SELECTING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS

Transcription

1 SELECTING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS AN OVERVIEW OF HYDRAULIC HOSE PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS, AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS INTRODUCTION Today s complex mobile equipment demands that hydraulic hose systems be equipped to handle extreme circumstances. Because of the hydraulic industry s push toward more compact applications that can handle high pressure and temperatures, selecting the right product is more important than ever. This guide gives an overview of several common problems that mobile hydraulic equipment users face, along with product solutions to help keep equipment up and running. It also provides information about the comprehensive safety and maintenance systems created by Gates Corporation. Gates is constantly developing new technology to meet and exceed the requirements for successful hydraulic hose systems so users experience less downtime and a higher return on investment. 1

2 COMMON PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS, AND RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS HOSE BREAKDOWN Mobile equipment needs to be able to handle the harshest of conditions. Hoses that are exposed to the sun can dry out, crack, and break down over time, causing serious damage to an application. Hose breakdown can result in bursts and other potentially catastrophic instances, leading to increased downtime and cost. Designing with hose that is ozone resistant or replacing your existing hose with this type can reduce the amount of replacements you have to buy over time and will protect against hose breakdown. Gates Terminator hose Is equipped with weather and ozone resistance. Offers excellent durability for extra long life in mining, air drill, construction, poultry plants, quarries, shipyards, food processing, railroads, and other severe service environments. Comes with a rugged cover for outstanding abrasion-resistant capability and extended service life where constant flexing and bending is required. Product applications: air, oil & some chemical applications Gates Hydraulic hose Gates hydraulic hoses are designed with ozone resistance in mind The abrasion resistant covers offer an extra measure of ozone resistance ABRASION Abrasion can be identified by marks of rubbing or damage to the hose cover. Damage is caused when a hose chafes against machinery or scrapes against other objects in the environment. In other cases, hoses that are located in close proximity to one another in a boom arm, on rollers, or on hose tracks can rub against one another causing damage. 2

3 Check the routing of the hose to see if contact can be avoided. Use clamps and route the hose through pivot points to keep hose away from the source of abrasion. Make sure to use clamps of the correct size. A clamp that is too large allows hose to move inside the clamp, which can cause abrasion. In areas where abrasion is unavoidable, hose that is damaged from rubbing against metal or machinery can be protected with a tough, abrasion-resistant cover. Hoses that rub against one another can be replaced by dual line hose, reducing abrasion damage and saving money. Recommended Products: Gates MegaTuff cover Is made with a special hybrid compound that is exceptionally resistant to abrasion, but also to oil, ozone, UV rays, chemicals, and weathering. Eliminates the need for costly hose protection such as spring guards or nylon sleeving, thus reducing the total material cost. Gates XtraTuff hose Offers 25 times the abrasion resistance of standard cover hydraulic hose as per the ISO 6945 standard, while fully maintaining the MegaSys pressure flexibility. Guarantees excellent performance in hose-to-hose and hose-to-metal applications. Gates M2T dual line hose Offers smaller exterior dimensions and significantly tighter bend radius than other SAE 100R1 and 100R2 hose. M2T Dual Line XtraTuff hose meets SAE 100R16 and is available with unique abrasion-resistant XtraTuff cover, as well as small exterior dimensions and a tight bend radius. 3

4 TIGHT BEND RADIUS As today s hydraulic machinery gets smaller and more compact, the need for hose to be able to bend to accommodate tight routings and corners has become paramount. When hose is forced to bend to a tight radius that it is not made to accommodate, it becomes susceptible to weak points and can fail prematurely. To prevent hose failure, start with a wire-braid or spiral wire hose that offers added flexibility and strength to accommodate a tight bend radius. If a hose is designed to make the tight bends, it reduces the amount of hose that is needed, offers ergonomic advantages, and is easier to install. Gates MegaSys hose system Consists of five hoses that can be bent to one-half the SAE specification, thus saving overall hose assembly length and reducing costs by as much as 47 percent. Includes Megaspiral hose, which offers the industry s smallest bend radius for any SAE 100R12 spiral wire equivalent hose. ASSEMBLY TIME When installing hydraulic assemblies on the assembly line, tightening swivel nuts with a torque wrench can be tricky and time consuming. Even trying to fit the wrench in tight areas can take up valuable time and potentially injure the installer. It s not an ergonomically sound practice. Using a threadless connection that can be locked into place quickly and easily instead of laboring with a torque wrench can speed up the production line process and create less of a strain on installers. The biggest advantage of threadless connectors is the reduced time and expense needed to install hydraulic hose and tubing assemblies. Plus, they also offer greater accessibility for subsequent maintenance. 4

