The importance of seals in your hydraulic systems cannot be overstated. Seals contain your fluid, prevent contaminants from entering, and maintain maximum pressure between your components. While there are static seals for fixed components and dynamic seals for parts intended to move, both types of seals have the same jobs and can be negatively affected by the same problems. Seals can harden with repeated exposure to high temperatures. Both high operating temperatures, as well as heat from …

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The elements of hydraulic systems work together as one, converting the attempted compression of liquids into high-torque kinetic energy. If a single element in the chain of components fails, the whole system suffers a loss of efficiency or can fail completely. These elements include one that is usually overlooked: the hydraulic seal. Seals come in many varieties, but in hydraulic systems, they tend to be grouped into one of two “families”: static (or immobile) seals, or dynamic (flexible) …

[Read more...] about The A-B-Cs of Seals

Traveling across the country, it can be surprising how much of our cargo is still moved by rail transport. However, given the already existing infrastructure of railroads and engines, it remains a surprisingly affordable way to get cargo from one end of the country to another. And, when things go wrong, they have a specialized tool to assist in getting the cargo moving again: the railroad crane. A railroad (or “railway”) crane is a specialized type of locomotive incorporating a powerful …

[Read more...] about Riding The Rails: The Railroad Crane

A frequent sight at road construction and repair sites, the road grader is immediately identifiable with its centrally mounted blade sitting between the single front axle and double rear axles. Though it looks simple in design, the precision required for ground leveling and road construction requires several hydraulic systems. Most industrial graders will actually utilize a staggering number of flat motor hydraulic cylinders—seven in most cases. These include a cylinder to control front …

[Read more...] about Hydraulics Working In Concert: The Road Grader

Hydraulic systems on heavy equipment are not cheap. Making sure your systems are in perfect shape is the key to not having to pay for expensive repairs or even component replacements. The primary way of caring for these critical systems is via preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance for hydraulic systems consists of several different tasks, but the most important and most frequently overlooked one is fluid maintenance. Changing your system’s fluids and filters at the recommended …

[Read more...] about The Secret To Avoiding Hydraulics Repair Bills