Ongoing maintenance is critical for your hydraulic cylinders to keep them in good condition and to make sure all of your fluid power systems run as efficiently as possible.
But what exactly should ongoing hydraulic cylinder maintenance include? Here’s a quick overview of some tips from our hydraulic professionals to help you keep everything in great shape after hydraulic cylinder installation:
- Perform regular inspections: One of the simplest steps you can take to maintain your cylinders is to regularly monitor their condition. Check the rod for signs of corrosion, pitting or wear. If there’s corrosion on the rod, that could mean there’s excessive moisture within the fluid or the system. Uneven rod wear usually means there is some misalignment occurring, which could result in the bearing wearing and failing prematurely. Corroded and damaged rods can be repaired or polished in most cases, but can also be replaced if needed.
- Make sure you’re using clean oil: The majority of hydraulic failures are a result of contamination in the oil. Make sure you’re properly filtering the oil and regularly checking its condition to ensure it’s clean. The oil should be clean the moment you put it into the cylinder, and you should have high-efficiency filters installed within the system. Change those filters as required to avoid a buildup of debris within the system.
- Regularly rotate your cylinders: If you can’t afford any downtime to make repairs, it can be a good idea to keep some spare cylinders on hand that you can rotate into service. This will help you make sure your cylinders stay fresh, even when there is no risk of particle contamination or exposure to extreme operating conditions. Once you take a cylinder out of service, you can take it apart, inspect it and make any necessary repairs. Make sure to replace the seals while the cylinder is disassembled.
- Perform regular service: There are a variety of parts in your hydraulic system that should be put through regular service. Brackets, rod eyes, ball joints and various other connectors should be inspected and serviced to prevent wear and tear and potential misalignment. Even a microscopic amount of extra clearance could result in potential excess vibration and inaccurate motions, so keeping these connections appropriately fitted is crucial to the efficiency and operation of your cylinders.
- Work with a professional: From your hydraulic cylinder installation to all of your hydraulic cylinder maintenance, it’s very beneficial if you have a relationship with a professional maintenance technician you can leverage. These professionals understand the tasks that must be performed to keep your equipment in good condition and to ensure the long-term health and quality of your hydraulic systems. When you have large-scale hydraulic maintenance needs, working with a professional is much more economical than trying to perform the maintenance work yourself.
Hydraulic cylinder maintenance is critical to keeping your hydraulic systems in good condition and maximizing their useful life. For more information about the maintenance steps you should perform, contact the experts at Hydraulic Power Sales Inc.