In a factory setting, hydraulic components are responsible for some of the biggest and most enduring jobs—they’re put through tremendous wear and tear, supreme stress and operate at full capacity regularly. As a result, it’s no surprise that hydraulic components in Minnesota are often the subject of extensive maintenance plans and regular service.
One of the good things about hydraulic components is that they’re built to stand up to the rough and tumble that they’re going to be put through on a regular basis. The flip side to this, however, is that when problems do occur, they’re usually predictable and occur in a pattern that’s familiar to many hydraulic repair specialists. Take a look at some of the most common damages you’re like to see over time and what role these play in the function of your hydraulic cylinders and other components:
- Insufficient bearing areas: Inside every hydraulic cylinder there exist bearing areas – these are generally located in the gland and at the piston. Basically, they exist to carry the torsional load transferred to the cylinder. When this bearing area is no longer able to handle the amount of load being placed on the rod and piston seals, it will deform and fail, thus leading to major failures in the hydraulic mechanism itself.
- Ballooned tubes: As the name of this problem might imply, ballooned tubes deal with hydraulic cylinder rods that have succumbed to internal pressures too great for the material to handle, thus causing expansion of the tube itself. Ballooned tubes are liable to burst, causing immediate cylinder failure. Or, over time the ballooning can destroy the seals around the piston, slowly worsening the cylinder’s ability to function over time.
- Pressure increases: Within hydraulic components in Minnesota there exists an internal pressure that must be perfectly maintained for a variety of reasons—safety, ideal operation and component life depend on this pressure determination. When pressure increases, it can spell trouble for the cylinder’s function and act as a safety hazard. High pressure situations can lead to bursts, ballooned tubes, backfiring, etc.
- Bent rods: Far and away the most common imperfection discovered on hydraulic cylinders and the link is the problem of bent rods. Bent rods usually occur after years of constant wear and tear, where the load being bore by a hydraulic system causes the cylinder to wean slowly. Bent rods can break down unexpectedly and generally need to be replaced outright to ensure continued function of the hydraulic system. In many cases, it’s ideal to have the pressure of the load measured before replacing the rod, to make sure the new system is up to handling the load without compromise.
These are just a few of the most common issues that plague hydraulic components in Minnesota and they’re more easily identifiable because they follow a pattern of stress. In familiarizing yourself with these issues, you can more easily ensure that your hydraulic systems are better cared for and will be able to alert your repair specialist to any potential issues in a timely manner.