Hydraulic power packs, such as the ones supplied by Hydraproducts, are a vital part of the construction industry. With a huge push on new home building across the country, it is a daily occurrence to see heavy plant equipment moving earth and preparing groundworks for construction. All of these ‘earth moving’ machines use hydraulic power to effect motion in the moving parts, with hydraulic rams serving as the muscles of the machine to raise and lower a digging arm, or to move large pipes into place for infrastructure development.
Hydraulic power packs allow the machinery to generate more power in the moving parts than if just the engine power alone was directly driving the hydraulics, so they mean a smaller excavator can move as much as a larger one without the need for that extra space. On new build sites, there is a lot of space to start with, so there is no issue with the largest machinery manoeuvring around the site. When houses start to go up and roads are installed, there is less machinery space and it makes sense to use a smaller version of a particular machine that has the same power capabilities.
A hydraulic power pack can also reduce the amount of fuel used to drive the hydraulic components, as most heavy earth moving equipment has a range of modes that can be selected to give the right amount of power while remaining economical. Digging out large amounts of earth will use a lot of power, and this can be increased above the machinery capacity by using a hydraulic power pack. Fine grading of embankments, or excavating over mains power, gas or sewage pipes requires a fine degree of control that is best achieved at a lower power. Hydraulic power packs can help to control this when used in combination with the modes available on the machinery itself. The effect is a reduction in fuel used to generate the hydraulic power and a considerable cost saving over the lifespan of a project.
Because the earth moving equipment uses hydraulics there is no need to employ a separate engineer to maintain and repair the hydraulic power packs as they use the same technology, so there is no extra cost in maintenance terms, just the cost of the power pack. When considering this investment, it is important to understand that the better control leads to improved productivity and workforce morale, as well as a lower outlay on fuel.
Hydraulic power packs are not confined to use in the preparatory stages of a large building project, however, they are also used to work cranes, that lift roof struts into place; in forklifts, that move materials around the site and even in concrete pumping machines, that are used to lay floors and external hard standing surfaces. Hydraproducts are very happy to work with equipment manufacturers to find or design the perfect hydraulic power pack for the construction industry.