Case provides advice on best management practices for hydraulic system maintenance.
Modern logging and construction machines make use of complex hydraulic systems. Walking around the machine and checking for oil leaks is insufficient to ensure that the hydraulic system performs trouble free for as many hours as possible. Some operators try to reduce costs by purchasing the cheapest hydraulic oil on the market, which can have a huge negative effect on the longevity of many expensive components – halving their life in some cases. In this issue of Logging-on, we examine the information on hydraulic oil, which covers manufacturer recommendations, additives and storage and handling.
- Manufacturer’s recommendations: The hydraulic oil listed in the operator’s manual should be used and will ensure that the system and its components are performing in the way they were designed. It is important to note that different regions need different types of oil. This is often related to temperature differences, so the manuals usually specify different oils for cold and hot weather conditions.
- Additives: Different varieties of hydraulic oils have different viscosity and additive packages. The additive package that goes into a specific oil is designed to deal with specific types of hydraulic systems. Case gives an example that an excavator running at 5,000 psi pressure has different characteristics and requirements than a machine running at 2,500 psi. These characteristics include shear stability (its resistance to a reduction in viscosity under mechanical stress), temperature and water resistance characteristics, and others. The specific needs of the hydraulic system determine the type of additives required.
- Storage and handling: Oil quality also relies on good storage conditions. The oil should be kept in a sealed container in a dry area. Exposed oil deteriorates in quality due to dust, particulate and moisture. Even humidity in the air can have adverse effects on hydraulic oil over time. The result of moisture is not immediate, but over time the moisture can react with the different elements in the additive package and cause rust to form on spools, valves and other precision components of the system, which will cause poor performance and unnecessary wear in the long term.
Source: http://casece.com/en_us/News/Pages/A-Primer-in-Hydraulic-Systems-Maintenance.aspx