Whether you own a restaurant, a drilling rig, a contracting company or any other types of company, you may have to buy or hire industrial equipment and supplies. However, the best equipment and supplies vary based on your industry. Hi, my name is Joe, and as a jack of all trades, I have worked in countless industries. As I am the type of person to notice everything, I have picked up a lot over the years. In this blog, I am going to share that wealth of knowledge with you. Here, I am going to discuss how to pick the best industrial equipment for your industry and help you make tough decisions about repairs, buying-versus-hiring and much more. I hope you enjoy my blog, and I'm glad you found it.
Periodic maintenance is vital in industrial environments especially when working with hydraulic machinery. When failures occur in the piping network or the pumping mechanism, you should be able to detect the anomalies fast through proactive troubleshooting and get professional assistance before complete system breakdown. This will limit the extent of adverse consequences including unnecessary downtimes, expensive equipment repairs, environmental problems and safety hazards.
Here are some of the most common problems to watch out for in hydraulic systems.
Aeration
This problem comes about when air is allowed into the hydraulic fluid and joins the circulation process in the system. You can identify this contamination through a banging sound in the machinery which occurs when the air is compressed and decompressed. You may also notice that the fluid foams on closer inspection and the actuator may display inconsistent movement. The problematic air joins the system through the pump so the root cause is normally poorly performing intake lines.
You should ascertain that the fittings in these pipes are well installed and that the lines have good structural integrity. Old and porous pipes should be replaced to prevent air intake. Other possible causes include a leaking pump shaft which can be easily replaced and low levels of fluid in the reservoir which should be restored to optimal levels. If aeration accelerates, it will lead to system overheating and degradation of components.
Cavitation
Cavitation is a malfunction that comes about when the demands of the system circuit are higher than the fluid supply. Basically, the absolute pressure of the hydraulic circuit drops below the vapour pressure and this allows formation of vapour pockets. Unlike aeration, the vapour pockets are reabsorbed before reaching the fluid surface and the abnormal noises are subtle cyclic knocking implosions.
The flow efficiency of the fluid declines because of the turbulence as the vapour pockets are released and reabsorbed. The consequences of cavitation include erosion of metal components which in turn taints the hydraulic fluid and even complete mechanical failure. The cause of cavitation problems is usually damaged components in the circuit, usually the pump so it is advisable to hire qualified repair technicians.
Slow Operation
If the machinery displays a significant reduction in performance, there is an underlying hitch. Take note of prolonged cycle time or poor speed during operation because it indicates loss of flow through a leakage. External leakages can be easily fixed by finding and replacing the burst hose. If there is no evidence of this problem, the leakage is internal and requires expert analysis and repair. You can learn more by visiting resources such as www.globalrewinds.com.au.
Share3 March 2015
