Slick solution for machine downtime

Contaminated oil has been identified as one of the key causes of these system failures, which can lead to machine failure and critical production downtime, said Chris Gray, filtration product manager for Bosch Rexroth.

The new service would provide results within 48 hours, and offered the additional benefit of an online portal allowing engineers to track results over time and predict issues before they arise, he said.

There simply isn’t the time to conduct the regular checks needed to identify issues before it becomes too late

Bosch Rexroth’s Chris Gray

“With more than 30 years’ experience designing, manufacturing and servicing hydraulic systems and components we are well aware of the consequences if contaminated oil goes undetected,” said Gray.

“For many maintenance and production engineers there simply isn’t the time and resource needed to conduct the regular checks needed to identify issues before it becomes too late.”

The results can range from pump failure through to issues with servo drives and malfunctioning valves, he said. Typical contaminants include welding residue, solid particles that enter via piston rods or poor seals and vents. These can even be generated during the working life of a drive via seal abrasion or chemical erosion.

“With our new oil analysis service we’re effectively taking responsibility for the health of a machine in a bid to ensure that it is available 100 per cent of the time,” said Gray.

“And when you consider that the cost of replacing an average sized pump is approximately £5,000, and an oil analysis report costs just £25 the financial argument really begins to stack up.”