Hydraulic cylinders are a part of most industrial units today. These cylinders provide good source of power to make many machines run. These also take care of functions like speed control, automatic overload balance, correct pressure, and positioning benefits. Cylinders are considered to be highly valuable especially when you have your base in extreme environments.
Industries also launch custom hydraulic cylinders to carry out functions like applications, road working, automotive recovery, and material handling. You can avail all the benefits from your cylinder if you know to maintain it well. These units loose life faster due to regular usage and thus, they wear soon too. You must get your cylinders inspected regularly for better performance and longer life.
Importance of cylinder maintenance
Few parts in a hydraulic cylinder need regular checks. Failure in checks and delay in inspections may break down the cylinder or may result in malfunction. It can hamper your business activities and overall productivity. Some types of common failures due to poor cylinder maintenance include;
- Damage in seals
- Sudden failure
- Loose bearings, nuts, bolts, and screws
- Bent in piston
- Damaged steel
- Exposure to explosive chemicals, and more…
Most cylinders can be repaired or replaced by professional technician. These professionals are skilled and know to get to the root of issues in case of cylinder damage or breakdown. You need to have a backup cylinder always in place if you cannot afford downtime.
Here are some common questions and concerns raised during cylinder maintenance. These will help you to be confident of your cylinder repair work on a regular basis:
- How often should the cylinder be maintained?
Cylinders play a vital role in carrying out various functions in the industry. Thus, regular checks are needed at intervals. Your technician will make an inspection of the quality of your cylinder, brand, and parts connected. They will let you know how often you must get the inspection done. Thus, professional inspection is a must for cylinder checks.
- What are the costs related to cylinder maintenance and repair?
Natural wear and tear needs to be taken care of. Moreover, any underlying issue also needs to be resolved. Other than the standard fee for inspection visit, the cost for maintenance may vary from cases to cases. The wise thing to do is to get an estimate on the repair by the technician before you begin the repair or maintenance.
- Do all the components in the cylinder need to be replaced?
Not necessarily you need to repair all the components unless they are worn out. Yes, situations where you face broken pins, abnormal stress on machine, accelerated wear in bearings, rusted parts, and more may need replacement. Allow your technician to take a look at your cylinders and let then decide what is critical to be replaced.
- What is the downtime for cylinder maintenance?
Even if your cylinder is working efficiently, there can be a natural wear and tear with time due to regular usage. Thus, substantial losses need a check by a professional. When you buy a new cylinder that also comes with a manufacturing date and lifetime limitations. Regular usage may naturally wear the components of your cylinder. Thus, most industries decide on a planned downtime to have a general inspection on the cylinder. Based on the business criticality and deadlines, the downtime is decided by the owner and technician mutually.
Find out more about hiring a professional company for cylinder checks and maintenance. Companies like cylinders inc work professional and hire the best staff. You may also check a few others in your near location.
