Troubleshooter
Ship Crane Hydraulic cylinder repair
The name of the project I work these days is hydraulic cylinder repair.
Now my role is reversed. The other days I was on site as hydraulic troubleshooter doing repairs of electro hydraulic systems mostly ship cranes and now I am in the workshop repairing and testing a hydraulic cylinder.
I have to service a double acting cylinder of deck crane. There are the most common used cylinders in the hydraulic systems. Pressure can be applied to either port giving power in both directions.
I got the drawings and I started to check the parts. I received new parts from the store namely: buffer, trust plate and piston head, kit of o-rings seals and gliding rings.The bigger parts mean the buffer, trust plate and cylinder head I had to wash it first and cleaned properly. One by one I put it in a big industrial oven for washing. Then I had to inspect them for possible damages and also if there was affected by rust. I found rust spots on some parts that I cleaned properly.
Taken the parts to a clean workshop and preparing for assembly.
Most hydraulic faults are caused by dirt. Very small particles can damage seals, abrade surfaces, block orifices and cause valve spools to jam. Hydraulic components should not be dismantled in the usual dirty conditions found on site.
Assembly work
I started to put the seals on the parts. A difficult part was with a red seals for trust plate and piston head. The rubber was hard to handle but with patience I managed to fix properly.
What Other Visitors Have Said. Check It Here!
While fitting an oil seal care should be taken that the spring loaded main lip side faced the oil pressure side. Also ensure that the surfaces that contact the lip of the seal are free from any roughness, scoring, pitting or wear as this may result in fluid leakage or damage to the seal. When fitting the seal, ensure that it is pressed horizontally. In case it is inclined, the seal has a tendency to get deformed, resulting in oil leakage.
Hydraulic cylinder reliable in a rough environment.
In my way to office it cut off my way a cherry picker machine which took my attention the condition of hydraulic cylinder. This hydraulic cylinder is used for up and down motion of the platform attached to the machine boom or arm. The machine is used in hard environment and the cylinder is exposed often to dust, dirt and other foreign material surrounding his area of work. Also the piston rod has attached a bellow for protecting it.
For more information about hydraulic browsing Hydraulic Basics page is a click distance