Proactive maintenance for hydraulic cylinders

Insider Secrets To Hydraulics
Posted 3-29-04

Damaged hydraulic cylinder rods and wiper seals are an eternal problem for users of hydraulic machinery. Dents and gouges on the surface of hydraulic cylinder rods reduce seal life and give dust and other contaminants an easy path into the hydraulic system. These silt-sized particles act like lapping compound, initiating a chain of wear in hydraulic components.

In response to this problem, a protective cylinder rod cover called Seal Saver has been developed and patented. Seal Saver is not a typical bellows boot you may already be familiar with. It is a continuous piece of durable material, which wraps around the cylinder and is closed with Velcro. It is then clamped onto the cylinder body and rod end. This makes installation simple with no disassembly of hydraulic cylinder components required.

Seal Saver forms a protective shroud over the cylinder rod as it strokes and prevents buildup of contaminants around the wiper seal - a common cause of rod scoring, seal damage and contaminant ingress. Research has shown that the cost to remove contaminants is ten times the cost of exclusion. This, combined with the benefits of extended hydraulic cylinder rod and seal life, makes Seal Saver a cost-effective, proactive maintenance solution.