5 Gates Quick-Lok threadless couplings Go together faster, easier, and better than their threaded counterparts. Require no time to torque nor special equipment or skills to install them. Are proven in field testing to take 1/10th the time to assemble. Come in all common coupling and adapter configurations. LEAKS AT COUPLINGS Leaking hydraulic couplings create headaches for industrial and mobile equipment manufacturers and users alike. Hydraulic leaks on new equipment mean costly rework or warranty claims. In the field, leaks pose environmental, safety, and operational problems. The most common cause of leaking hydraulic couplings comes from improper torque applied to staked-nut couplings. A staked-nut coupling has two machined components: the nut and the stem with integral collar. The nut is staked (crimped) onto the stem as the coupling is assembled during manufacturing. This staking process deforms the surface of the metal, forming a thin cross section at the collar. Someone using a torque wrench has the potential to crack the nut at its weak point, even when the proper torque is applied. So when incorrect torque is applied, the cracking and leaks can happen more quickly and with greater frequency. Use a coupling that can resist cracking and leaking due to improper torque. Gates Full-Torque Nut couplings Increase productivity and uptime by eliminating the nut cracking and seat damage that can occur during installation of high-pressure hose assemblies. Are stronger and more durable than traditional staked-nut fittings. A large holding shoulder evenly distributes stress forces at the nut for higher resistance against cracking, even when inadvertently over-torqued. Resist de-torqueing and retain more input torque than staked-nuts. 5

6 CORROSION Mobile equipment is often subjected to the toughest of environments. As such, couplings can be exposed to several harsh, corrosive materials, including fertilizer, road salt, seawater, etc. These substances can break down exposed steel in the coupling, creating a red rust on the surface of the metal. Protect against the formation of red rust by covering couplings with corrosion-resistant plating that allows the metal to oxidize. If the couplings are exposed to severe operating conditions, such as salt spray, caustic chemical sprays, or even frequent washdowns, try replacing existing couplings with stainless steel ones. Recommended Products: Gates TuffCoat and TuffCoat Xtreme plating Protects couplings from corrosion. Provides more than 500 hours of protection against the formation of red rust when tested under SAE J516 and ASTMB117 salt-spray conditions. That s a 600-plus percent improvement over the 72-hour SAE standard. Gates 316 stainless steel couplings line Provides maximum protection and resistance to corrosion in severe operating conditions. Is designed to resist salt spray in marine applications, to withstand caustic chemical spray in agricultural applications, and to handle frequent washdowns in beverage plants. The 316 Stainless Steel is highly resistant to salt corrosion. TuffCoat Xtreme (TXC) plating on hydraulic couplings prevents deterioration of the metal, offers 840 hours of red rust corrosion resistance, and is 1066% greater than the 72-hour SAE standard and 1033% greater than the 96-hour industry standard. 6

