HYDRAULIC/Industrial OIL PURIFICATION

Why is Purification necessary?
The single greatest enemy of any hydraulic system is the ingress of impurities into the system.
Dirt
Water
Metal particles
In built filtration systems merely reduce the risks whereas purification eliminates them.
How is purification carried out?
Using Regen Oil’s Fluidex IP 600 Plant, the only unit of its kind presently in Zimbabwe.
This operates using heat and vacuum through coalescers. (this removes water, acids and gasses).
The oil is passed through a dual filtration system of 10 micron primary and 5 micron secondary
(this is the recommended spec but can be changed to suit customer needs)
To allow for proper removal of water/moisture the plant must have a water chamber with
consistent flow, this allows for performance that is not in other plants ,i.e. transformer oil plants
(do not be misled, the two typres of plant look the same but definitely are not)
Also on this particular plant is a dual strainer system. Important because each can be isolated and
cleaned independently. This insures the process is continuous (It is preferable to not lose heat,
vacuum etc)
When done offline, post purification, the plant must be run in conjuction with purifier to clear
pipework, pumps, valves etc etc of any impurities lurking within the system.
The plant is the result of years of intensive research and is used in the U.S.A., Europe, and the
Pacific Rim countries.
Results of ISO 11/9 have been achieved with water content of 0%. We normally strive to achieve
17/14 or better with water less than 0.2%
Can purification be carried out on line?
Purification can be carried out On Line; there is no need to shut the plant down.
Purification can also be carried out Off Line; the plant is shut down completely. This allows for
complete drainage of the Oil, opening and cleaning of the Sumps where possible.
When should purification be carried out?
We recommend that your Oil be purified bi-annually, once On Line, and once Off Line.
Should the Oil be tested?
Yes, independent Laboratories can carry this out. Your individual requirements and the operating
environment govern the frequency of testing.
What are the cost savings in purifying the Oil?
Substantial savings can be achieved in the following areas:
Down time: Drastically reduced due to Oil condition monitoring and
maintenance.
System Maintenance: Drastically reduced due to the reduction of wear and friction
on all moving components, i.e. Pumps, Valves and
Cylinders.
Costs: Large savings in System costs can be achieved in the
following areas:
Life span of Hydraulic Oil should be indefinite; carrying out
purification alleviates the necessity to purchase new oil and
costs approximately 30 – 35% the cost of new Oil.
The life span of Pumps, Valves and Cylinders is increased
dramatically.
Proactive Oil Maintenance and Analysis Diagnostics.
• According to the bearings division of TRW – “Contamination is the number one cause
of bearing damage that leads to premature removal”
• Machine Design Magazine reports – “Less than 10% of all rolling element bearings
reach fatigue limit because contamination usually causes wear or spalling failure far
earlier.
• Caterpillar advises – “Dirt and contamination are by far the number one cause of
hydraulic system failures.”
• J. I. Case state that – “One thing holds true about hydraulic systems; the systems must
be kept clean ~ spotlessly clean ~ in order to achieve the productivity they are capable
of.”
• Proactive studies by the U.S. Navy show that the cost of contamination on marine and
aviation equipment per operating hour exceeds 60% of the cost of fuel per hour on the
same equipment.
• M.I.T. report that – “Six to seven percent of the gross national product (US $ 240
billion) is required just to repair damage caused by mechanical wear; wear is the result
of contamination.”
• Oklahoma State University reports – “ When fluid is maintained ten times cleaner,
hydraulic pump life can be extended by fifty times