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Hydraulic cylinder resealing service for earthmoving equipment by A1 Hydraulics

Stop Hydraulic Leaks Before They Stop You: The 5 Resealing Steps Every Earthmoving Company Needs to Get Right

With growing infrastructure projects, government support, and rising demand for skilled operators and reliable machinery, the opportunities are immense.

Whether you’re an experienced earthmover or just considering entering the field, the potential for success is greater than ever.

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Excavators Working When Each Hydraulic Cylinder Services Reseal Serviced By A1 Hydraulic Engineering

3 Excavator Hydraulic Cylinders You Don’t Want To Neglect

When you’re running an excavator day in and day out, hydraulic cylinders are the silent workhorses behind every move your machine makes. From digging to lifting to demolition, each cylinder plays a critical role in keeping your heavy equipment operating smoothly.  But like all hard-working components, these cylinders need proper care to keep running at their best. Neglecting these directly affects your productivity and profits. Let’s break down the 3 hydraulic cylinders, the conditions they face, the condition they could be in, and what to do about it.de Boom Cylinder: The Heavy Lifter The boom cylinder lifts and lowers the boom, the main arm of your excavator. It’s responsible for handling the heaviest loads. Operating conditions: The boom cylinder operates under extreme pressure, especially when lifting heavy materials or digging deep. Over time, seals can wear out, and leaks and ‘drift’ or ‘creep’ can develop. ‘Drift’ or ‘creep’ is when the boom cylinder, or cylinders, can’t maintain the pressure needed to hold the boom in place. This results in the boom to slowly drop over a short time, especially when holding a load. Active servicing the boom cylinders avoids losing lifting power and slowing down your productivity. .  Arm Cylinder: The Reach The arm cylinder (aka: stick , dipper, crowd) extends and retracts the arm, controlling how far your excavator can dig. It faces a lot of wear when digging into hard soil or rock. This constant movement under load can wear seals and cause leaks. At times, excavators are used like a crane. And just like the boom, the arm cylinder it can dovelop ‘drift’ or ‘creep’ too.   Why it’s important to service: A sluggish or leaky stick cylinder means losing control and precision, making it harder to dig efficiently. Keeping this cylinder in top shape ensures smooth, responsive operation every time. Bucket Cylinder: Your Material Mover The bucket cylinder controls not only the bucket, but every every other attachment the operator uses. The operating conditions it is exposed to are harsh: Heavy loads, constant movement, and harsh material contact can damage the chrome rod and seals worn quickly. On top of this, when using a hammer attachment for rock or concrete breaking, the bucket cylinder is taking a lot of punishment. Massive rock-breaking energy goes to this ram while it’s holding the hammer attachment in position.  Why it’s important to service: A leaky bucket cylinder leads to slower cycle times and less force, dragging out your work and reducing productivity. Maintaining this hydraulic cylinder ensures your bucket moves as fast as you need it to, without leaks or power loss. How To Get Hydraulic Cylinder Help We specialise in servicing hydraulic cylinders for the mining, earthmoving, and heavy equipment industries, ensuring your equipment operates at peak performance with minimal downtime. Contact us today to have your hydraulic cylinders serviced by our expert team, allowing you to focus on maximising productivity and efficiency in your operations. Contact us on 07 3800 8721 and a friendly team member will help you get the best solution for you GET YOUR FREE QUOTE NOW Written by The A1HE Team Date: 27.09.2024

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box of mixed Hydraulic cylinder seals reseal resealing for heavy equipment earthmoving mining quarries.

