Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1005929
16 | July - August 2018 | www . machinerylubrication.com Have you ever been asked to troubleshoot a hydraulic issue? Whether you are a maintenance person, salesman, service provider or consul- tant, you should follow the same guidelines when diagnosing and fixing the problem. What happens in many plants is that troubleshooting is done by a parts-changing process, which can be expensive in down- time and part costs. Plus, when the machine finally becomes operational, no one has learned anything because so many random things were done. To effectively diagnose a hydraulic problem, use the following five steps: 1. Identify the Problem Most hydraulic issues can be divided into two categories: pressure or volume. A pressure issue is one where the pressure won't build high enough to operate the machine prop- erly. For example, a press may require 3,000 pounds per square inch (psi) to machine a part or compress a board, but the pressure only builds to 2,000 psi. If the issue is speed related, then a volume problem is most likely occurring. is means that either the pump is not delivering the required amount of oil or there is bypassing somewhere in the system. A maintenance manager at a plywood plant recently called and wanted to talk about a hydraulic problem on his lathe. After being asked a few key questions, he admitted that he didn't really know what the problem was. "Let me go talk to the crew and get more information," he said. It's hard to fix something if you don't know what the problem is. The most difficult hydraulic issues to solve are those that happen intermittently. In one case, a hydraulic motor would stop rotating for a few seconds but wouldn't do it all the time. Several hours went by before the motor did it again. When the hydraulic and electrical systems were checked, everything appeared normal while operating. e electrical cabinet just happened to be open during one stoppage, and a red light illuminated on the ampli- fier card for a few seconds and then went off. e red light indicated the power supply voltage had dropped below 21 volts. After much research, 5 Steps for More Effective Hydraulic Troubleshooting HYDRAULICS Al Smiley | GPM Hydraulic Consulting When gathering information, be sure to check the condition of the filters. "Hydraulic trouble- shooting is a step-by-step process. By following these five steps, you can become a trouble- shooter and not simply a parts changer."