P.O. Box 1376 Monroe, GA 30656 (678) 267-3395 gpm@gpmhydraulic.com
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January
2007
For an archive of past newsletters, please visit: |
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Maintenance Hydraulic Troubleshooting on Interactive CD Our nationally acclaimed
Maintenance Hydraulic Troubleshooting workshop
on six fully interactive CD's. Includes our MHT workshop manual.
6-CD Set - $1200 Individual CD's - $250
+ Shipping and Handling.
Click on http://gpmhydraulic.com/mhtcds.htm
to find out more.
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| 1. The Best New Year's Resolution | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jack
Weeks - Consultant for GPM Hydraulic Consulting, Inc. |
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This time of year, many of us make New Year's resolutions. I don't know about any of you, but I haven't been very successful with these in the past. Maybe it's because I try to take on too much at once - improve my diet, increase my exercise, rid myself of bad habits and try to do it all at the same time. By January 7th I have usually abandoned most of my well-intentioned resolutions. But one resolution I have never had much trouble with is to keep better records. It has always amazed me just how much valuable information can be gleaned from a well developed archive of past history. So if you are looking for a good New Year's resolution that won't be hard to keep but will reap incredibly valuable rewards, I can't think of a better one than keeping better maintenance records. Now I can already hear people protesting that they spend too much of their time already doing paperwork. There are already reams of papers to be filled out every time something is done - permits to get, reports to be made, work orders to fill. I know. Believe me I know - I worked for the government for years, so there is no need to tell me that too much paperwork can bog you down. And I have never been to a maintenance department that didn't already have massive amounts of records to keep. By sifting through a file, a maintenance manager can tell me in no time how many pumps have been replaced in the past year, how much each one cost, who did the job and countless other tidbits. What is missing in most of the facilities I visit are records that would help someone troubleshoot a hydraulic problem. In fact it seldom occurs to anyone that there are any such records that could be kept. But by making a few simple checks on a monthly basis and keeping a record of them, tens of thousands of dollars could be saved in mill down time and unnecessary parts cost. We have developed preventive maintenance schedules for plants of all types and naturally they will differ from one facility to the next, but the following four simple checks are common to just about any manufacturing process. Pump Case Flow Most people think that a hydraulic pump is like a light bulb - it works perfectly until it breaks, then it's worthless. But the fact is that pump wear is a very gradual thing. Variable displacement pump systems are usually designed to use only a fraction of the available pump flow. As the pump wears, it strokes further to deliver the same amount of flow. But once the pump has worn to the point where even the full stroke cannot deliver the necessary flow the system stalls. The best single indication of the condition of a variable displacement pump is the amount of case flow it returns to tank. Since case flow is the oil that has bypassed across the tight tolerances inside the pump, as the pump wears and those tolerances increase, the case flow will also increase. A monthly check of the case flow recorded and kept will show a wear trend. In most machines, once the case flow begins to increase noticeably, it will climb relatively quickly. So when a steady increase is noted a few months in a row, it is wise to go ahead and change the pump on the next scheduled down day. Funny thing about pumps - they never fail on scheduled down days, do they? They fail while you are in production. Would it save your plant any money if pumps were only changed during scheduled outages? If a monthly check of the case flow is made and recorded, it is likely that you will never lose production from a pump failure again. Electric Drive Motor Current But what about fixed displacement pumps? They don't have a case drain to check. But they do have a motor that drives them. And a worn out pump is easier to turn than a brand new one. Consequently, the current draw of the electric drive motor will drop as the pump wears. If the pump is suspect, the current of the drive motor can be checked to confirm that the pump is worn. But this does presuppose that we know what the current of the drive motor should be. Monthly checks can tell us how the pump is doing. Temperature It's been a long time since I have visited a plant that did not have a laser temperature gun. Years ago, these devices were quite expensive, but nowadays if you spend more than about $100 for one you probably spent too much. Everyone has them not everyone knows how to use one to its best potential. There are many good uses for them but they are indispensable as a hydraulic troubleshooting tool. Except for the pressure gauge, it is the most important tool a hydraulic technician can have. When a hydraulic component fails, it leaks. Sometimes it leaks on the floor and the problem is obvious. But most of the time it leaks internally and this type of leakage is called "bypassing". Whenever internal bypassing occurs, there is an associated pressure drop. And, as anyone who has ever attended one of our workshops knows, when there is a pressure drop and no work done as a result, the vast bulk of the energy expended in that pressure drop is converted to heat. This means that almost any component that is about to fail will have a significant temperature gain across it. Just about all hydraulic components have some temperature gain across them, even when they are new. But if we know the temperature gain the component should have (in other words, if we have been checking the temperature gain across the component monthly and recording it) then we can easily spot a significant increase and change the component before it fails. This check will work with pump cases, hydraulic motors, cylinders, pressure controls, directional valves, flow dividers and many other components. It will not often tell you much about the condition of a servo or proportional valve however because these valves are already notorious heat generators. Since servo and proportional valves are only opened partially most of the time, they usually also have a significant temperature gain. Oil Analysis Just as a doctor can tell a lot about a person's health by examining body fluids, a lot can be learned about the condition of a hydraulic system by studying regular oil analyses. Excessive brass in the oil suggests a bad pump from the brass that is lost by the wear of bushings and the swashplate connectors. Copper in the oil usually comes from a heat exchanger that is about to rupture. Iron can be from worn cylinder packing. If you don't already take regular oil samples and have them analyzed, the best time to start is right now. Begin by analyzing oil quarterly and adjust your intervals by the results you see from the analysis. Be sure to get an ISO code from the lab so you know when to flush the system and follow the viscosity readings to tell when to change the oil. None of these checks take a lot of time and all of them have the potential to save huge sums of money if they are made regularly and recorded. And they're all a lot easier than doing crunches! From all of us at GPM to all of you, the best wishes of a happy and prosperous new year. |
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| Jack Weeks entered GPM’s organization in January of 1997 as a CAD draftsman and hydraulic instructor. He has trained thousands of electricians and mechanics in Hydraulic Troubleshooting methods. His computerized animations have made GPM's presentations and training CD's the recognized leader in the industry. He received his education from the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Electrical Engineering and the Department of State Foreign Service Institute. Jack is an experienced draftsman and taught telecommunications equipment operation and repair for the Central Intelligence Agency at American embassies overseas. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. The GPM Grapevine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robin Garner
- GPM Training Coordinator
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The rest we had by the time the holidays arrived was
well deserved - it's been a busy time around GPM. A number of
changes are being made for the new year, not the least of which is a
greater concentration on public workshops. Naturally this has
required a lot of preparation on everyone's part.
