Hydraulic equipment forms the backbone of the modern construction industry. With tight deliverables and timelines stretching into months and sometimes years, it is to your benefit to keep your hydraulic equipment running. Let’s take a moment to identify the common problems that our hydraulic equipment experiences.
The number one problem for hydraulic equipment is air and water contamination. It is estimated that better than three-quarters of the failures of hydraulic systems come from external contamination. This is understandable—a job site is a dirty place. The solution is to be meticulous about changing fluids, checking filters, and making sure that external contaminants stay outside of our hydraulic systems.
Another common problem for hydraulic systems is temperature. The construction industry rarely gets a day off, which means that temperature can affect our systems in two different ways. First, working in extreme heat and cold can have an impact on the temp of our hydraulics systems. The other issue is that systems continuously operating tend to generate lots of excess heat—and heat is the enemy of these closed-loop systems. Take all appropriate precautions to keep your heat levels within normal safe operating levels.
The last area is the most difficult: human error. It can also be the most dangerous. Maintaining a well-trained staff is the key to avoiding human error. So are things like teaching staff to not “take shortcuts,” and scheduling regular breaks.
If you have any additional questions about hydraulic system safety, or your systems need a safety check, contact us at Texas Hydrostatics. Our experienced pros can help keep your systems running through the toughest schedules and on the most challenging worksites.