Here is a reprint from a recent Petro-Canada newsletter:

Protecting Your Hydraulic Equipment

Petro-Canada’s HYDREX and ENVIRON hydraulic fluids are advanced formula, long life, anti-wear fluids designed for hydraulic systems to provide excellent operating and maintenance benefits for increased productivity and reduced downtime. But research has shown that over 80% of machine wear failures are due to particulate and water contamination. Frequently the greatest cost of equipment failure is not the component replacement cost, but the labor and production downtime. To maximize HYDREX and ENVIRON’s benefits filtration is the key.

Critical hydraulic system components have very tight tolerances ranging from 0.5 to 40 microns. Particles of 10 micron or smaller can disrupt the lubricant film and cause a great amount of wear. One of the main ways this contamination enters into reservoirs and tanks is through the breather cap. This is because hydraulic reservoirs “breathe” every time the fluid is pumped in and out. Most particles start off as dirt that becomes airborne, finds its way into hydraulic reservoirs, and goes through the pump and out to valves, bushings, seals, bearings, and other components. There they become key ingredients in wear failures.

Filters and desiccant breathers is the answer to minimizing airborne contamination. A good breather system is one that: achieves the target level for cleanliness and dryness, has the capacity to enable a sufficient service interval between change-outs, and is easily visible for routine inspection during preventive maintenance. By preventing particulate contamination and water from entering hydraulic systems both components and the fluid can perform up to expectations and deliver increased productivity and reduced downtime.