BMG Hydraulics has opened a special facility for the servicing, repair and manufacture of hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders. Motion Control paid a visit to the company’s headquarters in Benrose, Johannesburg to see what has been achieved.
“This new operation builds on the company’s existing design and manufacture service, which covers a wide range of hydraulic components and systems to meet the exact specifications of our customers,” says Mark Johnson, national sales manager for BMG Hydraulics. “By adding a repair section we now have the specialist skills and machinery to reverse engineer cylinders back to OEM tolerance.”
New machinery
“We started work on the new section over a year ago, when the workshop was revamped and machines moved from other parts of the factory in order to deliver the high workflow capability we required,” says Roelof Luyt, manager of the cylinder section. “BMG has made a substantial investment in the latest machinery, including a special welding and in-line boring machine for the refurbishing of worn clevis bores and a dedicated hydraulic cylinder servicing workbench for the repair, servicing and rebuilding of large cylinders. Backing this up is a test bench for pressures up to 700 bar.”
Standard or custom-made
The division is divided into separate manufacture and repair sections. The manufacturing section stocks a standard range of hydraulic cylinders – the GQ2 series – which consists of a piston, gland, ports, base and piston nut, as well as imported honed barrel and chrome rods.
These pre-honed barrels and chromed rods, which are imported as raw stock, are cut to the required lengths for a specific cylinder and are then machined to exact requirements. Kit components are welded and fitted to make up a complete hydraulic cylinder. This system of manufacture applies to all new cylinders, whether custom-made or from BMG’s standard range of GQ2 cylinders.
Strict repair protocol
On the servicing side, BMG adheres to a strict protocol for all cylinder repairs by keeping an accurate record of all work done. This is in accordance with the most stringent quality and safety specifications. When a cylinder comes in it is stripped and washed, and all components are tagged and hard-stamped for traceability. In the assessment section, each component is examined to determine the cause of failure. Rods are measured to OEM tolerance and any greater than 250 μ are scrapped. For final finishing, cylinders are sent out for chroming and honing. After all components have been either refurbished or replaced, they are inspected before going to final assembly. All cylinders are tested and painted before delivery, and a test certificate is issued. “We can refurbish a cylinder to OEM tolerance for a fraction of the cost of a new imported one,” says Luyt.
The company also carries a wide range of service exchange cylinders for popular brands of earthmoving machines such as CAT, Volvo, Komatsu, Liebherr, Bell and Hitachi.
A total design solution
BMG Hydraulics backs up its manufacture and repair service with a total design solution, using the latest CAD and CAM software. This service brings together expertise from manifold design, to manufacturing and assembly of a complete system. The company’s 3D modelling programs clearly exhibit the interior and exterior of a manifold in a virtual environment and this enables the identification and amendment of possible design flaws before fabrication commences.
Power packs too
Both the Durban and Johannesburg facilities also design and manufacture hydraulic power pack systems. Design engineers can design, build and test hydraulic power packs by combining BMG’s cylinders with its high quality motor, pump and valve brands. These systems include most electrical specifications, complete with terminal junction boxes, starters and PLC components.
“Industry players know that if they want the best quality in hydraulic equipment, engineering and service, they need look no further than BMG Hydraulics,” concludes Johnson.”
For more information contact Mark Johnson, BMG Hydraulics, +27 (0)11 614 2004, [email protected], www.bmghydraulics.net
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