Hydraulic Filtration Pocket Guide

Hydraulic Filtration Pocket GuidePreventing damage and downtime

Table of Contents

Hydraulics 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

What causes hydraulic systems to fail? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Sources of contamination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Types of contamination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Types of hydraulic wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Hydraulic filters: What they do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Understanding ISO cleanliness levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Cleanliness levels for hydraulic components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

New oil does not equal clean oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Importance of proper hydraulic fluid maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Fleetguard media advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Proven media performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Learn more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

2

What is a hydraulic system?Composed of a network of valves, hoses, components and piping, a hydraulic system is typically found in machinery. Although they can be very diverse and complex, these systems always work under the same principle — using an incompressible fluid under pressure to generate control and transmit power.

Where are hydraulic systems used? Industries like mining, rail, construction and agriculture all benefit from hydraulics.

Because they are extremely efficient, hydraulic systems can generate high amounts of focused energy, which is often used to lift enormous weights, aid in steering equipment/vehicles and apply a large force in a variety of other machinery.

Hydraulics 101

3

As with any mechanical system, wear and tear is a certainty in hydraulics. Seals, springs and components that rely on a tolerance fit can lose efficiency or can be damaged by poor filtration and leakage. Worse yet, you’ll typically experience a 20% loss in efficiency before even noticing a problem with hydraulic equipment.

The chief culprit is fluid contamination, responsible for 80-90% of all hydraulic system failures. The importance of proper fluid filtration is even more important in today’s manufacturing environment, which demands greater and greater efficiency from equipment to increase hydraulic performance. It’s not uncommon for tolerances as tight as .0001 of an inch to be specified.

This means that small contaminants can cause big problems, such as:

Reduced performance — Cylinder drift, jerky steering, erratic operation, sluggishness

Increased cost — Shorter service intervals, higher operating costs, lost productivity

500 mg

According to ISO standards, a mere 500 mg of environmental dust will contaminate a 55 gal. barrel of hydraulic oil. This amount of dust is the same size as an aspirin tablet.

What causes hydraulic systems to fail?

4

For hydraulic systems, there are two basic sources of contamination:

Ingestion — Dirt, dust, moisture and other contaminants enter the system from the outside through inefficient air breathers or worn cylinder rod seals during normal operation and maintenance.

Ingression — Contaminants come from within, often left behind from manufacturing and assembly. Even the original hydraulic fluid can contain contaminants. Friction and heat can also produce internally generated contamination.

Sources of contamination

Contaminated new oil

Debris entering through vent/breather

Built-in or introduced through maintenance

Debris through crack or opening in reservoir

Pump wear over time

Contamination bypassing wiper seal

5

Contamination can take many forms — and all of them can lead to serious damage to your hydraulic system.

Rust — Can contribute to general wear and tear, premature aging of the oil and damage to the pump, seals, and valves

Oil aging products — Can block the filter element and cause silting within the hydraulic system

Metal — Can cause wear on pumps, seals and other components, as well as increase the aging rate of oil

Bronze, copper, brass — Can cause wear on pumps, seals and other components, as well as increase the aging rate of oil

Types of contamination

Gel-type residue from filter element Can block the filter, causing it to go into bypass or collapse

Silicates — Can produce heavy wear on seals and other components and lead to pump and valve breakdowns

Colored/synthetic particles — Can lead to seal wear as well as pump and valve breakdowns

Fibers from clothes and other sources Can block nozzles and cause leaking from valve seats

6

Contaminants damage a hydraulic system in a variety of ways:

Types of hydraulic wear

Corrosive

From water or chemical contamination in fluid

Cavitation

From pressure changes in fluid

Erosive

From high-speed fine particles in fluid

Fleetguard Hydraulic FiltrationWhy is hydraulic filtration so important?Today’s hydraulic systems operate under extremely high pressures with extremely tight tolerances, meaning they are

very sensitive to wear from abrasive particles and must be protected with filtration. In fact, 90% of all hydraulic

system failures result from fluid contamination. These contaminants can enter the system from a number of sources:

• Built in from manufacturing processes

• Low quality or unclean hydraulic fluid used and the filling process

• Exposure to dirt, dust and moisture in operating conditions

• System generated wear over time

Filtration is the only defense against wear once

contamination is present in the hydraulic system.

