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With the economy as it has been for the past decade it is important to understand how we all can make the bottom line better and maintain our equipment more efficient. This book is not in any way designed to be the end all to your maintenance problems, but rather a guide to help understand the importance of empowering your mechanics so they will be able to improve the work they do. The better they are at what they do, the better they will be to reducing maintenance costs.

We will be discussing information that I have passed on for years in our classes. Information that after they get it, say to themselves “I knew that.” Yet it never hurts to re-instill that knowledge and refresh their base.

In this book we will be discussing the trials and tribulations found in some instances with cylinders. This is not a conclusive understanding nor is it intended to be, rather a small glimpse of what to expect in some cases.

The actuator can be thought of as the business end of a hydraulic circuit. It provides the output motion and provides and develops the force or torque the system requires to do the work. The job to be done and the speed, force and torque requirements will determine the necessary size of the hydraulic actuator to be used. On applications where there is a straight line or linear motion a hydraulic cylinder is used. Applications requiring rotary motion use a hydraulic motor.

Being able to troubleshoot any system without actually being on site can only happen if you understand how to read a schematic. Many resist picking up the schematic because of their lack of understanding the language of the symbols.

By understanding the symbols and following the flow path of the schematic, success in determining a problem with your system becomes quicker and more rewarding. The ability to determine a point of entry for removal of components or installation of gauges and or flow meters becomes quicker.

By reading a schematic and following its flow path, there is a less likely chance of components being removed pre-maturely thus saving time and component costs.

Cleanliness is the primary means of ensuring satisfactory hydraulic systems life. The oil and all parts of the system must be kept in a very clean condition at all times. There are a number of preventative maintenance procedures that help eliminate many potential problems. These procedures must be performed on a regular basis. Failure to perform the preventive maintenance work can result in the system’s components to be damaged or fail.

With pumps and valves designed to closer tolerances and finer finishes, fluid systems operate at ever increasing pressures and efficiencies. These components will perform as designed as long as the fluid is clean. Oil cleanliness results in increased system reliability and reduced maintenance. As particles are induced or ingressed into a hydraulic system, they are often ground into thousands of fine particles. These tiny particles are tightly packed between valve spools and their bores, causing the valve to stick. This is known as silting.

For most Companies and Government agencies, fleet/equipment services impact the delivery and cost of nearly every service provided to the public and impact the productivity of nearly every employee, support emergency services making the difference in every citizen in the City, and support maintenance of infrastructure which helps support local economy and quality of life.

Preventive maintenance and reactive maintenance are an extremely critical part of any fleet operations. By creating a Preventive Maintenance program to decrease the incidents of equipment arriving late for the PM’s they are due for, this program can be an integral part of cost savings and reduction of equipment downtime for repairs.