Has your machine slowed down? Fast in the morning, slow in the afternoon
So you start up in the morning and your machine is nice and quick. However as the day goes on, it slows right down, leading to product defects PLUS frustration from your team who tell you the machine is just not keeping up. This not only slows down your Team and effects morale, it also leads to product defects
What happens when your machine speed is not consistent:
Slower production, extra man-power
Reject parts
Inconsistent product sizes and repeatability
The machines lifting capacity may have reduced
I know what you’re probably thinking, “Oh well, it’s not a big deal if the machine slows down a bit as the day goes on..”. And it may not be. However this slowing down is ALWAYS the sign of an underlying issue with a worn component which will only get worse over time, and eventually fail. Which means the cost to your business could be anywhere from $100/hr to $25,000/hr
Typically, slowing down of your machine is caused by one of four things (and sometimes a combination):
A worn pump
A worn valve
Oil viscosity change
Internal leakage in the system
A hydraulic pump will often be producing the correct pressure, however when the pressure hits a certain point, the flow rate can drop; which will affect the speed of a hydraulic machine throughout the day. The reason your machine can slow down as the day goes on, is because this drop in flow rate only happens once the machine has fully warmed up.
Oil is another common cause of hydraulic machine slow down. Specifically a lack of consistent oil temperatures. When the oil temperature is not consistent, you get oil viscosity changes which throws everything out. This plays a huge role in machines speed. A sure sign that oil is the culprit, is when you need to change your machine settings throughout the day. In fact, if you ever need to alter the settings of your machine as the day goes on, it’s a sure sign something is wrong.
In December 2021 we had a customer who called us because their staff needed to keep adjusting the speed setting on a machine as the day went on to because the parts being produced were not the same in the afternoon as they were in the morning. This was becoming extremely expensive because often staff would forget to adjust the settings on the machine and it would produce reject components.
As soon as we carried out a few diagnostics, which included oil testing, it was clear that the culprit was temperature change in the oil over the day. This was easily solved by installing a heating element and cooling to maintain a more consistent temperature.
Flotek are the experts at getting your machines moving smoothly.
If you have a machines that just keeps slowing down in the afternoon, give Flotek a call. We have serviced thousands of machines, giving you more Up Time!. We can have one of our hydraulics technicians out within 48 hours anywhere in greater Melbourne to service your valuable equipment. It may save your business thousands of dollars in machine downtime.
Flotek also offers Scheduled Inspection Programs, which has a Flotek Technician on your site every 3 months to ensure your important production equipment will not break down. Call 9397 0044
