Just How Clean Is Your Hydraulic Fluid?

Whilst there are dozens of oil-lubricated assets to be found in a wide range of locations, including industrial sites, hydraulic systems are certainly the most vulnerable to contamination. In simple terms, if you take precautions to ensure that your systems, including hydraulic cylinders and motors, are kept clean, then it should continue to run reliably.

If you allow your hydraulic system to become dirty, particularly in the hydraulic fluid itself, then easily avoidable and time-consuming problems are going to occur. Through every hydraulic component, the clearance space through which your hydraulic fluid can pass through is extremely tight; even something as small as a drop of water, or a human hair, can have dire consequences for your system.

How Can Your System Defend Against Contaminants?

Despite the huge range of variation in hydraulic system designs, they all share a few common components. First off, we have the reservoir. If it has been designed well, then the reservoir can help to control possible contaminants by allowing them to drop to the base of the tank, or even by removed by a kidney-loop style filtration.

For low-pressure hydraulic systems, contamination control might not be as big of a deal as it is in highly-pressurised designs. This is because lower-pressure hydraulic systems often use gear pumps, which are more forgiving when it comes to contamination. Particularly in those systems where variable pumping might be required, which is where the system might have to move different volumes of hydraulic fluids at different speeds whilst the pump is running, contaminants can have a hugely damaging effect.

How Important Is It, To Keep Your Hydraulic Cylinders Clean?

In most industrial and domestic hydraulic systems, hydraulic cylinders are the most integral component. In fact, it is common practice to disassemble and rebuild an entire device in the event that a hydraulic cylinder requires repair. Inspecting any leakage issues and scrutinising every cylinder part – particularly the seals – is essential to getting a hydraulic system up and running again.

Any contaminants that enter your hydraulic cylinder can damage or block the seals, which can lead to a massive build up of pressure in your hydraulic system. This can result in a complete system failure. In many cases, when contaminants enter the cylinder itself, they can damage the internal casing, the shaft or scratch the cylinder bore. Often times, these issues can be dealt with through repairs, but in the event of a major contamination or severe damage to the hydraulic cylinders, they will need to be replaced.

Reliable, High-Performing Hydraulic Cylinders, From Flowfit

Here at Flowfit, we are proud to offer a wide range of hydraulic cylinders, including single and double acting designs, which are designed to meet your systems specifications and ensure a long-lasting and efficient service.

For more information on how to keep your hydraulic systems clean, or to pick out the perfect hydraulic cylinder for your system, contact our team of specialists today on 01584 876 03301584 876 033. For specific questions or product queries, you can use our online contact form or email us directly at sales@flowfitonline.com.