Hydraulic fluid monitoring

Hydraulic systems & components

1st Quarter 2011 Hydraulic systems & components

In 1985, Omar Cardoso, president of the Brazilian industrial engineering company Izda, visited the Hanover Fair and stopped at the Webtec stand. He walked away having placed an order for the prototype to a high quality, digital hydraulic fluid monitoring system. It was also the start of an enduring business relationship with Webtec.

The problem which led Cardoso to Webtec’s stand related to the monitoring of the hydraulic fluid in the power packs that Izda designed and supplied to major industrial concerns such as steel mills and power plants. This was intended to cool and lubricate the bearings in the large hydraulic motors and generators.

If the flow of hydraulic fluid to the bearings dips below a critical level there is a danger that they will overheat and burn out. This causes damage to the shaft, and can result in up to six months downtime while a new bearing is manufactured. The annual cost of replacing burned out bearings, estimated to be equivalent to the cost of 200 flowmeters, was causing major problems for his customers. In addition the protracted downtime of the machines was losing them money and reducing their productivity.

The initial solution offered by Webtec was a flow indicator equipped with switches that could be adapted to the requirements of the project. This was subsequently developed into the FlowHUB, a system that Izda still supplies to its customers today. The FlowHUB monitors the flow of lubricant to the bearings on the large electric motors and generators of Izda’s clients. If the flow rate dips out of range an initial alarm sounds as a warning. This is followed by a second alarm which stops the machine automatically before any damage can be incurred, thus removing the potential for human error. The digital readouts make monitoring much easier and clearer, displaying both the oil flow and the temperature. If preferred there is an option for an analogue output to send the flow signal to a PLC.

Webtec’s flowmeters have now been used by Izda’s customers for more than 25 years. Since the completion of the initial 10 week project, the problem of burned out bearings has been completely eradicated. Izda currently places four or five orders a year for consignments of the FlowHUB, and is more than satisfied with the quality and accuracy of the equipment, as well as with Webtec’s after sales service.

With technology advancing at such a fast pace and the need for ever more accurate monitoring and diagnostic equipment, Izda’s president expects his working relationship with Webtec to continue. As Webtec continues to develop its range of equipment in response to the needs of its global network of customers, Cardoso expects to learn and grow with the company. His experience of working alongside the team at Webtec has turned out to be more than finding a practical business solution.

Webtec is represented in South Africa by Commercial Shearing.

For more information contact Ken Beaumont, Commercial Shearing, +27 (0)11 397 4264, [email protected], www.commercialshearing.co.za

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Hydraulic fluid monitoring

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