A question I’m asked regularly is “What is the best way to test the integrity of the piston seal in a double-acting hydraulic cylinder?”

There is a simple bench-test for doing this but it involves the intensification of pressure in the cylinder. While the test procedure is safe if you understand the concept of intensification in a hydraulic cylinder – … Read more

In a previous blog post I discussed the true cost of hydraulic oil leaks. In the case of oil leaks, the cost areas that need to be considered include:

Make-up fluid;
Clean-up;
Disposal;
Contaminant ingress; and
Safety.

But what about hydraulics’ fluid power cousin – pneumatics? One of the advantages that pneumatics has over hydraulics is its clean-ness. Air leaks … Read more

Hydraulic hose has a finite service life, which can be reduced by a number of factors. From a maintenance perspective, little or no attention is usually paid to the hoses on a hydraulic machine until a failure occurs. And hydraulic hose failures cost more than the replacement hose. Additional costs can include:

–Clean up, disposal and replacement of lost hydraulic … Read more