More than 70% of hydraulic breakdowns can be attributed to particulate contamination in the hydraulic fluid. A new hydraulic system runs at full pressure, load and speed, but over time contamination can cause wear and cracks at critical component surfaces and the system’s efficiency deteriorates long before any failures occur. With typical component clearances down to 0,5 microns it does not take much to block an orifice or to reduce, constrict or stop the flow of media, thereby preventing the proper operation of a hydraulic application.
The first line of defence is to assess the effectiveness of the system filtration and to check on the need for additional or more effective filtration. The question is which type: pressure, return, offline or suction strainer? And how do you know if the system is doing its job?
MP Filtri’s condition monitoring can reduce breakdowns by 30 to 40%, minimising downtime and lost production. These low cost online particle monitors can analyse a system 24/7 and initiate internal and external alarms should the contaminant level or moisture level change. The alarms can initiate external functions, which range from simply putting a warning light on to controlling a traffic light sequence, turning on an offline filtration system, or even shutting down the system. Protection is provided for all components and applications, reducing or eliminating high cost breakdowns and unscheduled downtimes – all for a relative small amortised cost.
So the question is not “can I afford contamination monitoring products?”, it is “can I afford not to?”
