Hydraulic cylinders are an essential part of many machines and mechanisms, but if you don't know how to maintain them properly, they can cause you more than a little trouble. Bleeding air from hydraulic cylinders is essential to keep fluid supply systems working properly and safely. Many customers in repair shops request hydraulic repair services because they have not bled their cylinders.
Hydraulic systems are not designed to pressurise air, but to operate with pressurised fluids. Air entering the hydraulic fluid or cylinder can significantly change the way the cylinder operates. In this news article, we will look at the basics of bleeding air from a hydraulic system to ensure it works properly. We will look at why air bleeding is necessary.
Why is bleeding a hydraulic cylinder so important?
It is necessary to bleed air from a hydraulic system because air can cause pressure drops, noise, slow response and spongy or sluggish cylinder operation. Air trapped in the hydraulic system can also lead to cavitation.
Cavitation occurs when rapid changes in pressure in the hydraulic fluid result in the formation of small vapour-filled cavities where the pressure is lowest. When compression occurs in a hydraulic cylinder, the air bubbles implode, leading to corrosion of the metal.
This damages the components within the cylinder, such as the metal seals, further contaminating the hydraulic fluid with metal particles, further damaging the cylinder components and ultimately leading to cylinder failure.
In general, the normal amount of dissolved air in hydraulic fluid is 10%, which is different from entrained air. Too much entrained air can lead to foaming or bubbling in the reservoir and throughout the system.
Therefore, you who use hydraulic system machinery should bleed it promptly.