Heavy Construction Equipment Made Simple

Posted on: 9 June 2017

Hydraulic cylinders are just as critical to the system as the pumps and motors. Due to this reason, they tend to also be rather costly to repair and to replace. As the cost of replacing a hydraulic cylinder far exceeds the cost of repairing it, you should always try to salvage the cylinder if it's possible. This often means bringing the hydraulic cylinder to a machine shop where it can be disassembled, inspected, repaired or serviced, and reassembled. The quality of the reassembly is just as important to the finished product as the craftsmanship of the repair. Here are 3 markers of a quality reassembly.

Clean and Blow-Dry All Parts Before Putting the Cylinder Back Together

When you get the hydraulic cylinder returned to you, you should inspect it to see whether it has been properly cleaned before it was reassembled. You shouldn't see any residues on the cylinder. If it was properly cleaned, it should look like it is fairly new. Reputable machine shops will generally clean the cylinders using a petroleum-based or organic-based solvent. Both of these solvents essentially break down and dissolve contaminants that are clinging to the surface of the hydraulic cylinder.

The hydraulic cylinders then need to be blow-dried with compressed air. It's vital that a cloth or other cleaning utensil was not used, as these tools can leave nicks, minor scratches, and marks.

Avoid Using Sharp Tools and Screwdrivers

Another important mark of a quality reassembly is if there are any visible nicks on the seal grooves or the seals. This happens when sharp tools or screwdrivers were used during the reassembly. Professional machine shops use specialized tools in order to avoid leaving a mark. Keep in mind that while nicks to the seal grooves or seals might not be too detrimental to the overall function of the hydraulic cylinders, they can cause additional issues further down the road.

In addition, by finding a machine shop that has been careful not to scratch up or damage the seals with sharp tools, you can rest assured that they were probably careful in other aspects of the repair and reassembly. This means that the repairs will probably last for some time.

Plug In Service Ports to Protect from Dirt and Dust Particles

When you receive your hydraulic cylinders, you'll normally notice that the machine shops have plugged in the service ports. This is another marker of quality craftsmanship and care, as it shows that the machine shops were diligent enough to prevent the ingress of moisture, dirt, dust, and other unwanted particles into the cylinder. You should leave the service ports plugged in until you install the hydraulic cylinders back into their rightful position in your assembly line or system.

If the machine shop failed to plug the service ports after the reassembly, they run the risk of unwanted particles into the cylinder. The particles can cling onto the inner surface of the cylinder and cause blockages or other problems to emerge later on in the future. It's a problem if the particles mix with the hydraulic fluid.

Conclusion

Experts believe that as many as 25% of mechanical equipment failures are caused by improper design. If you find that a specific hydraulic cylinder is constantly failing or malfunctioning, it might not be the right design for the purpose and application that it is currently being used for. You can ask the machine shop whether adjustments or modifications can be made to improve the compatibility of the hydraulic cylinder for your system. If not, it might be best to replace the malfunctioning hydraulic cylinder with a new one for the long run.