How Dirt Levels Affect Hydraulic System Performance
Did you know that by controlling the level of contamination (dirt) to acceptable levels you can eliminate as high as 80–90 percent of the potential causes of system failure? That is extremely important when you consider high labor and equipment costs and our dependence on today’s sophisticated and complex fluid power systems.
Dirt is a minute, abrasive, “gravel-like” substance that travels through a system and internally deteriorates and destroys sensitive hydraulic components, causing reduced efficiency and eventual system failure. When we talk about “dirt” and “contamination,” what exactly are we talking about? Contamination is defined as, anything that is in the system that is not supposed to be there. Being aware of what can ruin system operation is critical and why we should work on keeping it in check.
Dirt particles that cause trouble in a hydraulic system are extremely small. Typically, 98 percent of hydraulic fluid is composed of particles so small we cannot see them without magnification. The human eye cannot see anything smaller than 40 micron. Fluid samples from operating systems show us that as the size of the particle decreases, its quantity increases. In other words, the smaller the particles, the more there are in a given volume of fluid. Filters are the only available means of controlling small particles. However, before we can begin to eliminate hazardous dirt levels and contaminants, it is first necessary to understand the source.
