Back in 1991, the hydraulics company I was working for had supplied conversion kits to change the hydraulic piston pump on an ROV (remotely operated [submersible] vehicle) from an obsolete brand to Linde.

The kits had been supplied as an in-field replacement, so that the changeover could be done when necessary, in other words, when the existing hydraulic pump failed. … Read more

From a predictive maintenance perspective, there is little real benefit from taking an oil sample directly from the hydraulic tank. Sure, an oil sample taken from the tank can be used to establish the cleanliness of the fluid, and the condition of its base oil and additives.

But these days, most hydraulic systems feature a return filter, and so sampling … Read more

When it comes to sizing a hydraulic reservoir, my motto and advice is the bigger the better. Because the greater the tank volume the longer the dwell time the oil has to give up contaminants – particles, water and particularly air. Size DOES matter.

The rules of thumb for reservoir size – and that’s all they are – differ for … Read more