Life-cycle cost (LCC) management is making its mark in an increasing number of industries. More companies are starting to apply the lessons learnt in the automotive arena with regard to looking beyond the purchase price of components in order to achieve lower long-term costs.
Hydac International, locally represented by Hytec Fluid Technology (HFT), has launched the BN4HC filter element, which directly addresses life-cycle cost of filter elements. These new filter elements can retain up to 30% more dirt than their counterparts, thereby increasing change-out time. This leads to decreased replacement costs.
“Making a purchasing decision taking only the purchase cost into account can lead to absolutely wrong decisions,” says HFT’s Mark le Roux. “It is more useful to consider and reduce the ongoing costs of ownership, such as frequency of replacement, and factors like productivity. By investing in quality filtration products, companies can be more competitive through improved productivity, less downtime, longer machine lifecycles and lower maintenance costs.”
An effective equipment management plan is central to maintaining a machine optimally throughout its entire productive life.
Various large corporations have joined HFT’s Smart Fluid Technology programme, with steady growth visible in the company’s fluid maintenance division. This trend is set to continue as word gets around that Hytec is able to maximise the life of hydraulic and lubrication equipment and minimise downtime through its oil analysis service. Recent studies have shown that a pump being provided with the correctly filtered fluid via correctly sized and rated filtration solutions will last up to four times longer, and that this product life extension method holds value for all components of any hydraulic or lubrication system.
Employing its state of the art laboratory in Johannesburg and expertise in fluid technology to assist clients in achieving peak operating efficiency, HFT performs a range of cutting-edge services ranging from oil sampling to detailed analysis, greatly improving the reliability and the management of systems.
“We typically take a monthly oil sample from a client’s system. We then perform a complete analysis and provide the client with a comprehensive report,” le Roux explains. “This empowers clients to optimally time filter changes. It takes the guesswork out of oil management and ensures full life expectancy on hydraulic equipment.”
HFT has established a comprehensively equipped hydraulics laboratory
Water in oil is another dangerous contaminant that is monitored in the laboratory. HFT uses a Karl Fischer titrator for this test, followed by a viscometer, ferrous metal counter and finally a membrane test to determine the actual amount, contaminant type and particle size of contaminates in the oil.
Once an ISO cleanliness level is derived, a detailed report and recommendations are presented to the client. With several clients using the service since 2004, HFT is able to identify trends which help to establish predictive maintenance models and lifecycle forecasts.
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