Predictive maintenance in hydraulic systems proves cheaper in the long run

20 August, 2019

Monitoring and measuring the Performance Level (PL) of these components in effect assesses how well they are performing compared with their ‘as-new’ condition. PL can be measured in terms of speed, energy efficiency, accuracy, noise level or any other parameter that is relevant to operation. In a mechanical system it is likely that the PL of a machine’s components will gradually decline over time due to common factors as wear, corrosion, ageing or fatigue. It is also likely that, at a certain point, the deterioration in performance will start to accelerate, ultimately resulting in complete, and sometimes catastrophic, failure.

Early warning of failure

By measuring PL, an early warning of failure can be obtained, which in turn can be used to avoid unnecessary machine shutdowns and ensure that components with a significant portion of their useful life remaining are not replaced needlessly. The upshot is that the long-term cost of using predictive maintenance works out considerably cheaper.

As a further benefit, monitoring component health can yield valuable information on wear patterns, which can be utilised as part of continuous improvement programmes. Experience in this methodology dictates that very often component lifetimes can be extended when their operating characteristics are monitored and understood.

In an industrial landscape where production downtime costs are rising and instrumentation costs are falling, predictive maintenance is becoming an increasingly effective method of ensuring machine uptime, making it an indispensable tool for the future of industry as a whole.

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