry, the TIMBERDUC variants are used for mobile chip and dust extraction in wood processing. In the plastics industry, PROTAPE is an alternative to AIRDUC when blower-unit weight is critical. In food and pharma production, PROTAPE FOOD with Ether-PUR resists hydrolysis from moisture and steam. And in ATEX areas, the AS variant is used with antistatic formulation combined with grounding via the steel spiral.
Manufacturer and distribution
PROTAPE® is developed and manufactured by NORRES BAGGERMAN in Gelsenkirchen, Germany — one of the world's leading producers of technical hose systems for industrial and process applications, ISO 9001:2015 certified by TÜV Rheinland. Particulair is the distributor for NORRES BAGGERMAN in Scandinavia and provides the local advisory work, customisation and installation support that makes the construction practical in your specific process.
Related constructions and documentation
Frequently asked questions about PROTAPE
What makes PROTAPE so light and compressible?
Two construction features make the difference. The first is the material: PROTAPE is built from a thin extruded film tape — markedly thinner than the profile strip in AIRDUC. The second is the narrow overlapping at the weld, which lets the hose compress to a fraction of its extended length and roll up without losing its shape. The result is a hose that weighs a fraction of a comparable rubber or full-plastic hose, and which can be stored and transported in a compressed state.
What is the difference between PROTAPE and PROTAPE MEMORY?
Standard PROTAPE is the classic, lightweight film hose without outer reinforcement. PROTAPE MEMORY has a special outer reinforcement and a folding geometry that delivers either semi-crush-resistant or fully crush-resistant performance — the hose does not collapse under lateral pressure and provides high vacuum capacity. Choose standard PROTAPE when low weight and compressibility matter most; choose MEMORY when the hose must withstand external pressure or strong vacuum.
What does it mean that PROTAPE does not use PVC-coated wires?
The embedded spring steel spiral in PROTAPE is bare steel — not PVC-coated. This is a deliberate design choice from NORRES BAGGERMAN: PVC coating on the spiral can soften at higher temperatures and compromise its anchoring in the wall. Bare spring steel retains its strength at high temperatures and can be grounded for electrical discharge without an intermediate layer that would reduce conductivity.
Can PROTAPE be used for vacuum?
Standard PROTAPE has lower vacuum capacity than AIRDUC because the film tape is thinner and more compressible. For moderate negative pressure it works fine; for stronger vacuum or suction applications, PROTAPE MEMORY (crush-resistant variant) or AIRDUC are better choices. The specific vacuum limit depends on material choice and dimension — check the data sheet or contact us.
What are TIMBERDUC 531 and 532?
TIMBERDUC® 531 and 532 are PROTAPE variants optimised for the woodworking industry. They build on the same spiral-welded film tape and spring steel as standard PROTAPE, but are tuned to wood dust, chips and granulate — typically with formulations that retain flexibility at the lower temperatures found in wood workshops, and that withstand the abrasion of hardwoods.
Where do I find the specific PROTAPE models?
This construction page describes the construction principle. The actual PROTAPE variants (with material and certification details, dimension tables and lead times) are listed under the product overview. If you need help finding the right match for your application, contact us.