How To Check The Condition of Hydraulic Oil

hydraulic oil drumThere are generally only two conditions which necessitate a hydraulic oil change. One of these is oxidative degradation. And the only way to know if the oil’s life has expired based on this condition is to do regular oil analysis.

A hydraulic oil’s oxidative condition is determined by an absolute measure of its total acid concentration. When oxygen combines with … Read more

How To Connect a Hydraulic Oil Cooler For Single or Double Pass

cooler2When locating an air blast oil cooler on a machine, it should be situated so that it is at least half the fan diameter clear of any obstructions on both sides of the core. I recommend connecting the cooler so that oil flows from bottom to top, or if the tanks are on the sides, from lower connection (inlet) to … Read more

Predictive Maintenance 101 For Hydraulic Machines

big question markIn the appendix of Reliability-Centered Maintenance II, John Moubray lists 102 proactive maintenance techniques in six categories:

1. Dynamic effects: monitoring of vibration, pulses and acoustic emissions (17 techniques)
2. Particle effects: monitoring of particles in the component’s operating environment, e.g. lubricant (15 techniques)
3. Chemical effects: monitoring of chemical elements in the component’s operating environment, e.g. lubricant (27 … Read more