How Does Hydraulic Equipment Work
Hydraulic equipment comprises of a system of devices meant to exert large amounts of force. They are usually found operating in areas where motors are not always practical, and as small as they are, can still do the work of multiple motors at one time. This makes them very versatile, often taking the place of the most basic machinery, like pulleys and lifts. For all their power, however, they would be nothing without that hydraulic cylinder, filled with the fluid these systems depend on.
Hydraulic equipment systems are comprised of two cylinders, one on top of the other, which hold the fluid, and a pump to move the fluid through the system. Normally oil is the primary fluid, because using it also removes the needs for lubricating the hydraulic equipment on a regular basis. Other types of fluid are currently being experimented with, thanks to a move away from oil dependency over the last few years.
The hydraulic pump is comprised of a pump, hand-powered or mechanically driven, that will serve to push the fluid under pressure. The fluid gets pushed through a one-way valve that will allow the fluid to pass into the cylinders, with no chance of being able to reverse back through the valve.
The hydraulic system functions under Pascal’s principle, that state when force is applied to enclosed fluid, that pressure is distributed equally through that fluid. Pump activates, fluid is pushed to the cylinders, and pressure begins to build in the cylinders.
The pressure escapes in a natural flow, pushing the two cylinders apart, transferring the force to whatever is attached to the cylinders, no matter if it is the platform of a hydraulic jack, or the plates of a press. Because of this very basic principle of fluid dynamics, that tiny valve fuels the hydraulic system to exert massive force to accomplish a wide range of tasks.
Hydraulics is widely used in industrial equipment, primarily in tool manufacturing, automotive assembly, high-speed printing, and especially in construction equipment.
You can see hydraulic systems all over, if you know where to look. Bulldozers, forklifts, earthmovers, cranes, and even jets and submarines are dependent upon hydraulics for their operation. In aircraft, hydraulics is often used to change the pitch of the propeller, the landing gears, the wing flaps, and most importantly, the brakes, just like in your car. Submarines, the last place you would expect to see hydraulics, use the compact force generation to operate the ballast tank vents, torpedo tubes, steering, and to control the doors and seals. A very versatile power system with a lot of amazing uses.
Do you think your business could benefit by using more hydraulic equipment? Talk to the experts at Sun South Leasing today for their comprehensive inventory of industrial equipment for lease at reasonable rates.