Why clean Hydraulic fluid is vital to the performance of your Hydraulic power pack

In today’s post, let’s cover why you need clean hydraulic fluid in your hydraulic system.

Minute Dust or Metal Particles Can Result in Big Trouble

If you follow the industry news, you may be aware of a study that was undertaken a few years back on hydraulic fluid and particle contamination. These results were published in a well-known journal on equipment management. 

The results of the study produced some fairly alarming statistics such as:

• Hydraulic equipment failures can be blamed on how clean hydraulic fluid is in 70%-80% of cases
• Even the minutest of particles – such as those that measure a tiny 2 microns in size, can be the cause of serious hydraulic system issues.
• Every day fluid filters will not do anything to stop the particles that are causing the most damage. These measure only 3 to 20 microns and can be prevented by using a high quality filter.

The researchers recognised that even hydraulic fluid analysis testing is not going to detect all the particles that can cause damage. Some of them will enter the system directly from damaged seals, dirty equipment or debris that has built up in the assembly.

It is recommended that particle count testing is used to deliver a more effective analysis of oil. This more sensitive approach for hydraulic oil testing will in fact identify particles that are 2 microns and over. It’s these smaller particles that measure less than 10 microns that will cause the majority of the damage. In fact 3.5 times more damage.

Keeping Your Hydraulic Fluid Clean

This report clearly shows how important it is to keep hydraulic fluid clean. You may want to discuss this with your service provider and ask about increased filtration and a schedule for particle testing to take place. You will get a longer lifespan from your hydraulic equipment.