If you know the importance of hydraulic pumps in a hydraulic system, you know how much the hydraulic pump failure can affect the overall working of the system.
The Electric hydraulic pump are responsible for converting mechanical power into hydraulic energy. This is the main source of energy based on which the entire hydraulic mechanism works. And this pump stops working due to multiple reasons and affects productivity. If you know about the factors that cause the hydraulic pump failure, you can prevent it from happening.
Before getting into the reasons, first, you must know the signs or symptoms of hydraulic pump failure to recognize if a failure has happened.
Symptoms of hydraulic pump failure include
If you notice any of the below-given symptoms it might be due to hydraulic pump failure. So don’t ignore them, otherwise, it might result in big problems.
- Hydraulic fluid leaking
- Sudden drops in pressure
- Erratic or weak cylinder operation
- Knocking and banging sounds
- Unusual vibration
- Weak final drive motor
- The abnormal high temperature while pumping operation
- Frequent failure of pump seals
- Slow operation of hydraulic system
Now let’s check out the reasons,
Fluid Contamination: The top reason why the hydraulic pumps don’t work is fluid contamination. The debris in the fluid causes friction, and it wears out the pump from inside and ends, damaging the pump. So the pump starts to malfunction and finally stops working.
Excess Heat: The hydraulic pump’s excessive heat is caused by poor fluid viscosity or other environmental factors. The cavitation not only compromises the lubrication properties of oil but externally damages the hydraulic pump as a whole. So keep a check on the hydraulic fluid you use.
Fluid Viscosity: The fluid viscosity issues are again caused by hydraulic fluid. When the hydraulic fluid breaks down over time, fluid viscosity. As mentioned before, the cavitation problem pops in if the viscosity is too high. The other reasons include replacing the fluid with low viscosity. This might cause heat and friction.
Implosion: When the air bubbles present within the hydraulic pump collapse, it overloads the pressure to the pump and results in causing intense shock. Implosion is an extreme hydraulic pump failure, and it is one of the major safety hazards.
Aeration: This problem occurs when the hydraulic fluid traps in air bubbles. When the air hydraulic pump pressurizes the fluid that contains air bubbles, it collapses the air bubbles, which causes heat and over-pressurization.
Over Pressurization: When there is an excessive load on the pump, it results in a red-line operation that is unsafe and causes extreme damage.
Also, the hydraulic pumps working for a long time under high pressure are likely to experience component wear and premature failure. So if you have been using high pressurized pumps for a long time now, check for any damage.
Pump Aeration: Just like how air bubbles get inside the fluid, when air gets inside the unsealed shafts or joints of the pump, the pump aeration is caused. This air causes pressure instability in the pump and leads to sudden breakdowns.
Cavitation: Another important reason for hydraulic pump failure is cavitation. A small part is left unfilled when injecting the hydraulic fluid inside the pump due to uncontrolled pump speeds. This small unfilled space in the pump causes destabilized pressure, excess wear, and heat. One of the common symptoms of cavitation is a whine or squeal sound.
Now that you went through the different factors that cause the failure of hydraulic pumps, you must have noticed that the major problem is caused due to hydraulic fluid. If a clean and good quality fluid is used, you can prevent more than half the problem that is mentioned in the above list.
Also, if a hydraulic pump failure has occurred, it is recommended to thoroughly check the damaged Hydraulic Jack pump to get more insights on the causes of the failure.
When regular maintenance is done, you can avoid hydraulic pump failure problems. Overall, we have pointed out the different reasons that cause this pump failure. I hope this article was insightful.