Hydraulic systems are used in aviation, industrial, and mobile applications to transfer power to working equipment. These systems are very lightweight, compact, and efficient compared to a mechanical equivalent system. The designer of the systems carefully considers the hydraulic fluid used within the systems. This cost city, high flash and fire points, chemical stability, and oxidation resistance are all serious considerations. Mobile and industrial systems utilize synthetic and mineral hydrocarbon fluids. Aviation and industrial applications utilize phosphate esters and other functional chemicals. There are significant benefits provided by hydraulic oil analysis services. Des Moines, IA is served by a company that can provide these services can help you preserve the efficiency of your production operations.
Checking Hydraulic Fluid Impact on Performance
In order to determine if a hydraulic fluid is negatively impacting performance, monitoring hydraulics through hydraulic oil analysis services is required. Contamination can occur through dirt infiltration and water. Filters are present with hydraulic systems and continual monitoring can detect early signs of contamination that lead to part wear. In addition, this service can determine how successful the filtration process has been.
There are very tight tolerances using hydraulic systems. As example, clearances on actuators can be as low as 10 µm. Clearances on servo valves can range from between 40 to 80 µm. As a result, particles that are bigger than 4 µm may cause problems in hydraulic systems. The measurement of particles is conducted under the guidance and direction of various codes, guidelines, and methods, including those issued by ASTM, ISO, and SAE. Most of the techniques and codes identify particles by size and concentration.
The hydraulic system manufacturer will designate the type of ISO code to be used when evaluating the cleanliness of a system. For instance the ISO code used for an actuator and valve may be different than the ISO code used for a pump and a hydraulic system..
The Effect of Water on Hydraulic Fluid
Water is a contaminant frequently discovered in hydraulic systems. It can produce corrosion and oxidation of the hydraulic fluid. The recommended contamination level of water is below 2500 ppm.
Other parameters to consider for monitoring purposes include wear debris analysis/analytical ferrography, oxidation by infrared analysis, elemental spectroscopy, total acid number, kinematic viscosity, and particle counting.
For information about how you can benefit from hydraulic oil analysis services, contact an experienced oil analysis company serving the Des Moines, IA area.
