One of the key advantages of direct-acting relief valves, in comparison to their pilot-operated cousins, is fast response. And their fast response makes direct-acting reliefs the valve of choice in situations where pressure spikes are possible and must be minimized. Secondary relief valves in an actuator circuit and the ‘spike relief’ for a variable-displacement pump are common examples.

But as … Read more

If you know something about load sensing hydraulic systems, the above headline appears to be a contradiction. After all, load sensing circuits match pump flow to actuator demand. And this is supposed to increase the hydraulic system’s efficiency. Not reduce it.

HOWEVER, under certain conditions a load sensing hydraulic system can be VERY inefficient. Let me give you a real-life … Read more

What is an acceptable level of oil loss for a hydraulic machine:
a). Zero
b). 2%
c). 5% or more?

In a perfect world, the right answer would of course be zero. But in reality, the true answer is 5% or more–of tank oil volume per year. And the reason I can say this with confidence is because total hydraulic … Read more