Each type of filter in the system is designed to

perform a specific job:

• Suction Filters - removes the largest particles that

may find its way into the reservoir; also known as

strainers or safety filters

• Return Line Filters - removes the largest particles

that may find its way into the reservoir; also known

as strainers or safety filters

• Pressure Filters - designed to protect the most

sensitive components at full system pressures

Types of hydraulic filters:Types of hydraulic wear:

Filtration Part of Hydraulic System:











































Adhesive

From moving parts sticking together

Abrasive

From hard particles wearing on adjacent surfaces

Fatigue

From reversing of loads
































































To avoid damage, it’s essential to remove contaminants from circulation as effectively as possible. That’s where proper filtration plays such a critical role.

7

Filtration is the only defense against wear once contamination is present in the hydraulic system. Hydraulic filters remove even the smallest contaminants that inhibit performance and cause damage. The result: extended component life and reduced downtime, providing a lower cost of ownership.

Types of hydraulic filters Suction Filters — Remove coarse, free-flowing particles that may find their way into the reservoir; also known as strainers or wire screen filters.

Return Line Filters — Remove any contamination before returning the hydraulic fluid to the reservoir.

Pressure Filters — Protect the most sensitive components at full-system pressures.

Filtration as part of hydraulic system:

Hydraulic filters: What they do

More Efficient

Efficient

Most Efficient






















8

Understanding ISO cleanliness levelsThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has established ISO 4406:1999 to provide guidelines for defining the level of contamination present in a fluid sample and help ensure you select the correct filter to meet your hydraulic system needs. Because we cannot absolutely define clean or dirty fluid, we must rely on this numerical system to specify various levels of contamination while testing fluid for cleanliness levels.

ISO codes are used to quantify levels of particulate contamination present per milliliter of fluid at three different sizes: 4 microns, 6 microns and 14 microns . Here’s an example of how an ISO code is determined:

9

Proper filtration can help meet specific ISO cleanliness requirements for the various components in hydraulic systems.

Servo valves must adhere to this level of fluid cleanliness to help equipment run at maximum performance.

Cleanliness levels for hydraulic components

ComponentsCleanliness Levels (ISO Code) 4 µm(c)/6 µm(c)/14 µm(c)

Hydraulic Servo Valves 15/13/11

Hydraulic Proportional Valves 16/14/12

Hydraulic Variable Piston Pump 16/14/12

Hydraulic Fixed Piston Pump 17/15/12

Hydraulic Variable Vane Pump 17/15/12

Hydraulic Fixed Vane Pump 18/16/13

Hydraulic Fixed Gear Pump 18/16/13

Ball Bearings 15/13/11

Roller Bearings 16/14/12

Journal Bearings (>400 rpm) 17/15/13

Journal Bearings (<400 rpm) 18/16/14

Gearboxes 18/16/13

Hydrostatic Transmissions 16/14/11

Pumps 16/14/12

Servo Valves ISO 15/13/11

10

If you think that new hydraulic oil is always clean, think again. Even new oil might not meet ISO cleanliness levels, making proper filtration all the more important. See below for the standard new oil should meet, plus examples of what new oil actually looks like delivered from various sources.

Go to cumminsfiltration.com for more information.

New oil does not equal clean oil

Kidney loop filtration can be used to better protect hydraulic systems by removing contaminates in the fluid. Fleetguard offers a wide range of filters for kidney loop systems to provide the fluid cleanliness your equipment requires.

