Five specific maintenance strategies ensure the continual trouble-free operation of hydraulic equipment. The Excel Zero Downtime proactive maintenance plan is the application of these five essential strategies:

1. Maintain system fluid cleanliness, temperature and condition through constant monitoring and control.
2. Monitor and maintain system settings.
3. Observe component operation, functionality and efficiency.
4. Conduct root cause failure analysis.
5. Check housekeeping/onsite care operations.

1. Maintain system fluid cleanliness, temperature and condition through constant monitoring and control.

Research by the British Hydromechanic Research Association determined that improved fluid cleanliness levels increased system life expectancy by a proportionate amount.

Jason P. Kopschinsky writes, "It has been estimated that the prevention of system contamination costs about one tenth what it would cost to remove the contamination once it has entered our system."

Fluid contamination is the number one culprit of hydraulic equipment failure. Minute particles cause a compound effect as they create more minute particles small enough to accumulate between dynamic surfaces.

A Proactive Maintenance Strategy will: Ensure determination of the appropriate cleanliness level, prevent the ingress of contaminants, and monitor and control the cleanliness level.

Fluid temperature and viscosity.

As the temperature rises the fluid viscosity, or thickness, reduces. Sounds simple, however the effect of hot thin oil on hydraulic systems is quite dramatic. High temperatures will damage hydraulic systems, guaranteed. The trained maintenance technician seeks out the causes of heat generation and quickly puts measures in place to resolve the causes.

2. Monitor and maintain system settings to original manufacturers' specifications.

The original designers of the hydraulic systems define how they want the equipment to perform at optimum functionality. Many variables are calculated and specified to ensure complex and expensive components all work together in harmony. Potential damage is easily adverted by ensuring all the settings are within original specifications.  For instance, systems operating at pressure levels above design intensions run the very big risk of catastrophic failure. Actuators exceeding their designed velocity are in jeopardy of cavitation. Hydraulic fluid lines being exposed to pressures above their working specification run the very real risk of failure and therefore possible personal injury.

A well-planned and implemented proactive maintenance strategy such as Zero Downtime looks at the myriad of variable system settings and methodically ensures each variable is checked and adjusted if necessary.

3. Observe component operation, functionality and efficiency.

It's one thing to prevent a breakdown, but its another to have all equipment completely functional at maximum efficiency. Using checks and tests the Zero Downtime technician ensures the equipment is performing to its full operational capacity. A inefficient pump may provide only a portion of the necessary flow causing the machine to operate at a proportion of its rated capacity. Imagine your car running on five of its six cylinders. It still functions, getting you from point A to point B, however at a reduced efficiency. Hydraulic systems are no different. They may function, but fail to operate as efficiently as designed.

4. Conduct root cause failure analysis.

When things do go wrong such as design limitations, unrealistic expectations or good old human error, machines do break. Careful determination and investigation into the cause of the failure will ensure the same thing does not reoccur when new parts are subsequently installed. Proactive maintenance is a program to eliminate costly repairs associated with unexpected system failures. It is essential that if things do go wrong, processes are in place to learn from these experiences and move a step closer to Zero Downtime.

5. Check housekeeping/onsite care operations

The machine is one item, the processes in place to operate the machine is another. A well-implemented proactive maintenance plan looks at the bigger picture. External factors such as storage of top-up oil and replacement parts will have a dramatic effect on the longevity and reliability of critical production machinery. Imagine the potential damage of topping up a hydraulic reservoir with contaminated or even incorrect oil.