How to Use Pressure Intensification to Test a Hydraulic Cylinder

Hydraulic excavator boom cylindersIn a previous post, I described the danger associated with the intensification of pressure in a double-acting hydraulic cylinder. In this post, I will explain how to use the intensification effect to test the integrity of the piston seal in a double-acting hydraulic cylinder. But before attempting this test procedure, it is absolutely essential that the danger associated with pressure … Read more

Pressure Intensification in Single Rod Cylinders

hydraulic cylinder failureA 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 pressure intensification in a hydraulic cylinder … Read more

How To Prevent Combustion In Hydraulic Cylinders

hydraulic cylinder failureI was recently engaged by a client to conduct failure analysis on a large (and expensive) hydraulic cylinder off an excavator. This hydraulic cylinder had been changed-out due to leaking rod seals after achieving only half of its expected service life.

Inspection revealed that apart from the rod seals, which had failed as a result of ‘dieseling’, the other parts … Read more