July/August 2019

www.hpmag.co.uk HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS July/August 2019 23 level. On the flip side, proactive maintenance can add cost to a system which must be balanced against the likely cost of unexpected breakdowns. In addition, although a proactive maintenance procedure may extend the useful life of some components, it cannot on its own predict the imminent failure of a component, so unexpected breakdowns are still possible. Last but far from least, predictive maintenance works by monitoring the performance of a system or its major components in order to determine when action is required. System components include hydraulic fluid, filters, pumps, hoses, motors, cylinders, accumulators and servo/proportional control valves. Monitoring and measuring the Performance Level (PL) of these components in effect assesses how well they are performing compared with their ‘as-new’ condition. PL can be measured in terms of speed, energy efficiency, accuracy, noise level or any other parameter that is relevant to operation. In a mechanical system it is likely that the PL of a machine’s components will gradually decline over time due to common factors as wear, corrosion, ageing or fatigue. It is also likely that, at Sales: 01772 255109 | Online: tom-parker.co.uk For use with compressed air, water, and oil in most pneumatic applications Brass & plated hosetails & adaptors a certain point, the deterioration in performance will start to accelerate, ultimately resulting in complete, and sometimes catastrophic, failure. Early warning of failure By measuring PL, an early warning of failure can be obtained, which in turn can be used to avoid unnecessary machine shutdowns and ensure that components with a significant portion of their useful life remaining are not replaced needlessly. The upshot is that the long-term cost of using predictive maintenance works out considerably cheaper. As a further benefit, monitoring component health can yield valuable information on wear patterns, which can be utilised as part of continuous improvement programmes. Experience in this methodology dictates that very often component lifetimes can be extended when their operating characteristics are monitored and understood. In an industrial landscape where production downtime costs are rising and instrumentation costs are falling, predictive maintenance is becoming an increasingly effective method of ensuring machine uptime, making it an indispensable tool for the future of industry as a whole. The full white paper can be downloaded at www.webtec.com/education www.webtec.com System monitoring is now much simpler using cost-effective data logging equipment.