Hydraulic Cylinder Repair and Testing

BACKGROUND

Hydraulic cylinders play a critical role in a wide range of equipment. If and when they fail, they can cause significant revenue loss for companies as equipment and employees await the completion of repair and replacement operations. By partnering with an experienced and knowledgeable repair service provider, you can ensure your hydraulic cylinders are brought back to proper working order quickly, allowing you to avoid extended equipment downtime and, consequently, substantial profit loss. At Pro Industrial Inc, we offer hydraulic cylinder repair services for a variety of industrial equipment and vehicles. Our highly trained team carefully disassembles, inspects, evaluates, repairs, reassembles, and tests hydraulic cylinders to return them to working condition. If a failed component is irreparable, we can reverse engineer the part to create an appropriate replacement.

Pro Industrial Inc is overhauling hydraulic cylinders on a regular basis and has specialized in cylinder repairs for the marine & offshore industry. We carry out complete cylinder refurbishing and supply of seal sets and spare parts for:

• Luffing Cylinders for Deck Cranes, such as Liebherr CBW-type cranes
• Luffing Cylinders and Knuckle Boom Cylinders for Offshore cranes, such as NOV and MacGREGOR AHC Cranes
• Luffing Cylinders for Hose Handling Cranes
• Luffing Cylinders for Provision Cranes
• Hydraulic Cylinders for Life Boat Davits
• Hatch Cover Cylinders
• Brake Cylinders
• Steering Gear Cylinders
• Boom Cylinders for Mobile Cranes
• Etc.

MAIN CAUSES FOR HYDRAULIC CYLINDER FAILURE

There are many signs a hydraulic cylinder may soon need repair or replacement, such as damaged components (e.g., barrel, piston, or mounting) or leaking hydraulic fluid. However, hydraulic cylinders can also fail without warning. By recognizing and understanding the causes of failure and, if applicable, their warning signs, you can check for them and implement an appropriate solution before failure occurs.
Some of the most common causes of hydraulic cylinder failure are:

• Contaminated fluid. The presence of foreign substances in hydraulic fluid can cause damage to the cylinder, either by scratching and scoring the interior surfaces or chemically degrading the internal components.
• Physical abuse. Physical abuse, in addition to contaminated fluids, can cause damage to the hydraulic seal, which can affect the component’s ability to regulate internal pressures and, consequently, its ability to operate effectively and efficiently.
• Side loading. Side loading refers to the application of force perpendicular to the hydraulic cylinder’s axis of movement. It can place strain on various components (e.g., rod bearings or piston rods), which can cause damage and, over time, failure.
• Extreme pressures/temperatures. Hydraulic cylinders are designed for use at specific internal pressures. Pressure levels that stray from this acceptable range can negatively affect the cylinder’s performance. Similarly, the materials used for hydraulic cylinders are chosen for specific temperature ranges. Exposing a cylinder to temperatures above or below this range can cause damage to its components.

FULL WORK SCOPE

The typical cylinder repair work scope is as follows:

• Strip down and assessment, including a detailed picture report with recommendations
• Supply of new cylinder seal set, piston seals, and gland seals
• Supply of cylinder bearings, hoses, and fittings
• Overhaul of cylinder locking valve, counterbalance valve, lowering brake valve
• Chroming of the cylinder piston rod
• Honing the cylinder barrel
• Repair and machining of cylinder top gland
• Repair and machining of cylinder piston
• Full dynamic function testing and pressure testing on our test bench
• Issuing comprehensive repair documentation including all material certificates, dimensional reports, and pressure testing protocol