Al had a consulting job in nearby Conyers, GA, taught the one-day Bosch Proportional Valves class here in Monroe, a Troubleshooting Sawmill Hydraulics class in Maxville, FL and a Troubleshooting OSB Hydraulics in Hosford, FL all the while doing technical writing for upcoming workshops. This didn't leave him much time to play drums OR golf! Alan flew all the way to Eugene, OR to teach a Maintenance Hydraulic Troubleshooting workshop and also taught MHT's in Newberry, SC and Roanoke Rapids, NC. In his "spare" time he did a consulting job in Allendale, SC and AutoCAD drafting for upcoming programs. It's just as well that it's been too cold to ride his motorcycle. Jack conducted Maintenance Hydraulic Troubleshooting workshops in Fort Smith, AR, Lake Butler, FL, Monroe, GA and Warm Springs, GA. He also did a site survey for the troubleshooting class in Maxville, FL and headed up a complete system flushing job in Memphis, TN. Fortunately for Jack, his motorhome rentals slow down a little this time of year. I've been doing the word processing and publishing of the manuals for Hosford, FL, Roanoke Rapids, NC, and Maxville, FL. I've also been spending a lot of time coordinating the registrations for our upcoming January public workshops all before taking my last week of vacation between Christmas and New Year's. Happy New Year, all! |
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| Robin Garner, GPM’s Training Coordinator, joined the organization in 2004. In addition to coordinating the training classes, she also does the desktop publishing for GPM's troubleshooting manuals. Robin also manages the marketing and accounting for the company. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3. In-plant consulting and troubleshooting
Nothing is more expensive than unscheduled down time. GPM’s customers know they can call whenever they have a troubleshooting issue they simply can’t resolve. With over 50 years experience dealing with hydraulic failures, our consultants have the resources to help troubleshoot whatever hydraulic problem you encounter. Whether you’re experiencing a total system outage, repeated component failure or just need a professionally designed preventive maintenance schedule, the consultants at GPM can help. Call GPM for In-plant Troubleshooting Leakage Problems Pressure Settings Shock Problems Preventive
Maintenance Scheduling Hydraulic Troubleshooting Manual Development Startup
Consulting and Recommendations Heat
Problems Repeated
Component Failures Speed Problems Do you want to learn more on how GPM can help you? Go to http://gpmhydraulic.com/troubleshooting.htm
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Troubleshooting Proportional Valves The complete guide to troubleshooting and maintaining linear positioner circuits with electronically controlled proportional valves. The same manual used in our acclaimed Troubleshooting Proportional Valves public seminar. $49.95 + Shipping & Handling To order this and other exciting products online, visit the GPM Store!
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The operator is taught the basic function of the hydraulic operated equipment. The student learns the function of the hydraulic pump, valves and the task they perform. Actual screen shots from your equipment are used in the classroom to discuss the electrical cycles in detail.
Click http://gpmhydraulic.com/operatortraining.htm and find out more! What our students say I feel that this course is an absolute must if you will be running the press. The hydraulic system is much easier to understand now that I know what each component does each step of the way. I will be able to help maintenance personnel troubleshoot hydraulic problems better with an operators point of view. Also, be able to troubleshoot hydraulic related quality issues.
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Troubleshooting Proportional Valves Brochure pdf Troubleshooting Proportional Valves 2007 8 Hour Course Registration Fee $450.00 Per Person. Save $100 if attended in conjunction with our three-day Maintenance Hydraulic Troubleshooting workshop
Only $350.00 If Attending Our 3-Day Maintenance Hydraulic Troubleshooting Workshop The Same Week. (See 2007 MHT Schedule Below) Learn How To Troubleshoot and Maintain Linear Positioner Circuits with Electronically Controlled Proportional Valves
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Maintenance Hydraulic Troubleshooting 2007 3 Day Course Registration Fee $850.00 Per Person Learn More About Our Maintenance Hydraulic Troubleshooting Course
*For Only $350.00 More Attend Our Troubleshooting Proportional Valves Workshop The Same Week. Troubleshooting Proportional Valves Same Week As MHT Brochure pdf
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Hydraulic Schematic Symbols Explained This interactive CD is the fastest, easiest way available to learn hydraulic schematic symbols.$49.95 + Shipping & Handling. Find out more, go to http://gpmhydraulic.com/symbolcd.htm
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Site Index [Home] [Our Training] [Hydraulic Consulting] [Our People] [Hydraulics Quiz] [Upcoming Events] [Contact Us] GPM Hydraulic Consulting, Inc. Box 1376 Monroe, GA 30655 (678) 267-3395 |
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Monroe Community Building 602 E. Church St.
Monroe, GA
beside a date
indicates that our exclusive one-day Troubleshooting Proportional
Valve Systems workshop will be conducted at the same location
and may be included with your Maintenance Hydraulic
Troubleshooting workshop for just $350!