A pet hate of mine is hydraulic power units in which the pump has to ‘lift’ the oil into its intake. In other words, mounting the pump above the tank or more precisely, above minimum oil level. Like a suction strainer, it’s another ‘engineered in’ barrier which prevents the pump’s chambers from filling freely and completely.
According to most manufacturers, … Read more
Hydraulic cylinders are almost as common as pumps and motors combined. So if you operate any hydraulic equipment, it’s likely that cylinder repair expense is a significant portion of its total operating cost.
According to some studies, up to 25% of mechanical equipment failures are failures of design. If we apply this to hydraulic cylinders, then as many as one … Read more
One of our members recounted a story about a switch in hydraulic oils which had a less than ideal outcome. The machines involved are mining-size hydraulic excavators.
These diggers were delivered to the end-user filled with the machine OEM’s own branded ISO VG46 hydraulic oil. This oil features a zinc-free, anti-wear additive package and has a viscosity index (VI) of … Read more