The hydraulic systems in vehicles and equipment rely on filters to ensure contaminant-free hydraulic fluid. They also require filters to help prolong the life of sensitive components.
Hydraulic system designers want enough turbulence in the reservoir to keep contaminants in suspension and prevent them from settling around the system. This helps to extend filtration intervals and reduce maintenance costs.
Filtration Element
Hydraulic systems depend on filtration to ensure that the hydraulic fluid is clean. Clean hydraulic oil lubricates moving components, reduces friction and wear, and increases system performance and efficiency. Most problems with hydraulic machines are caused by dirty or inadequately filtered oil, which leads to component seizure, sludge buildup, and clogged valves.
The filter element eliminates impurities from the fluid by driving the hydraulic fluid through a porous filter media. This prevents the damaging particles from reentering the flow and causing damage to other parts of the system.
Filter elements are available in various sizes and shapes to suit the specific needs of different hydraulic systems. They can be surface-type or depth-type. Surface-type elements are manufactured from woven wire cloth with a consistent pore size that defines the maximum diameter of hard, spherical particles that can pass through the element under specified test conditions. They are usually fastened to housing with inlet and outlet ports and may include bypass valves or element-condition indicators.
Filter Cart
The filter cart is one of the most essential equipment for a hydraulic system. With a proper filter cart from hydraulic filter suppliers VA, hydraulic systems can avoid contaminating particles, water, and debris, resulting in decreased performance and shorter equipment lifespans.
Several different offline filters for hydraulic systems exist, including permanent, mobile, and portable options. The most common is the filter cart, which uses what’s known as kidney loop filtration to allow machinery to continue operating while oil is being filtered or a sample taken.
The offline filtration process can help ensure optimal lubrication quality throughout the entire hydraulic system, protecting critical components like servo valves, pumps, motors, and cylinders when used with the system pressure and return line filters.
Filter Kit
Hydraulic filters remove contaminants from hydraulic fluid. They prevent damage to hydraulic system components and reduce ongoing maintenance costs. Clean hydraulic systems generate less friction and consume less energy, resulting in longer component lifespans.
Typically, hydraulic filters are placed in multiple locations throughout the hydraulic circuit. Those placed between the hydraulic oil pump and the actuator are called pressure filters; those between the actuators and the reservoir are called return line filters or suction filters.
During operation, particles and contaminants such as sludge, oxidation, metal, shredded elastomeric seals, chemical byproducts, and sand can enter the hydraulic fluid. These particles create contamination that affects the physical and chemical properties of the fluid, which in turn causes a breakdown in hydraulic system efficiency. A correctly sized filter will separate and retain particles of a specified size. It will also be able to tolerate a certain level of back pressure, which may vary depending on the intensity of the flow and the pressure differential created by a blocked filter.
Filter Elements
Hydraulic systems require clean fluid to reduce friction and wear on system components. Dirty hydraulic fluid generates heat and consumes energy, reducing efficiency. Hydraulic filters provide a critical role in maintaining hydraulic systems.
Depending on the design of a particular system, filter selection should ensure that the dirt level in the hydraulic system remains sustainable. Too much dirt leads to component sticking, and too little can cause the system to malfunction.
Surface media elements, or sieve filter elements, work by separating the contaminants from the hydraulic fluid on a surface facing the direction of flow. These filters have a defined pore size, the largest complex, and a spherical particle that will pass through under specified test conditions. The relationship between the starting clean pressure differential and bypass valve cracking pressure determines the useful life of a sieve filter element. This is why it’s essential to carefully consider the system’s operating environment before selecting this type of filter.