The 5 Hydraulic Cylinder Resealing Must-Knows

When it comes to hydraulic cylinder resealing, doing it right the first time is crucial. You’ve taken the initial steps: disassembled the hydraulic cylinder and gathered a set of brand-new seals. Now it’s time to reassemble and get the hydraulic cylinder back to work. But without the right approach, all your efforts could go to waste if leaks or performance issues resurface. To help you avoid setbacks and ensure long-lasting results, here are five essential must-knows for hydraulic cylinder resealing. By following these steps, you’ll improve reliability and restore the cylinder’s performance. And don’t worry—this guide assumes the seals you’ve sourced are compatible with your machine and its hydraulic fluid. #1 Inspect Thoroughly Before you even think about installing the new seals, inspect the hydraulic cylinder itself. Check the barrel bore and the chrome rod for wear, scoring, or damage. Any compromised components should be repaired or replaced before you proceed. Why it matters: New seals won’t fix underlying damage. Overlooking this step risks recurring leaks and further downtime. #2 Confirm Seal Quality Not all seals are supplied equal. Inspect each item in your new seal kit closely. Even if they look fine at first glance, examine them for defects or signs of poor manufacturing. Pro tip: If you’re not 100% satisfied with the quality of the seals, don’t hesitate to replace them. High-quality seals are essential for long-term reliability. #3 Master the Technique Installing seals requires precision and care. Avoid forcing seals into place—this can kink or damage them, compromising their effectiveness. For internal grooves, consider using dedicated seal installation tools to make the process smoother. For external seals: Expand the seal just enough to fit over the component. Over-stretching can weaken the material, reducing its lifespan and effectiveness. #4 Mind the O-Rings When installing O-rings, always check that they aren’t twisted. A twisted O-ring can’t provide proper sealing and will wear out quickly. Pro tip: Use tools with rounded or smooth edges to prevent damage during installation. Sharp tools can nick the O-ring, causing premature failure. #5 Choose the Right Lubricant Not all lubricants are compatible with hydraulic seals. Avoid using greases with solid additives, such as molybdenum disulphide, which may damage your seals. Instead, opt for the hydraulic oil your machine already uses. How to apply:  – Use a light coat of hydraulic oil to lubricate seals that need to stretch into grooves, like piston seals.  – Apply a thin film of oil to the barrel bore before reassembly for smoother operation. Expert Help for Hydraulic Cylinder Resealing While these steps can set you up for success, resealing a hydraulic cylinder is a meticulous and time-consuming process. In industries like mining and earthmoving, downtime is costly, and handling repairs in-house may not always be the best use of your resources. That’s where we come in. By entrusting your hydraulic cylinder resealing to our expert team, you gain:  – Time savings: Get your equipment back to work faster.  – Professional assurance: Enjoy peace of mind with our workmanship warranty.  – Specialist expertise: We handle resealing, repairs, and remanufacturing with precision, ensuring optimal performance and reliability. We specialise in servicing hydraulic cylinders for mining, earthmoving, and heavy equipment industries, helping you minimise downtime and maximise productivity. Contact us on 07 3800 8721 and a friendly team member will help you get the best solution for you. Don’t let equipment issues slow you down!  Let us take care of your hydraulic cylinders so you can focus on what you do best. GET YOUR FREE QUOTE NOW Written by The A1HE Team Date: 05.07.2024

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A bent rod from a hydraulic cylinder repaired by A1 Hydraulic Engineering reman rod re-rod

Top 4 Reasons Hydraulic Cylinder Rods Bend

A major failure for hydraulic cylinders is when the rod bends or buckles when in operation. Usually when a rod is bent it also damages the gland, and at times, the piston and bore too. Pretty much have the hydraulic cylinder to catastrophically fail. Why can the other parts fail? A hydraulic cylinder has specific engineered tolerances and clearances. The rod, gland, piston, and barrel bore are all ‘straight’ to each other. So when a rod has a bend in it, it’s centre axis is no longer inline or straight with the other component. This puts excessive loads to guide rings and bushes. The piston becomes ‘crooked’ and the gland gets damaged as it becomes a fulcrum for the bend. Retracting a bent rod into the cylinder does not straighten it again. The machine should be immediately stopped and the failed hydraulic cylinder repaired or replaced. So here they are… Top 4 Reasons Why Hydraulic Cylinder Rods Bend Rod diameter too small Inadequate rod material strength Improper cylinder mounting arrangement Machine misuse/abuse by the operator    What You Can Do About It If there are loads greater than the rods ability to withstand bending or buckling, then a new rod should be manufactured with an increased diameter and/or higher material strength. For reason No.4, it just comes down to operator training and care for the machine or attachment. If they are being used outside the manufacturer’s original design and operational intent then don’t be surprised if the hydraulic cylinders fail and the overall machine uptime and life is drastically reduced.   How to spot a possible bend in a rod Here are some way you can spot a possible bend in a hydraulic cylinder rod:  ‘Juddering’ during operation An audible sound during operation Oil leakage from seals Rod scoring Irregular rod wear patten   What You Need To Do If you suspect that your hydraulic cylinder has a bend or needs attention, contact us today.  Getting the cylinder looked at now is far better than putting it off and having catastrophic failure. Contact us now on 07 3800 8721 and a friendly team member will help you get the best solution. GET YOUR FREE QUOTE NOW Written by The A1HE Team Date: 26.04.2024

