I was asked recently to conduct failure analysis on a hydraulic motor that was the subject of a warranty claim. The motor had failed after only 500 hours in service, some 7,000 hours short of its expected service life. Inspection revealed that the motor's bearings had failed through inadequate lubrication,…

Solving hydraulic system overheating problems I wars asked recently to investigate and solve an overheating problem in a mobile hydraulics application. The hydraulic system comprised a diesel-hydraulic power unit, which was being used to power a pipe-cuttrng saw. The saw was designed for sub-sea use and was connected to the…

Failure of a Piston Pump I was asked recently to give a second opinion on the cause of failure of an axial piston pump. The hydraulic pump had failed after a short period in service and my client had pursued a warranty claim with the manufacturer. The manufacturer rejected the…