Lubricants News and Updates

Fluid Management – Hydraulic Oils

A common question amongst maintenance personnel is around the life expectancy of our Hydraulic Oils in their machines. For the most part, many maintenance personnel reply that they expect a very short time because of the aggressive environment surrounding the manufacturing equipment.

And this is true if we recognize that the oil will suffer just two adverse effects in the equipment: Contamination & Degradation.

Premium hydraulic oils are capable of maintaining their initial characteristics and protect the equipment for a very long time…..even several years in a properly designed hydraulic system and with a proactive maintenance program.

Rule of thumb: The cleaner and dryer that you can keep your Hydraulic Fluid, the longer it can stay in service and this will also help keep equipment in service.

6 areas to help extend the life of Hydraulic fluid while protecting equipment:

1. Choose the Right Product: Premium Hydraulic Fluids such as:

• Fleetline AW Hydraulic Fluid
• Kendall Four Seasons, Hyken or Megaflow AW HVI Hydraulic Fluids
• Phillips 66 Syndustrial or Powerflow NZ
• Petro-Canada Hydrex, Environ or Purity Food Grade Hydraulic Fluids.

A few Premium Hydraulic fluids characteristics:

• Advanced Technologies in Base Oils and Additives:

1. 1. Keep the oil and system clean
   2. Have outstanding contamination control
   3. Have exceptional protection against wear
   4. Control demulsibility

2. Prevent Contamination:

• Keep strict housekeeping control.
• Change from metal screen breathers to a desiccant breather.
• Use proper filtration and filters with an Absolute Ratio β according to your needs.
• Segregate type of lubricants to prevent compatibility concerns.
• Consolidate Inventory of Lubricants.
• Fix leaks and the air intrusion in the equipment.
• Do not use after-market additives or mix products.
• Identify and ‘Lube Tag’ the equipment and the oil being used.

3. Avoid Waste

• Repair leaks
• Use the golden rule: The right product in the right place with the right amount.

4. Protect against deterioration:

• Maintain proper storage and handling of hydraulic fluids.
• In outside storage, stack drums horizontally or upside down to prevent water contamination
• Monitor equipment operation to avoid: high temperatures, excessive air exposure, static or electric discharges.

5. Extend Useful Life

• Purchase Premium products to meet your equipment’s needs.
• Determine the optimum practical drain interval.
• Establish a system of simple checks in the field to assure the integrity of the oil and its operations – Send in routine used oil samples to a laboratory. Monitor ISO Cleanliness,
• Try to maintain and ISO Code of less than 18/16/12.

6. Personnel Training on Lubricants

• Training generates experience and this is the base of an optimum use and preservation of the lubricants and the benefits that can be achieved.
• Do not let unauthorized/inexperienced personnel handle lubricants.
• Hydraulic lube oils are the heart and soul of your equipment - maintaining a staff that can take proper oil samples and interpret the laboratory testing results will pay huge dividends back to any operation.

Quality hydraulic fluids have advanced formulations, high VI and the most advance additive packages to provide operating and maintenance benefits for increased productivity and less downtime. T

wo rules of thumb for hydraulic fluid are to keep it - “Clean and Dry”, because research and testing has proven that over 80% of hydraulic pumps wear and system failures are due to particulates and water contamination. Production downtime and labor costs for repairs often outweigh the cost of replacement of hydraulic components or systems. 

A hydraulic system can be complex with very high pressures. Most hydraulic system components have very tight tolerances ranging from 0.1 to 40 microns. Particles larger then allow tolerances can weaken the lubricant film and cause premature wear. Ingression of particulates (contaminates) usually enters the hydraulic system reservoirs or tanks through the breather cap. This is because a hydraulic reservoir will “breathe” every time the fluid is pumped in and out of an actuator or cylinder. Most particulate starts off as just airborne dust or dirt, then it finds its way into hydraulic reservoirs. From the reservoirs the particulates can find their way to the hydraulic pump and out to valves, bushings, seals, bearings, and other components. It is here that premature wear begins.

Filtration and quality breather elements are key to minimizing airborne contamination. Filtration and filter elements should be specific to the hydraulic system and its tolerances. This also holds true for a reservoir/tank breather element. Like a quality filter, a quality desiccant breather is one that: achieves the target level for “cleanliness and dryness”, has the capacity to hold and filter contaminants between fluid change-outs, but also should be easily visible for routine inspection during preventive maintenance.

Preventing the ingression of contaminants and water with quality filters, breather and hydraulic fluid is easier and costs much less then downtime or labor to replace a hydraulic system or components.

To summarize: Keeping hydraulic fluid “Clean and Dry” will extend the life of the fluid and the equipment.

A common question amongst maintenance personnel is around the life expectancy of our Hydraulic Oils in their machines. For the most part, many maintenance personnel say that they expect a very short time because of the aggressive environment surrounding the manufacturing equipment.

And this is true if we recognize that the oil will suffer just two adverse effects in the equipment: Contamination & Degradation.

Premium hydraulic oils are capable of maintaining their initial characteristics and protect the equipment for a very long time…..even several years in a properly designed hydraulic system and with a proactive maintenance program.

6 areas to help extend the life of Hydraulic fluid while protecting equipment:

1.-Choose the Right Product:

A few Premium Hydraulic fluids characteristics:

1. Advanced Technologies in Base Oils and Additives:
1. Keep the oil and system clean
2. Have Outstanding contamination control
3. Have Exceptional protection against wear
4. Control demulsibility

2.-Prevent Contamination:

1. Keep strict housekeeping control.
2. Change from metal screen breathers to a desiccant breather.
3. Use proper Filtration and filters with an Absolute Ratio β according to your needs.
4. Segregate type of lubricants to prevent compatibility concerns.
5. Consolidate Inventory of Lubricants.
6. Fix leaks and the air intrusion in the equipment.
7. Do not use after-market additives or mix products.
8. Identify and ‘Lube Tag’ the equipment and the oil being used.

3.-Avoid Waste

1. Repair leaks
2. Use the golden rule: The right product in the right place with the right amount.

4.-Protect against deterioration:

1. Maintain proper storage and handling of hydraulic fluids.
2. In outside storage, stack drums horizontally or upside down to prevent water contamination
3. Monitor equipment operation to avoid: high temperatures, excessive air exposure, static or electric discharges.

5.-Extend Useful Life

1. Purchase Premium products to meet your equipment’s needs.
2. Determine the optimum practical drain interval.
3. Establish a system of simple checks in the field to assure the integrity of the oil and its operations – Send in routine used oil samples to a laboratory.

6.-Personnel Training on Lubricants

1. Training generates experience and this is the base of an optimum use and preservation of the lubricants and the benefits that can be achieved.
2. Do not let unauthorized/inexperienced people handle lubricants.
3. Hydraulic lube oils are the heart and soul of your equipment and maintaining a staff that can take proper oil samples and interpret the laboratory testing results will pay huge dividends back to any operation.