Hydraulic cylinders are well known for reliability subject to certain conditions. Obviously, the long term functionality of the hydraulic cylinders depends on how it was manufactured. Researches indicate that a properly designed hydraulic cylinder, manufactured using the best manufacturing process will function properly for a lifetime without bothering you much. This is possible only if the hydraulic cylinders are subject to routine checks and maintenance. You will be well aware of the fact that the hydraulic systems are complicated ones and so is its maintenance. This article is all about the common maintenance that is needed for the hydraulic cylinder systems.

Checking For Bent Rod And Correcting

Bent rods are very rare in the case of the hydraulic cylinder systems as they can be formed only as a result of a design flaw. The common causes for the bent rod are because of the insufficient rod diameter or irregular mounting arrangement. Bent rod may also occur because of the poor quality material used for manufacturing the hydraulic cylinder system. If the bent rod is not corrected timely, this may damage the whole system in a long run. Obviously the rod of the hydraulic cylinder system should be checked for straightness periodically.

The Ballooning Of Cylinder Tube

The operating pressure of the hydraulic cylinders has a great impact in the ballooning of the cylinder tube. The ballooned tubes will lead the way to the braking of the seal and leakage of the fluid. If this problem is left unattended, the efficiency of the hydraulic cylinder will drop to a great extent. Hence, the cylinder tubes must be checked periodically to ensure maximum efficiency of the system.

Checking The Bearing Area

This is an important maintenance step that needs to be taken to ensure the long life of the seal. Insufficient bearing area will place a huge load on the piston seals. This load will be very high than what can be withstood by the seals. And so in a long run, the seals fail which will end up in a need for complete replacement of the sealing system. Checking the bearing area for abnormalities and correcting if any will ensure long life for the seals.

Checking The Surface Finish Of The Rod

There is a particular roughness requirement for the rod. If the surface is very rough, there are chances for the fluid to get leaked. For a very smooth surfaced rod, the life of the seal will be lowered. You must periodically check the surface finish of the rod and make sure that it is upto the set standards.

Checking and maintaining all these parts will ensure long life and maximum efficiency of the hydraulic cylinders.