The Importance and Applications of Preventive Maintenance in Hydraulic

The Importance and Applications of Preventive Maintenance in Hydraulic Systems

The Importance and Applications of Preventive Maintenance in Hydraulic Systems

Hydraulic systems are widely used in industrial automation, construction, energy, and transportation sectors. The reliable and efficient operation of these systems depends on regular maintenance of the system's components. Preventive maintenance ensures that faults are detected before they occur and that system performance is maintained. This thesis study comprehensively examines preventive maintenance strategies, technical applications, and the economic implications of maintenance in hydraulic systems.

Hydraulic systems are mechanical systems that transmit power through fluid pressure. It consists of critical components such as pistons, valves, pumps, cylinders, and hoses. Failures in these components can lead to a complete system shutdown and production losses.

Preventive maintenance; It encompasses regular checks and maintenance activities to identify potential issues in the system before failure occurs. This approach reduces unplanned downtime and extends system life.

Hydraulic System Components and Causes of Failure

Key Hydraulic Components

Hydraulic Pumps: Provide pressure to the system. Overheating, cavitation, and oil contamination can cause malfunctions.
Hydraulic Cylinders: Controls moving parts. Wear on sealing elements is a common problem.
Hydraulic Valves: Controls flow and pressure. Dirty oil can cause valve sticks.
Hydraulic Hoses and Connections: Can fray, crack, or leak under pressure.
Filters and Tanks: Protects the system from contamination. Filter clogging reduces performance.

Causes of Failure

Liquid contamination (metal particle, water, dust)
Extreme pressure and temperature
Inadequate oil change
Incorrect assembly or component incompatibility

Definition and Objectives of Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is the maintenance activities performed regularly to improve system performance and minimize failures.

Purposes:

Reducing unplanned downtime
Improving system efficiency
Extending component life
Ensuring occupational safety

Preventive Maintenance Techniques in Hydraulic Systems

Regular Check-ups

Pressure and temperature measurements
Flow and performance testing
Sound and vibration analysis

Filter and Oil Change

Checking the viscosity and cleanliness of the hydraulic oil
Changing filters at regular intervals

Visual and Physical Examination

Checking hoses and connections for cracks and leaks
Inspection of cylinder piston and gasket condition

Measurement and Monitoring Systems

Pressure Monitoring with Sensors: Abnormal pressure variations can be indicators of malfunction.
Temperature Monitoring with Thermal Camera: Overheating indicates component issues.
Particle Analysis: Metal particles in the oil detect wear.

Preventive Maintenance Planning and Schedule

Component	Control Range	Applied Maintenance Activity
Hydraulic Pumps	Monthly	Pressure and flow test, oil level check
Cylinders	Every 3 months	Gasket check, leak test
Valves	Every 6 months	Cleanliness and function test
Hoses	Every 6 months	Visual inspection, crack and leak inspection
Filters	Every 1 month	Cleaning or replacement

Economic and Operational Gains

Reduced downtime and downtime
Planning maintenance costs
Increased energy efficiency
Reduction of occupational safety risks

Applied Examples

Implementing preventive maintenance on a factory hydraulic press system
35% reduction in failure rate and 2 years extension of system life

Suggestions

Preventive maintenance in hydraulic systems is critical both technically and economically. Regular maintenance and monitoring detect faults in advance, minimize production losses, and extend system life.

Suggestions:

Sensor-based continuous monitoring systems should be installed in industrial facilities
Maintenance personnel training should be done regularly
Hydraulic oil quality and filtration standards must be strictly followed

An Example Case Study: Implementing Preventive Maintenance on a Hydraulic Press System

Case Description

In a metal forming factory, a hydraulic press system is used in the production line . The system operates in 3 shifts per day and produces an average of 250,000 parts per year. From time to time, unplanned downtimes occur in the system and production losses are high.

Purpose: To implement a preventive maintenance program to detect malfunctions in the system in advance, reduce unplanned downtime and extend system life.

Current Situation Analysis

Pumps: Sometimes low pressure, overheating problem
Cylinders: Small leaks in sealing elements
Valves: Occasional sticking, pressure fluctuations
Hoses: Crack detected in visual inspection
Filters: Clogging of oil filters and reduced efficiency

There is no constant monitoring of system performance, maintenance is only done after failure.

Preventive Maintenance Plan

Component	Control Range	Action to be taken
Hydraulic Pumps	Weekly	Pressure and flow measurement, oil level control
Cylinders	Monthly	Gasket and piston check, leak test
Valves	Every 3 months	Cleanliness and function test
Hoses	Every 3 months	Visual inspection, crack and leak inspection
Filters	Monthly	Cleaning or replacement
Oil Analysis	Every 3 months	Viscosity measurement and particle analysis
Thermal Control	Weekly	Abnormal heating monitoring with temperature sensors

Implementation and Monitoring

Pressure and temperature sensors were installed in the system.
Samples were taken from the hydraulic oil and particle analysis was performed in the laboratory environment.
The maintenance team received training and a regular inspection protocol was established.
Minor leaks and valve adhesions detected before the failure occurred were addressed.

Results

Unplanned shutdowns decreased by 40%.
The system's annual production loss fell by 25%.
Hydraulic cylinder and valve life extended by 2 years.
Small reduction in energy consumption and savings in oil use were achieved.

Analysis: The implementation of preventive maintenance enabled early detection of faults and improved the reliability of the production line. Although maintenance costs seem to have increased economically, the costs of unplanned downtime and loss of production have decreased much more.

