In chapter 13 of The Hydraulic Maintenance Handbook I discuss in detail the elimination of problems by engineering them out. An obvious example of this strategy is, if a hydraulic system has tapered thread adapters, their replacement with a more reliable type of connector eliminates the possibility of recurring leaks. Job done. And if an oil to water heat exchanger … Read more

Cavitation is the term used to describe the formation of gas cavities within a liquid. In a hydraulic system, this is normally taken to mean formation of vapor bubbles within the oil. But it can also mean dissolved air coming out of solution in the oil.

Cavitation erosion occurs when gas cavities in the oil collapse (implode) under pressure, in … Read more

A Hydraulics Pro Club member from South Africa sent me this story about a hydraulic system overhaul that turned into a troubleshooting nightmare:

“My company was contracted to overhaul the hydraulic system in a beverage pasteurizing unit. The system was extremely simple but the pasteurizer, after 20 years of trouble free service, was going to be critical in the launch … Read more