Three Common Causes of Hydraulic Failure

This is one of the most often encountered of causes of hydraulic failure.

It has been suggested that as many as 80% of failure in hydraulic systems is caused by contamination of hydraulic fluid, with the largest proportion of contamination being from particles.

Contamination can occur when the hydraulic pump fails, and debris is introduced into the hydraulic fluid. These particles can find their way into a multitude of components within a system, for example valves and actuators, causing damage to these and other components.

Hydraulic pumps are the most vulnerable and often expensive components of a hydraulic system. The fluid needs to be kept cool, dry and clean. The introduction of particles or water to hydraulic fluid will drastically compromise its efficiency and promote wider-spread system damage.

Water will reduce the viscosity and load-bearing ability of the fluid. A serious result of this can be higher levels of contact between surfaces, resulting in greater component wear. Water will corrode system components leading to increased wear and failure as the by-products of corrosion are introduced to the system.

Particle and other contamination can be reduced by the use of appropriately-located filters.

Due to the extensive variety of hydraulic fluids available, levels of cleanliness will vary from fluid to fluid. For this reason, it is vital that any filters employed should be able to achieve the degree of cleanliness required by a specific fluid. Before filters are added and located, the precise nature of contamination needs to be established. Particle contamination is analysed by measuring the size and weight of the particles found in a specific volume of fluid.

Reducing contamination also requires extremely careful and attentive handling of hydraulic fluids, ensuring containers are properly stored and sealed.