Hydraulic Torque Wrench Maintenance
Hydraulic torque wrenches are extreme force applicators, and it is critical that they are kept in good condition. Failures can be catastrophic and result in serious injury, so maintenance is vital and includes the following:
- Getting familiar with the torque wrench’s operating manual
- Verifying that there are no hydraulic fluid leaks
- Checking the tightness of all retaining hardware
- Cleaning the wrench’s body and exterior components
- Lubricating all bearing surfaces
Some operators are familiar enough with their equipment to perform these basic maintenance routines. However, if you want to ensure the highest quality work, consider partnering with an expert hydraulic equipment technician to get the job done right.
Essential Maintenance for Hydraulic Torque Wrenches
There are a number of basic maintenance routines that will reduce the risk of hydraulic torque failures when performed on time. Some of these can be managed by knowledgeable operators, though some are best left to the experts. Specifically, here is the minimum maintenance hydraulic torque wrenches require for reliable operation:
- Review the torque wrench’s operation manual – The hydraulic torque wrench’s operation manual is an essential resource and should be consulted when planning out maintenance protocols for your equipment. For example, the operating manual specifies maintenance intervals, and keeping to these intervals is important when scheduling ongoing maintenance.
- Verify that there are no hydraulic fluid leaks – Hydraulic leaks are most common on the torque wrench’s body, hoses and connections. To check if there are any leaks present, pressurize the hydraulic torque wrench to its max value – in both advance and retract modes – and look for leaks.
- Check the tightness of all retaining hardware – The hydraulic torque wrench’s retaining hardware is stressed during every cycle, particularly the screws that keep the swivel head and wrench body together. Verify that these are tightened following every job.
- Clean the hydraulic torque wrench’s body and accessible components – Contamination is a major threat to every piece of hydraulic equipment, including hydraulic torque wrenches. The best defense against contamination is keeping the equipment clean. The wrench body, the drive shaft, housing guard, button assembly, ratchet lever pin and assembly, drive show and compression springs are the most important parts to target.
- Lubricate all bearing surfaces – Lubricating bearing surfaces will keep wear in check and prevent early failures. The surfaces that most need lubricating are the wrench body (inside side plates, most notably), ratchet lever, button assembly, square drive and drive shoe.
Depending on how hard your hydraulic torque wrenches are worked, they should be inspected at least monthly for any signs of wear or damage. If they are subjected to regular heavy-duty cycling, then weekly inspections are highly recommended.
Signs That Your Hydraulic Torque Wrenches Require Maintenance
Hydraulic equipment typically shows early signs of distress before failure occurs. If your crews respond to these signs promptly, it will remove the risk of early, and expensive failure. If any of the following symptoms are present with your hydraulic torque wrenches, it’s time to schedule a round of maintenance:
- Wear or other signs of damage are clearly present – You should expect at least 100,000 cycles from your hydraulic torque wrenches before wear becomes a problem. However, torque wrenches are subjected to consistent wear while contacting reaction surfaces. Once this wear becomes noticeable, it’s time for a deeper inspection.
- Oil is leaking onto the torque wrench body – If hydraulic oil is leaking out of any part of your hydraulic system, it’s critical to track the sources of the leak down, as it will be a major contamination risk until it’s resolved. If these leaks are apparent on the hydraulic torque wrench itself, a further inspection is needed.
- The wrench has recently operated in harsh conditions – It is not always obvious that your hydraulic torque wrench requires maintenance, so if your hydraulic system has recently operated in dirty, harsh conditions, it’s worth giving your equipment a closer look to ensure no contamination has escaped into your equipment.
These signs suggest a torque wrench that’s under distress, and once your torque wrenches start showing distress, it’s time for a closer inspection. Ideally, that inspection would be provided by an experienced hydraulic equipment technician
Why Hydraulic Torque Wrench Maintenance Should Be Managed by a Qualified Hydraulic Equipment Technician
Some equipment operators are comfortable enough with their torque wrench to crack it open and provide critical maintenance, but many are not. If it’s time for your torque wrenches to undergo maintenance, here is how a qualified hydraulic equipment technician can help:
- Providing on-time preventative maintenance – A hydraulic equipment technician is an expert in preventative maintenance and can keep your hydraulic torque wrenches tuned up for reliable operation. This will also minimize the risk of failures and expensive downtime.
- Providing prompt torque wrench repairs – Eventually you will need to deal with a hydraulic torque wrench that is put out of commission. The longer the torque wrench is out of service, the more it will cost your business. A hydraulic equipment expert will minimize this downtime with efficient repairs and get your hydraulic torque wrenches back into the field as quickly as possible.
- Providing an expanded inventory of hydraulic torque wrench parts – Many hydraulic torque wrench repairs require some degree of component replacement. There are a lot of bearing surfaces involved, along with seals and retaining hardware. An experienced equipment technician will have an inventory of these parts on hand, speeding up repairs and ensuring you get a high-quality fix.
- Providing expert diagnostic services – If your hydraulic system issues are misdiagnosed, the “fix” can cost more than the original problem. It is essential that your hydraulic torque wrenches are handled by expert hands to avoid this. Expertise is also essential when disassembling and reassembling the hydraulic torque wrench, as any mistakes during this process will either introduce contamination or damage the equipment’s function.
Hydraulic torque wrenches are sophisticated, yet rugged power delivery machines that require consistent maintenance to remain reliable. Reliability is a must for profitability when managing hydraulic equipment resources. To ensure your hydraulic technology provides optimal profitability and value, consider partnering with a hydraulic equipment technician to provide the kind of maintenance that can’t be performed in-house.