Best Practices for Hydraulic System Maintenance
Why Clean Oil Matters Oil plays a number of major functions in hydraulic systems, which power equipment in manufacturing, construction, and other sectors. It transmits energy from the pump to cylinders and motors, lubricates moving parts, carries heat away from working components and seals clearances to prevent pressure loss. When the fluid becomes dirty or deteriorated, it can no longer do its job efficiently. Contaminants introduced during assembly and external dirt or wear particles increase stress on components and decrease equipment life. Preventive hydraulic system maintenance is not only a crucial step in keeping machines reliable and minimising costly downtime, but also one of the best practices out there. Hydraulic Oil's Many Jobs To understand why maintenance matters, it helps to appreciate what hydraulic oil does. Hydraulic oil is a single fluid that brings together power transmission, lubrication, heat transfer and sealing. As a medium for energy transmission, pressur...