7 LINE-OF-SIGHT APPLICATION SAFETY Workers within a three-foot line-of-sight of hydraulically powered equipment are susceptible to injury when catastrophic events such as pinhole leaks or bursts occur. Workers can slip and fall on the leaking fluid or even ingest it. If flammable liquid leaks or bursts occur near a hot manifold or source of ignition, it can explode causing major damage, injuries, and costly clean-up expense. To protect hydraulic equipment operators from catastrophic hydraulic hose bursts or pinhole leaks, several hose manufacturers have developed safe line-of-sight nylon sleeving. Gates LifeGuard Line-of-Sight Sleeving System Contains 6,000 psi bursts and 3,000 psi pinhole leaks at 212 F for up to five minutes. Redirects explosive force down the length of the hose and disperses the energy and fluids at the hose ends via carefully designed channel clamps allowing for fast hose failure detection. TERMINATIONS FOR MACHINES MANUFACTURED OVERSEAS Hydraulic equipment is manufactured and shipped from several countries around the globe, allowing myriad types of couplings to cross borders. Hose shipped to the United States may have Japanese, German, or European couplings attached. Many times this requires users to purchase an adaptor so the hose can fit into an assembly, which can be costly or hard to find. Finding a single manufacturer that creates a broad range of couplings that are compatible with international equipment reduces the amount of money users spend on adaptors and other accessories. 7

8 Gates MegaCrimp couplings Work in concert with the complete line of internationally manufactured Gates wire braid hoses. Take on the shape of the dies during crimping, but only on the outside shell of the MegaCrimp coupling. Inside, the C insert stays round like the hose. There s no polygon effect. The same C insert can be used on hoses with different constructions and wall thicknesses, and assures an even distribution of crimping forces to form a concentric seal. Simplify inventory requirements since one size of MegaCrimp coupling can accommodate a variety of hose ODs, including both one- and two-wire hoses. DOWNTIME When hose needs to be replaced or repaired, production comes to a halt. This stoppage is referred to as downtime. Decreased production leads to less profit, so reducing downtime is integral to the success of a hydraulic hose system. Selecting a hose that has a longer service life rating can reduce the amount of time you spend replacing hose. This reduces downtime and increases productivity. Gates M-XP hydraulic hose Combines the flexibility of wire-braid construction with the strength and performance of spiral-wire reinforcement for long-lasting performance. Can handle 4,000-psi high-impulse applications in all sizes when tested at 1,000,000 impulse cycles at 212 F, which far exceeds SAE standards. Excels in mobile equipment and construction markets where it can be used in out-of-sight and hard-to-reach applications like boom arms and scissor lifts. 8

9 EPA EMISSIONS STANDARDS As environmental standards become more stringent, an increasing number of additives are being incorporated into fuel to make it burn more cleanly and efficiently. Upcoming mandates for using bio-diesel fuels instead of petroleum have the potential to negatively impact hose systems. Additives found in bio-diesel fuel can attack hose polymers and break down the tube causing fuel permeation and leaks. Using a hose that is made of material resistant to bio-diesel fluids can prevent against breakdown and subsequent leaks. Gates Barricade hose Prevents fuel vapor loss while delivering peak fuel efficiency. Achieves five times less fuel vapor permeation (1gr/m2) and fuel waste than conventional hoses via built-in, five-layer Greenshield Barrier Technology. Accommodates more fuel types than standard fuel line hoses, including Gasohol, Diesel, Bio-Diesel, Ethanol, Gasoline, and Methanol. Works with virtually any engine application that s equipped with a conventional carburetor, including cars, trucks, ATVs, tractors, and lawn and garden equipment. HOSE TWIST, ROTATING JOINTS, AND ARTICULATING EQUIPMENT Today s mobile equipment demands that hydraulic systems can accommodate an extensive range of movement and articulation. Hoses in these applications can twist and/or become tangled in other machine parts, causing leaks, equipment damage, production stoppage, and environmental contamination. Live swivel connections turn (or swivel) to keep hoses from becoming twisted. They allow for increased articulation and provide resistance against hydraulic shocks and side loads. 9