Argument

This case showcases the importance of preventive maintenance in hydraulic systems:

Sensor and monitoring technology increase maintenance efficiency.
Regular oil and filter checks directly affect system performance.
Employee training and protocol implementation ensure continuity of care.

Preventive Maintenance Schedule Table (Case Study)

Component	Weekly	Monthly	3 Months	6 Months	Transaction Detail
Hydraulic Pumps	✓				Pressure and flow measurement, oil level control
Cylinders		✓			Gasket and piston check, leak test
Valves			✓		Cleanliness and function test
Hoses			✓		Visual inspection, crack and leak inspection
Filters		✓			Cleaning or replacement
Oil Analysis			✓		Viscosity measurement and particle analysis
Thermal Control	✓				Abnormal heating monitoring with temperature sensors

Preventive Maintenance Schedule Chart

In terms of thought, we can show this in the form of a Gantt style graph. Example:

Weekly |████| | | |

Monthly | |████| | |

3 Months | | |████| |

6 Months | | | |████|

Components--------------------------------------

Pump ██████████████████████

Cylinder █████████████████

Valve ████████████

Hose ████████████

Filter █████████████

Oil Analysis ████████████

Thermal ██████████████████████

Different processes can be highlighted with color codes:

Blue → Measurement & Control
Orange → Cleaning & Change
Green → Monitoring & Analysis

Comment

Weekly and monthly checks provide early warning of critical components.
3-month and 6-month checks guarantee the long-term reliability of the system.
When a chart and a chart are used together, a clear and actionable plan for the care team emerges.

Resources

Shigley, J.E., "Mechanical Engineering Design," McGraw-Hill, 2020.
Bosch Rexroth, "Hydraulic Systems Maintenance Guide," 2022.
Journal of Hydraulic Technologies, "Preventive Maintenance in Hydraulic Systems," 2021.

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As Hydraulic Service, we are not only there for you in case of Hydraulic System Failures and Sudden Stops, but also ensure that your hydraulic system machines operate with more efficiency with our predictive maintenance work. For more information: www.hidrolikservis.com.tr

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Hidroman Makes a Difference with Its Customer-Focused After-Sales Service Approach!

Hidroman, which has a 20-year history in the Hydraulic System sector, offers an after-sales service approach focused on increasing customer satisfaction with maintenance contracts that aim to reduce the operating costs of its customers and increase efficiency.

Hidroman, the innovative brand of the Hydraulic Equipment sector, continues to make a difference with its after-sales services positioned in accordance with the needs of its customers as well as the services it offers before and after sales. Hidroman, which aims to provide uninterrupted and safe services to its customers with its operations throughout Turkey and Europe, defines a perfect customer experience as product reliability and after-sales service reliability.

Hidroman, which has made being with its customers throughout the life of the product in order to create brand loyalty a part of its corporate culture, organizes the services it offers within the scope of After-Sales Services under four main headings as supervision and assembly, commissioning, maintenance-repair and original spare parts supply. Supervision service; It covers consultancy and training services on issues such as efficient hydraulic equipment selection, rules to be considered for correct product installation and connection of the pump with other installation equipment. After the installation of the device, the commissioning service is also carried out by Hidroman’s expert technical staff.

In hydraulic equipment technologies used in many different areas, malfunctions may occur over time due to operating conditions. During the 10-year life of a piece of equipment, the initial investment cost and repair expenses constitute 10-15% of its total cost, while the remaining expenses are due to energy consumption. Hidroman examines all processes from the selection of the hydraulic system to all the equipment on which the hydraulic system will operate, and offers “efficient system solutions that aim to minimize energy consumption”.

In addition, with preventive and protective maintenance agreements, it aims to reduce the risk of failure of the device, extend its life and ensure that the device operates with high efficiency and low energy consumption.

Thanks to the advantages offered by Hidroman with preventive and protective maintenance services, the budget allocated by its customers for maintenance pays for itself in a short time.

In businesses where uninterrupted service is important, Hidroman intervenes in malfunctions in a short time and minimizes damages caused by labor losses. Offering its customers a 10-year original spare part guarantee in the hydraulic systems it sells, Hidroman delivers tested original spare parts from stock in case of malfunction, shortens malfunction periods and eliminates disruptions that may occur during this period.

Hidroman After-Sales Services department stated that they offer annual maintenance services in accordance with the needs of the business. It states that their aim with maintenance services is to increase hydraulic system efficiency, ensure continuous operation of the hydraulic system and to detect, monitor and prevent possible malfunctions in operating equipment and devices by using technological measurement, control, analysis and monitoring devices.

We aim to standardize the service provided by our authorized services by inspecting them at certain intervals. In addition, we follow the calibration processes of our technical equipment in line with quality certificates. We attach importance to communication channels to be established in order to increase customer satisfaction both in sales and service. We are at the service of our customers 24/7 with our competent services that can answer the questions of our customers who buy our products by trusting our brand. In order to measure the customer satisfaction rate, we organize surveys for our customers at certain intervals through our call center. As a result of the feedback we receive, we take action quickly to meet the expectations of our customers. The nature of the products and services in the market is changing rapidly with the effect of the digital transformation we are experiencing due to technological developments. For this reason, we see the development in our products and services as a constantly living process and we continue our improvement and development works without stopping.

The Importance and Applications of Preventive Maintenance in Hydraulic Systems

The Importance and Applications of Preventive Maintenance in Hydraulic Systems

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