Discussion on the Maintenance and Care Technology of Excavator Hydraulic System

On construction sites, various types of construction machinery are active. Hydraulic excavators are one of the most important equipment among these construction machines, and the hydraulic system is one of the most crucial systems of these devices.

For fully hydraulic excavators, it can be said that the hydraulic system is like the blood circulation system of the human body, covering the entire excavator. It includes components such as the hydraulic oil tank, main pump, multi-way valves, various pipelines, and cylinders and motors that perform various actions. These hydraulic components are all precisely processed and have high requirements for the maintenance of the hydraulic system. Improper maintenance or no maintenance at all will lead to malfunctions, causing the machine to shut down and also resulting in losses for you.

Keep the system clean

(1) Regularly replace the hydraulic oil and filters

Good hydraulic oil contains a variety of additives, which can prevent the oil from deteriorating.

However, these additives will lose their effectiveness after some time. Therefore, the oil should be replaced regularly to ensure that the additives function properly.

The filter can only absorb a limited number of dirt particles and other impurities from the oil.

For Hitachi ZX series (medium-sized) machines, please replace the return oil filter of the hydraulic oil tank every 1,000 working hours. When changing the hydraulic oil, clean the suction oil filter of the hydraulic oil tank to keep the system clean.

When replacing the hydraulic oil filter, please check if there are any metal particles or debris at the bottom of the filter. If there are copper or iron filings, it indicates that the hydraulic pump, hydraulic motor or valve may be damaged or about to be damaged. If there are rubber-like substances, it indicates that the sealing parts of the hydraulic cylinder are damaged.

(2) Regularly drain the dirt from the fuel tank

Regularly draining the water and sediment from the oil tank is very important for removing impurities in the oil, but it is also very important to regularly replace the hydraulic oil in the entire hydraulic system. This is the only reliable method to completely remove impurities from the system, oxidized hydraulic oil and other harmful impurities. Then, the clean hydraulic oil recommended by Hitachi Construction Machinery should be re-added to the hydraulic system.

Please drain the dirt from the hydraulic oil tank storage tank every 250 working hours.

(3) Cleaning

If the hydraulic oil is contaminated, especially when the pump or cylinder or motor is damaged, all the hydraulic oil must be replaced and the oil tank cleaned.

Keep the working area clean

When replenishing or refilling hydraulic oil into the oil tank, it is necessary to ensure that the area around the filter box cover is clean.

Only clean funnels or containers can be used.

Never bring any dirt into the system.

When maintaining the hydraulic system, only clean plastic plugs can be used to seal the ends of the pipelines.

When maintaining hydraulic components, the worktable must be absolutely clean.

Check the condition of the tools used. They should also be very clean.