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hydraulic cylinder on an earthmoving machine excavator that may have dieseling which can damage hydraulic seals and piston so you need to contact A1 hydraulic engineering to reseal, reman, remanufacture, manufacture hydraulic cylinders

5 Steps To Remove Air From Hydraulic Cylinders

Whenever you are installing a hydraulic cylinder to your machine, you should always assume that some air will be introduced in the hydraulic system.  You can lose oil during the process of disconnecting and reconnecting hoses, fittings, burst/craning valves, or even when installing hydraulic cylinder that’s completely empty. All these situations are not a problem when you understand what dieseling is. What’s dieseling? Simply put it’s the detonation of trapped air in oil when compressed. Just think about how a diesel engine works. Dieseling can damage pistons and the seals. Shortening the life of the hydraulic cylinder. It also means it reduces machine uptime. That’s why it best practice to bleed or remove air after any hydraulic cylinder service, when getting a new cylinder, or when there’s a possibility of air that’s entered into the hydraulic cylinders, Before You Start Check the machine’s maintenance manual for the procedure that’s specific or recommended for you. The below procedure is general guideline. You need to keep the machines’ engine at a low RPM/idle throughout the whole procedure. And be patient. Don’t rush this important process. Don’t run the engine at full noise and sudden control movements to fill the hydraulic cylinder quicker. You are only promoting for dieseling to occur. The 5 Steps Keep the engine at low idle and then… Step 1: For 8 cycles, slowly extended and retracted the cylinder through approximately 3/4 of the full cylinder travel. Do this for 8 to 10 cycles. Don’t let the cylinders reach the stroke ends (bottom out), in both directions. Step 2: Pause before you change direction for a minimum of 5 seconds. Step 3: Then, slowly cycle the hydraulic cylinders to the full extend and retract travel, while keeping the hydraulic pressure low. Step 4: Pause before you change direction for a minimum of 5 seconds. Step 5: Finally, check the hydraulic oil level and top up as needed. Getting Your Hydraulic Cylinder Serviced If your machines’ hydraulic cylinders are leaking, loosing efficiency, or if you suspect that dieseling has occurred… Contact us now on 07 3800 8721 and a friendly team member will help you get the best solution. GET YOUR FREE QUOTE NOW Written by The A1HE Team Date: 14.03.2024

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hydraulic cylinders on an Excavator with grab attachment that A1 Hydraulic Engineering does service and repair and manufacture reman remanufacturing in earthmoving mining quarry civil and industrial

Ground-Breaking Power Source For Hydraulic Cylinders

Big changes are happening in the earthmoving industry.  This isn’t just a shift in fuel preferences; it’s a new way to make equipment cleaner and more sustainable, significantly altering how we power our heavy machinery. Major brands are already taking the lead, experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen-electric systems to bring about a greener era. To top it off, a brilliant team in the University Of NSW have patented a Hydrogen-Diesel Direct Injection Duel-Fuel System. This can make existing diesel engines use 90% hydrogen and have an 85% CO2 emission reduction! But here’s the twist – it’s not just about flashy new designs. A few industry giants are also revamping existing diesel-powered machines into hydrogen-electric powerhouses, trying out hydrogen-power on equipment. So Why All The Fuss? Unlike the traditional diesel and natural gas options, hydrogen is gaining popularity as a cleaner alternative. While electric machinery has been around, it’s not always the perfect fit for every job. Hydrogen steps in as a versatile option, delivering no emissions while maintaining the power, torque, and response time we’re used to with regular combustion engines. Here’s the amazing part – you don’t necessarily need an entirely new fleet to jump on the hydrogen bandwagon. Heavy machinery vehicles are being converted from diesel power to hydrogen-electric, showing that owners and managers can make a sustainable upgrade without a hefty price tag of an entire new fleet. And with the hydrogen market on the rise, earthmoving companies will have more options, from getting new equipment to tapping into the expanding hydrogen infrastructure. It’s not just about adopting a new method; it’s about reshaping how we look at progress in the heavy machinery industry. However, Here’s What You Should Know All these machines will still need to be serviced and maintained, including their hydraulic cylinders. Keeping your earthmoving machine’s hydraulic cylinders in top condition is vital to get the best efficiency and uptime. If your machine’s hydraulic cylinders are leaking, loosing power, or damaged, then don’t leave it any longer. For all your hydraulic cylinder enquiries and servicing call us on 07 3800 8721 and a friendly team member will help you get the best solution. GET YOUR FREE QUOTE NOW Written by The A1HE Team Date: 4.12.2023

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