How Do You Know if You're Using the Right Hydraulic Oil?

For most lubricants, there are many options when it comes to choosing a lubricant. Error in specifications leads to shortening the average life of lubricated components or reducing efficiency over time,

With hydraulics, there are two primary considerations - the degree of viscosity and the type of hydraulic oil This specification is usually determined by the type of hydraulic pump used in the system and the operating temperature and operating pressure of the system. Choosing the best product for your system requires that you collect and use all available information.

It is recommended to check the oil level at least once a month. Be sure to make repairs at the first sign of a leak.

The high viscosity index base oil anti-wear hydraulic oil with low pour points for wide temperature range applicability makes it well suited for various hydraulic systems.

Hydraulic Fluid

HydraulicHydraulic fluid plays many roles in the smooth operation of a well-designed, balanced system.

Synthetic fluid is a series of man-made particles that are precisely arranged to provide excellent fluid stability, lubrication and other performance-enhancing properties. These fluids are great options when high or low temperatures or high pressures are required.

Pumps and Viscosity Requirements

There are three main types of pump designs used in hydraulic systems: vane, piston, and gear (internal and external), and these pumps are designed to perform specific tasks and operations. Each pump type must be addressed on a case-by-case basis to select a lubricant.

Vane: The design of a vane pump is exactly what its name depicts. Inside the pump, there are rotors with slots mounted to a shaft that is spinning eccentrically to a cam ring. As the rotors and vanes spin within the ring, the vanes become worn due to the internal contact between the two contacting surfaces.

For this reason, these pumps are typically more expensive to maintain, but they are very good at maintaining steady flow. Vane pumps typically require a viscosity range of 14 to 160 centistokes (cSt) at operating temperatures.

Piston: Piston pumps are your typical middle-of-the-road hydraulic pump, and are more durable in design and operation than a vane pump; they can produce much higher operating pressures, up to 6,000 psi. The typical viscosity range for piston pumps is 15 to 160 cSt at operating temperatures.

Gear: Gear pumps are typically the most inefficient of the three pump types, but are more agreeable with larger amounts of contamination. Gear pumps operate by pressurizing the fluid between the trapped air volume of the meshing teeth of a gear set and the inside wall of the gear housing, then expelling that fluid. There are two main types of gear pumps, internal and external.