Top Hydraulic Equipment Considerations
Is your organization considering purchasing or renting a piece of hydraulic equipment? Here are some of the top hydraulic equipment considerations you’ll need to resolve before settling on the right model, including:
- The equipment’s durability and ruggedness
- The equipment’s performance specifications (pressure rating, displacement rates, etc.)
- The equipment’s weight and portability
- The equipment’s safety and control features
- The equipment’s compatibility with your other system components
There’s a lot to consider when selecting a hydraulic pump, hydraulic cylinder, hydraulic valve or other hydraulic accessory. As such, it can be a major challenge for companies to identify the right equipment model for their application, which is why many companies partner with an expert hydraulic equipment supplier to assist with the selection process.
Five Things to Consider When Selecting Hydraulic Equipment
If you’re adding to your hydraulic equipment assets, there are several things to determine before committing to a brand and model. Those considerations include:
- The hydraulic equipment’s durability – Depending on your application, durability may be your number one concern. It is critical that your hydraulic pump or hydraulic cylinder is built to withstand its expected operating environment, whether it’s a dusty worksite, downhole in an oil well or in another challenging work setting.
Hydraulic equipment is subjected to extreme stresses due to environmental dirt, dust and moisture, along with considerable heat and vibration. To withstand these stresses, your hydraulic equipment should be manufactured by a proven, trusted brand. Further, it should be designed with various durability features, like a solid steel body, quality bearings and springs, and corrosion-resistant components.
- The hydraulic equipment’s performance specifications – Hydraulic systems are also defined by a number of performance specifications. For hydraulic pumps, this includes operating pressure, flow rate, the motor’s speed and power, reservoir capacity, valve design and thermal dissipation capacity. For hydraulic cylinders, important performance characteristics include its stroke length, capacity and rod diameter.
Together, these performance characteristics define what applications your hydraulic equipment will be suited for.
- The hydraulic equipment’s durability – Depending on your application, durability may be your number one concern. It is critical that your hydraulic pump or hydraulic cylinder is built to withstand its expected operating environment, whether it’s a dusty worksite, downhole in an oil well or in another challenging work setting.
- The hydraulic equipment’s mobility and portability – If your hydraulic equipment will be moved around during operation (like with foundation repair or post-tensioning), then it’s important to select a model that can be easily maneuvered and positioned. When selecting a piece of hydraulic equipment, choose a lighter weight model to reduce the strain on your operator crews.
- The hydraulic equipment’s safety and control features – Hydraulic pumps and hydraulic cylinders are frequently designed with safety or control features that can protect your workers from undue risk. Safety features include a true relief valve, remote control functionality and hold functionality that ensures pressure is maintained even after the motor is shut off. Your hydraulic equipment should be built with features like these if your application includes heavy lifting or load positioning.
- The hydraulic equipment’s compatibility with existing system components – If you’re adding hydraulic components to your existing system, it will need to be sized properly. A hydraulic pump will need to deliver sufficient pressures. A hydraulic cylinder will need the right bore diameter. Any hydraulic lines will need to have the right interior diameter and resist bending.
- The hydraulic equipment’s mobility and portability – If your hydraulic equipment will be moved around during operation (like with foundation repair or post-tensioning), then it’s important to select a model that can be easily maneuvered and positioned. When selecting a piece of hydraulic equipment, choose a lighter weight model to reduce the strain on your operator crews.
A Hydraulic Equipment Expert Will Ensure All Major Concerns are Addressed
There’s a lot to consider when acquiring a new piece of hydraulic equipment, and it’s common for companies to miss important details during the acquisition process. However, if you’re working with an experienced and knowledgeable hydraulic professional, you’ll ensure that your most important concerns are addressed. For example, an expert hydraulic equipment technician can match your application to an appropriately sized and designed system.
In addition to expertly built hydraulic solutions, an expert technician can provide the following advantages to your organization:
- Responsive troubleshooting and maintenance – Hydraulic equipment experts have fully built out workshops for performing extensive troubleshooting processes and maintenance. If your hydraulic pump or jack is showing signs of reduced performance or impending failure, a hydraulic equipment expert can quickly identify the cause of the problem and resolve it before it causes downtime.
- Rapid hydraulic equipment repairs – If your hydraulic system is taken offline by an unexpected failure, your hydraulic equipment partner will be able to provide the fastest possible repair. And if it’s time for a replacement, your hydraulic expert will have the best insight into what model is best for your application.
- Expanded access to replacement hydraulic components – Many hydraulic equipment repairs involve replacing parts, and this is what can delay a fix – especially with modern supply chain difficulties slowing the process down. If you’re partnered with a hydraulic equipment expert, you’ll have rapid access to those replacement components. There are two benefits here. One, a hydraulic equipment expert can quickly switch out worn parts and provide a faster repair. Two, you can build up your own inventory of components to prevent a simple worn part from resulting in downtime.
In short, working with an experienced hydraulic technician means having a reliable backup plan when something goes wrong – and proactively planning to mitigate any issues before they happen.
Top Considerations for Hydraulic Equipment Durability, Performance, Portability and Safety
There is a lot to consider when acquiring a hydraulic pump, hydraulic cylinder or other piece of hydraulic equipment. Ultimately, the right choice comes down to your application and the nature of your worksite environment.
If you’re looking for the right hydraulic equipment for your needs, an experienced technician can identify the right model and provide ongoing support to ensure it meets your needs and keeps your crews in the field.