Seals may seem like inconsequential items, but they can have a profound effect on the performance of any hydraulic system. Damaged or improper seals could compromise the safety and efficiency of your hydraulic system.
It's critical that you become familiar with the potential causes of hydraulic seal damage so that you will be prepared to spot seals that are at risk of failing in the near future.
1. Heat Erosion
A lot of friction can occur within a hydraulic system. This friction generates heat, which can have a damaging effect on the seals within your hydraulic machinery.
When seals are exposed to high levels of heat over an extended period of time, they can become brittle or begin to melt. Heat-damaged hydraulic seals could fail at any time, putting the safety of your hydraulic machinery at risk.
Check the integrity of your seals often to ensure that heat erosion doesn't result in seal failure in the future.
2. Chemical Erosion
In addition to being exposed to high heat levels within a hydraulic system, seals are also exposed to many different chemical solutions. Exposure to harsh chemicals can weaken the structural integrity of hydraulic seals.
The best way to avoid seal failure caused by chemical erosion is to select seals made from the right materials.
The materials used to manufacture your seals should be durable enough to withstand exposure to the harsh chemicals found within your hydraulic system. If seals made from less durable materials are used, chemical erosion will inevitably lead to seal failure.
3. Contamination Damage
It's critical that hydraulic systems be kept clean if you want to prevent seal failure. Contaminant particles that find their way into a hydraulic system can wreak havoc on the quality of that system's seals.
These particles act as abrasives in high-pressure hydraulic systems. Since hydraulic seals are made from soft and pliable materials, exposure to these abrasive contaminant particles can cause seals to tear.
Torn seals contribute to hydraulic leaks and could shorten the lifespan of vital hydraulic components. Be sure that you regularly clean your hydraulic equipment and utilize hydraulic fluid filters to avoid any seal failures that are caused by contamination.
Being able to recognize why hydraulic seals fail will allow you to take preventative action to protect your seals against any major failures in the future.
Replace any seals showing signs of heat erosion, chemical erosion, or contamination damage to ensure your hydraulic machinery runs efficiently. Contact a company that sells hydraulic seals to learn more.
When you manage a large factory, there are a lot of things that can go wrong with your production equipment, especially if you aren't keeping them up to date. I realized this lesson the hard way after we had several key pieces of machinery break down, and it was really frustrating. I knew that if I wanted to keep my business profitable, I had to work harder to make things right. I started going through and learning how to correct different problems with our machinery, and it was great to see the difference that it made. This blog is here to help other people to know how to improve problems with industrial equipment.