If you’re in charge of the hydraulic machines for your company, one way of really annoying the company’s budget holder is to run your machines too hot. It’s going to cost you far more than either you or the financial director had bargained for. Another way that you won’t be a favoured employee is if you don’t get leaks fixed up, but we’re going to look at that at another time.
Here’s how an overheating hydraulic machine can cost so much money:
O-rings are going to fail. Running a machine outside and above the manufacturer’s or designer’s recommended temperature limit is going to cause issues, in particular with the o-rings and seals. The fluid will degenerate them and in turn, degrade the oil faster.
Your hydraulic fluid will need to be replaced more regularly. It will also affect how the hydraulic fluid performs and could cause it to deteriorate in terms of quality and cleanliness as viscosity will fall below optimal value.
Check your fire resistant hydraulic fluid. If you are using this, which is quite likely if your hydraulic machines are run underground or in any other very enclosed area, then you will need to check that it’s compatible with the rubber compound used in your o-rings and seals.
Running a hydraulic machine too hot is probably one of the most costly mistakes that any engineer can make. It needs to be brought down to under 82°C to operate in a way that isn’t going to be using up all spare company cash in repairs and replacements.
We recommend that you take these actions to ensure that your machine is not affected negatively;
- Bring the temperature below 85 degrees – knowing that even at 82 there could be some damage
- Check the condition of your seals and o-rings
- Check whether the fluid is fire-resistant
If you don’t check these then you could find yourself on the ‘naughty list’ of your finance director.