Benefits of Professional Hydraulic Equipment Maintenance
If your company relies on hydraulic equipment to power its operations, on-time maintenance is essential. The recommendation is professional maintenance, as there are several benefits to working with a certified hydraulic equipment technician.
Five Reasons to Partner with Professionals for Hydraulic Equipment Maintenance
You may have skilled operators on your team who can
perform basic maintenance tasks, but there are several reasons why companies
rely on professionals to service their hydraulic equipment. Five of the
benefits of professional hydraulic equipment maintenance include:
1) Precision Disassembly and Reassembly of the Hydraulic Equipment
The first step in hydraulic system maintenance is disassembling the hydraulic pump or cylinder. Only then can the technician provide a full system inspection.
Hydraulic pumps and cylinders are complex machines held together by many small parts, including seals, pins, bushings and screws. If any of these parts go missing or aren’t replaced just right, it could lead to additional, more serious breakdowns.
Hydraulic equipment repair professionals are familiar with top hydraulic pump and jack manufacturers, and how each of their products are built. They reinforce this knowledge on a daily basis while performing inspections and repairs. In short, these technicians are assembly and disassembly experts.
2) Advanced Diagnostic Methods and Technologies
Hydraulic machine shops have developed their diagnostic methods from experience. They know what simple problems to eliminate first, such as a missing pin, a dirty valve, a clogged heat exchanger, etc. They know when disassembly is necessary to uncover the problem. They know what parts to focus on when checking for wear or damage.
In short, professional hydraulic equipment technicians have developed an efficient, reliable diagnostic approach.
Some machine shops also have diagnostic equipment, such as:
- Mobile pressure gauges and test kits
- Inline flow meters
- Thermal guns and infrared optics
- Voltage test kits
- CANbus readers
Together, these diagnostic technologies are used to get a detailed look at your hydraulic system’s performance. At this point, the issue can be isolated and necessary adjustments or repairs can be made.
3) Dedicated Hydraulic Equipment Maintenance Manpower
Your operators may be skilled with hydraulic equipment assembly/disassembly and maintenance, but they may not have the time for it. If your personnel have trouble sticking to a consistent maintenance schedule, it’s better for them and for your equipment to be maintained by a dedicated professional.
When an experienced hydraulic technician is on the job, it frees up your team to maximize their productivity in other areas. If you have backup hydraulic pumps and cylinders, an expert technician can service your frontline equipment in the meantime. In this way, professional hydraulic equipment technicians keep your operations going even when some equipment goes down.
4) Access to Original, High-Quality Components
Hydraulic equipment maintenance and repair technicians have an inventory of quality parts on hand. This includes components that often need to be replaced, like seals, bushings and O-rings. If a simple part replacement is all that’s needed, professional hydraulic technicians can make the fix quickly.
If replacement components are not available out of the shop’s inventory, professional technicians can access them faster than companies can typically manage on their own. That’s because the professionals know exactly which parts to order, based on your equipment’s model and specifications.
5) Long-term Cost Savings
While it costs money to bring in a professional technician to service your equipment, avoiding maintenance will eventually cost your business even more. Only on-time maintenance can extend hydraulic equipment efficiency and reliability.
Hydraulic systems are extremely complex. When a breakdown occurs, the goal is to accurately diagnose the problem as quickly as possible. Preferably, this is done without taking the system apart, as some hydraulic components are notoriously sensitive to contamination.
Given the number of failure points present in every hydraulic system, it’s common for problems to be misdiagnosed by an inexperienced technician. If your organization acts on this misdiagnosis, it could cost thousands in unnecessary repairs and component replacements.
With a proven hydraulic equipment technician, your organization will avoid these expensive mistakes.
Signs That Hydraulic Equipment Maintenance is Needed
If your hydraulic equipment is experiencing performance issues, future breakdowns and downtime are likely. Before this occurs, most hydraulic pumps and jacks will show signs of imminent failure, including:
- Decreased flow and increased bypass
- Loading that’s too fast/slow or is difficult to control
- Unusual sounds, including banging, knocking or “growling” noises
- Visible leaks on pumps, cylinders, or hoses
- Hydraulic fluid that’s cloudy or contains visible sediment
- Overheating hydraulic oil or system components
If any of the above signs are present, they represent safety and failure risks until resolved. Consider scheduling hydraulic equipment maintenance services before those risks worsen.
Professional Hydraulic Equipment Maintenance Will Maximize Your System's Value
If your organization relies on hydraulic power, then hydraulic equipment failures can bring your operations to a halt. Professional hydraulic equipment maintenance is the only proven safeguard against these failures. By investing in on-time maintenance, you’re investing in better productivity and better reliability.