10 Gates Live Swivel couplings Eliminate torsion and twisting on hydraulic hoses. Withstand high operating pressure (6000 PSI rating) and will not pull apart during operation due to the simple, patented ball-less design. Is a compact coupling with two recessed seals and a smooth flat surface that causes wear to occur on a replaceable thrust washer. That is simply rebuilt for a longer life. Available in straight and block 90 configurations. EXTREME TEMPERATURE Mobile hydraulic systems are exposed to ambient outdoor temperature conditions, as well as the elements, so they must be able to operate under a wide range of temperatures and conditions. In the southern United States for example, ambient conditions can reach 130 F, making it difficult to limit the fluid temperature to less than 140 F. And because hydraulic hose systems are becoming more and more compact, it s not unusual for routing to run near a heat source such as an exhaust manifold. Hoses exposed to extremely high temperatures can become cracked and eventually ruined. In fact, an increase of 18 F above the maximum temperature may decrease hose life by half. Select a hose that can appropriately handle the extreme temperatures of the mobile system. Also, try to identify the heat source causing the damage and consider re-routing away from it if possible. Gates high-temperature hoses (M4KH, M3KH, G2XH and C5CXH) Can withstand temperatures from 250 F to more than 300 F. Are ideal for high-pressure hydraulic applications including backhoes, forklifts, trash trucks, construction, and agricultural equipment. 10

11 GATES PROBLEM-SOLVING SERVICES While it is important to understand which products protect against common problems, it is imperative that a company stands behind its solutions and innovations. Gates has developed several problem-solving services to help users get the most efficient service life out of their Gates products: PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE Hydraulic and industrial hose systems are the lifelines on all types of equipment skid steers, bulldozers, excavators, crane, boars, rotary rigs, etc. Keeping track of the condition and performance of hose systems that power this equipment and transfer materials is essential to maximizing uptime, efficiency, and productivity. The Electronic Control Unit (ECU) is programmed to apply the correct damage algorithms to hoses monitored. 3 ways the ECU notifies managers that fault conditions exist: An LED display indicates fault conditions by flashing in a predetermined sequence. The ECU can be connected to a laptop PC in the field to download more detailed data. The ECU can be connected to a GPS or cell phone transmitter to automatically relay information and warning signals to a ground station where data can be picked up by a remote PC, Internet, or telephone SMS. Predictive maintenance allows users to plan repairs and control costs, maximize equipment uptime and productivity, and reduce quality and safety issues by enabling failure prediction before a hose assembly actually fails. SAFE HYDRAULICS PROGRAM Every Gates solution is backed by innovative product development, application engineering support, and an unparalleled safety program. Gates is committed to helping users by providing them with training and information about proper selection of components, the safe operation of equipment, and preventive maintenance. From guides and white papers to workshops and seminars, Gates makes sure users are educated about preventive maintenance so they can identify component weaknesses before failure. VE/VA (VALUE ENGINEERING/VALUE ANALYSIS) When innovating new product solutions, Gates engineers use Value Engineering/Value Analysis (VE/VA), a structured decision-making method of identifying and eliminating unnecessary cost, while maintaining or increasing functionality. 11

12 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF VE/VA VALUE ENGINEERING (COST AVOIDANCE) VALUE ANALYSIS (COST REDUCTION) ANALYSIS OF NECESSARY PRODUCT FUNCTIONS SELECTION OF A LESS EXPENSIVE DESIGN OR MATERIAL PRODUCT ELIMINATION OF UNNECESSARY FUNCTIONS COST SAVINGS RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GROWTH MATURITY The term VE/VA describes two separate activities that take place at different times in the product life cycle. Value Engineering is conducted during the Research & Development phase, before a product is commercialized. The focus is on cost avoidance. Value Analysis is done later during the Growth and Maturity phases, when the product is in the field. The focus is on cost reduction. Using a function and logic approach in which each product component is rigorously analyzed as to its essential purpose and value, Gates seeks to deliver the best value to users. CONCLUSION Due to the complex nature of hydraulic hose systems, there is the potential for failure and high replacement costs. Selecting the right industrial hose and hydraulic products for mobile equipment application is a necessity, but choosing the correct hose and equipment backed by comprehensive engineering, support, and training is the intelligent solution. Additional Resources For more information about Gates Mobile Equipment solutions and Safe Hydraulics program, visit 12