The hydraulic seals in your industrial equipment may be cheap to purchase but this does not mean that you should not take care of them. Admittedly, these seals are bound to require replacing eventually. However, if you find that you are purchasing hydraulic seals on a fairly regular basis, you need to figure out the underlying use of the deterioration, or you could end up losing a substantial amount of money. Not to mention that when hydraulic seals keep failing, they pose the risk of downtime that will also cost your industrial business capital. To help you diagnose the underlying cause, here is a brief list of the probable reasons behind the premature degradation of your hydraulic seals.

Hydraulic seal failure stemming from heat degradation

If your industrial processes utilise a high degree of heat during manufacturing, there is the likelihood of the hydraulic seals acquiring excessive damage that leads to premature malfunction. If the seals are incapable of withstanding the heat, they can start to harden. The more brittle they become, the higher the chance of the seal crumbling and this compromises the overall functionality of the component. In addition to this, high heat can lead to damage of the sealing lip, which is responsible for ensuring that the seal stays on tight. As a result, the hydraulic seal loosens out of place while acquiring heat damage in the process. A few of the common reason why your hydraulic seals can succumb to heat degradation include excessive friction, poor hydraulic seal materials or exposure to open flames or radiant heat from a nearby source.

Hydraulic seal failure stemming from chemical degradation

The second probable reason why your hydraulic seals are succumbing to premature damage is when they are being eroded by chemicals. The chemical degradation can cause problems to your industrial equipment and, in the worst-case scenario, your final product since it means that small amounts of the seals are seeping into the materials being transported through the cylinders. Hence, they end up contaminating the entire manufacturing process. Therefore, while the replacement of the seals may be cheap, the contamination of your industrial supplies and potentially the final product will be an extravagant expense. So why do hydraulic seals succumb to chemical degradation? Most commonly, it is due to employing the wrong materials for your seals. Incompatible seals are vulnerable to breaking down from oxidation, hydrolysis and so on leading to swelling, hardening, shrinkage or softening of the seals.

To get new hydraulic seals or to learn more, contact a local industrial equipment supplier.

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