This article focuses on the common problems associated with hydraulic systems and how these issues can affect individual components as well as the systems themselves. It gives an in-depth insight into how problems initially develop, any knock on effects and how failures can happen if the issue isn’t diagnosed correctly.

Hydraulic systems sometimes have a manual relief valve integrated into the design. This valve relieves built up pressure and is usually deployed when the mechanical system fails at some point and stops the pressure being relieved automatically according to the normal operation of the equipment. Essentially it is a safety feature that does not rely on a mechanical or electronic process but on human interaction which over-rides the system, returning the machinery back to an idle position. In ca...

Hydraulic pressure is most often used to create, fabricate and produce items, from refining oil to building homes and even maintaining cars, but not all uses of hydraulics are productive; some hydraulic machinery is designed to break items like locks and metal frames. The emergency services are one of the biggest users of destructive hydraulic equipment including the Jaws of Life, which are used to cut and stretch mangled vehicles, and lock breaking devices used to gain access to buildings.

Injuries are a relatively common occurrence for people working with hydraulics, especially those working in the maintenance and/or repair of hydraulic equipment. The most serious injury is a pressurised fluid injection, but accidents can also happen with moving parts when the stored energy in the system is not released before inspections and repairs are made. Unfortunately, it is not routine for tags and gauges to be used to denote places where energy is stored. The engineer must study the sc...

Smartphones have revolutionised the way we work and live in a very short space of time; “there's an app for that” may have been the slogan that launched a thousand apps but it's definitely true, whatever you need help with there is an app designed specifically for that purpose. Some apps are designed to fulfil a particular function that can be applied over several uses, such as torch apps, compasses and even scales (which use the ability to sense pressure to weigh items on the phone s...

Working with hydraulic machinery involves a certain degree of trouble shooting and problem solving, even people who operate the equipment and are not involved in maintenance and repair, should have some basic knowledge of what can go wrong and what to look out for. When it comes to diagnosing and solving problems with hydraulic machinery there are several things that should be checked, and just as many tips and tools to help you do so.

As everybody who works closely with hydraulic equipment and has to deal with failed components knows, some manufacturers have been known to try anything to deny warranty claims.

We are big fans of scheduling as we know what a difference it makes to the condition of a machine. For example, a hydraulic pump that is regularly serviced should still not be allowed to continue to perform beyond its expected service life. Although you may not notice that the rate of productivity has changed, once a pump begins to gain a certain age, it can put your entire hydraulic circuit and components at risk if it’s not changed out.A hydraulic pump that is part of a service and maint...

When it comes to actuators, there are a few differences that you should know about if you’re in the engineering field. If you haven’t had a whole lot of experience, then here’s the lowdown.

How well do you really know your hydraulic machine? Do you know what its operating pressure is when it’s running normally? How about its typical temperature? If you don’t know the answer of these two questions, then you don’t know your machine very well and you could be putting yourself into a vulnerable position.Recently, one of our clients discussed an issue they had with their machine. Although it’s the mobile hydraulic systems that we supply, our clients are involved ...