Hydraulic Tools Care and Maintenance

In any machine tool box, two most common objects found are the hydraulic cutter and crimper. They are basically hydraulic termination tools or hydraulic hand tools and are considered to be one of the largest and most complex devices among other hand tools available . These hydraulic tools are expensive compared to other hand tools and hence must be taken good care and maintenance. By spending a nominal amount of money for maintenance and some time in staff training, a good hydraulic tool performance will pay you back more than you invested in the long run.

Tips to follow to maintain hydraulic tools.

Always keep hydraulic tools clean
The main cause of hydraulic tool failure is pollution, contamination and dirt. Usually, the dirt and contaminants enter areas on a remote head like pistons and rams and if the hydraulic fluid reservoir is kept open. To combat dirt and contamination, certain preventive maintenance steps should be taken such as follows:

• Wipe, brush all hydraulic connections before you put them into a hydraulic pump or remote head.
• Do not use metal bristled brush to clean your hydraulic tools. Always use fiber brushes. Metal brush can scrub against a piston, and dirt can collect and migrate into the hydraulic fluid. This increases the chance of compromising your tool pump itself , including hydraulic tool’s rings and ball seats.
• Clean hydraulic heads with non-petroleum solvents whenever possible to reduce contamination of hydraulic interfaces.
• Hydraulic tools do not have the same type of seals. So the solvents that are used to clean should be checked. Some tool manufacturers will require the use of specific solvents while others will ban the use of these same solvents. Non-petroleum based solvents, however, are safe to use in almost all applications. If you are not sure about what solvent to use, your tool manufacturer can give you the answer.
• Clean your hydraulic tool daily when you are using it in a very bad or adverse conditions.
• Another tip to follow is to flush the hydraulic tool with clean water and then with a recommended solvent.

Use your hydraulic tools properly

Don't misuse your hydraulic tool which can be a major cause for tool failure. For example, using hydraulic tools for hammering is an obvious misuse, which is seen during repair and reconditioning. Don't put undue stress on your tool. For example, there are reports of field installation of extension handles to improve a tool’s performance. There are also reports of using a soft hydraulic tool to cut some other very hard metal. This is very dangerous. Improper selections of tooling, dies, and connectors, without considering their application areas can also be very harmful to the tool. For example, if you use a connector from Manufacturer X with dies from Manufacturer Y in a tool from Manufacturer Z, there are bound to be compatibility problems. To select the proper tool, check the following:

• Check out your hydraulic tool’s acceptance of available connectors or dies.
• Find the tools and dies which are recommended for a specific connector.

Follow maintenance schedules regularly

Your hydraulic tools will last 5 to 15 years with proper care and maintenance. Make sure you check your system operation regularly, atleast once in a year, even if it troubles you or not. The best preventive maintenance tip for hydraulic tool is an annual hydraulic oil change. You need to make a check of hydraulic hoses for leaks, cracks. Refer the manuals for before and after use. Do not attempt to repair a tool if you don't have any idea. Contact your manufacturer, and replace it with a new one.