If your hydraulic cylinders are not meeting your requirements in terms of running hours, Berendsen can analyse components and re-engineer them to be more durable and provide longer service life. Because every second counts!

Hydraulic Cylinder Components Can Be Upgraded For Extended Service Life:

While all hydraulic cylinder OEMs manufacture to a very high standard, which meets almost all customer requirements, in some cases, certain operating conditions can reduce service life or lead to premature failure. For example, excessive duty cycles or abnormal loading and unloading events could be creating conditions that are beyond the normal operation of the hydraulic cylinder. Whatever the case, there are many situations that could reduce hydraulic cylinder’s lifespan. Not all of which can be engineered into a production cylinder. 

If the repeated premature failure of hydraulic cylinders is an ongoing problem, then it is possible to redesign one or many components in the hydraulic cylinder to accommodate the specific challenges. In this article, we'll go through the hydraulic cylinder upgrade process. 

The Hydraulic Cylinder Component Upgrade Process:

Berendsen’s hydraulic engineering & design department has extensive experience designing & manufacturing custom hydraulic cylinders for many applications in the mining industry. And - where required - has the ability to analyze prematurely failed cylinders, determine the cause of failure and redesign one or many components to address the underlying issues that lead to failure - to improve the cylinder’s durability and ensure you meet the running hours you expect. 

1. Investigation & situational assessment: 

The first step is to determine the reason for failure and identify the components responsible. The cylinder will be carefully disassembled and all components inspected for signs of abnormal wear. Berendsen’s technicians will produce a detailed report, which is logged and recorded in our industry-leading Frontrunner platform. Our in-house engineers will assess this information along with making visual inspections of the failed components. They may also discuss the situation with the customer to gain a greater understanding of the nature of the application and the on-site conditions to determine what contributing factors may have led to early failure. They will use all this data, along with a wealth of engineering experience to determine a new set of technical specifications for the upgraded cylinder components. 

2. Redesigning of hydraulic cylinder component(s):

Using the new set of technical requirements, our in-house engineering & design department develops new custom component designs and detailed drawings, including material selection to ensure the new component meets the upgraded design specifications. Berendsen’s engineering team has a wealth of experience in the custom design and manufacture of hydraulic cylinders for many specialised hydraulic systems and applications. They employ these skills to produce designs that exceed the original OEM design specifications. 

3. FEA Simulation testing:

Before any new component is put into action, it must first pass rigorous software simulation testing procedures to fully validate the design and ensure that it will perform as expected. This is done using Finite Element Analysis - the gold standard in software design simulation testing for engineering. In the hands of skilled engineers, this software can accurately predict the performance and reliability of any new component. Allowing our engineers to make precise modifications to designs to ensure 

4. In-house Component Manufacturing: 

The benefit of having a custom manufacturing division in-house means that all designs can be produced in an end-to-end process that allows us to keep a close eye on quality. Berendsen’s Newcastle branch is equipped with rapid, precise CNC milling devices capable of producing virtually any component required - in a wide variety of materials. Engineers coordinate and communicate closely with our technicians and operators to ensure all new components are produced to exact specifications and meet the requirements for the new design. 

5. Reassembly & Testing:

As with all hydraulic repairs, upgraded cylinders go through a rigorous quality control process. The methodical reassembly and testing of upgraded hydraulic cylinders follows Berendsen’s digital hydraulic cylinder repair process. Using specialist repair equipment and logging all steps in the Frontrunner hydraulic repair workflow system, newly redesigned cylinders are painstakingly reassembled and tested using calibrated hydraulic testing stations. This enables Berendsen’s engineers to immediately identify any problems and quickly resolve them

Berendsen Can Design & Manufacture Upgraded Hydraulic Cylinder Components to Meet Running Hour Requirements.

Mining operations operate under strict running hour requirements that allow them to accurately predict and coordinate the maintenance schedules of every machine in the fleet. These are developed according to the recommended running hours prescribed by the manufacturer. However, in some cases, hydraulic cylinders fail to meet these target running hours. When this happens, machines are out of action leading to unplanned delays. 

Working with surface mining customers for over 25 years, we understand you have precise expectations of the running hours of all the hydraulic components on your hard-working machines. Rather than put up with excessive maintenance schedules, Berendsen’s world-class engineering & design team can assist you to assess and address the underlying engineering inadequacies that lead to premature hydraulic cylinder failure. Speak to us if your hydraulic cylinders are not delivering on the running hours you require.