Demanded by Modern Hydraulic Systems

ISO 16/14/11

WHAT’S REQUIRED

WHAT YOU CAN DOISO 20/18/15

New Oil as Delivered on Tanker

New Oil as Delivered in Tote

ISO 23/21/18

New Oil as Delivered in Barrels

ISO 17/15/13

WHAT’S TYPICAL

11

Hydraulic system repairs represent a significant portion of an annual maintenance spend, typically costing 2–3 times more than engine and transmission system maintenance. This not only underscores the importance of using the right filters, but adhering to proper maintenance protocols as well.

What happens when your system is properly protected with hydraulic filtration? You’ll see reduced equipment downtime as well as increased savings and productivity.

Importance of proper hydraulic fluid maintenance

30%

HARDWARERETURN ON

INVESTMENT

MAINTENANCECOSTS

UNPLANNEDDOWNTIME

$900/TRUCK/YEAR

SAVINGS UP TO

1 YEAR

$

ON HIGHWAY

30%

HARDWARERETURN ON

INVESTMENT

MAINTENANCECOSTS

UNPLANNEDDOWNTIME

$900/TRUCK/YEAR

SAVINGS UP TO

1 YEAR

$

ON HIGHWAY

30%

HARDWARERETURN ON

INVESTMENT

MAINTENANCECOSTS

UNPLANNEDDOWNTIME

$900/TRUCK/YEAR

SAVINGS UP TO

1 YEAR

$

ON HIGHWAY

REDUCE EQUIPMENT DOWNTIME

INCREASE SAVINGS

MINIMIZE PRODUCTIVITY

LOSS+ =

Here are some best practices for maintaining your hydraulic equipment:

■ Change filters — suction line, return line and pressure line — per OEM guidelines.

■ Inspect sealing and pressure faces of hydraulic components for scoring.

■ Check rods for straightness to avoid failure and fluid contamination. Repair or replace.

■ Correctly fill with fluid/bleed through when replacing.

12

NanoNet® combines multiple layers of media with different synthetic grades that work in unison to better manage contaminants compared to traditional media. As each layer provides finer and finer filtration, harmful particles are retained and removed with ultra-high efficiency, even under real-world operating conditions like vibration and flow surges in fluid systems. That means precision hydraulic components see less contaminants, experience less overall wear and continue to function like new over the life of the filter for a lower total cost of ownership.

Why NanoNet? ■ Ultra-efficient particle removal

■ Longer filter life

■ Lower flow restriction

■ Lower total cost of ownership

Efficiency layer

Melt blown layer

NanoNet layer

Melt blown layer

Competitor Bi-Layer Microglass – 0.51 mm

Fleetguard Sub-Micron Nylon Fiber and Melt Blown – .76 mm

NanoNet

Fleetguard media advantage

13

Fleetguard hydraulic filters feature our proven, proprietary NanoNet media, which removes harmful particles better than any competitive product in the marketplace. Plus, NanoNet delivers longer filter life and lower flow restriction.

Proven media performance

Competitor Microglass Media – Particle Removal Performance

Fleetguard NanoNet Media – Particle Removal Performance

14

■ Visit cumminsfiltration .com/literature/hydraulic, where you’ll find literature with product information and technical specs.

■ Videos about hydraulic filtration and more can be found at youtube .com/FleetguardFiltration

■ Enroll in Fleetschool – fleetschool.com – and take our quick-and-easy courses on hydraulics and other filtration topics.

About Fleetguard Fleetguard has been engineering and manufacturing heavy-duty filtration solutions for more than 60 years and is the only brand of filters made by an engine company — Cummins Inc. This extensive experience ensures that all of our filters and filter media have been proven in the harshest operating environments for dozens of OEMs around the world.

Fleetguard filters are designed and validated to meet or exceed the OEM performance specifications for various applications or fluid requirements. Media types in Fleetguard filters are compatible with all modern hydraulic fluid types.

Learn more

Hydraulic Filters from FleetguardLearn more at CumminsFiltration .com

www .cumminsfiltration .com

LT36780 Rev 1. ©2020 Cummins Filtration

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Hydraulic Filtration Pocket Guide