Seal Precautions When Sending a Complete Hydraulic Cylinder for Repair

14 August 2012

When a hydraulic cylinder is damaged, many users send the entire cylinder to an outside repairer instead of repairing only the damaged parts themselves. The seals are essential components that prevent hydraulic oil leakage. With an outside repair, users may have limited control over whether:

1. The cylinder has been cleaned thoroughly.
2. The seals meet the machine’s specifications.
3. The seal quality and type are suitable for the application—for example, whether a rod seal has incorrectly been fitted in a piston position.

As a result, the quality of the repair may not become apparent until a seal fails prematurely. Repairs that do not meet the required standard can lead to machine downtime and production losses.

Where practical, obtain suitable seals from a reputable specialist supplier that can provide professional advice, and carry out the repair in-house. This helps ensure the seals match the requirements of the cylinder. If an outside repair is unavoidable, emphasise the need for careful work and ensure that the correct seals are supplied to specification to extend service life.