Regular preventive Maintenance of Your C-Frame Hydraulic Press

The Benefits of Regular Care

Scheduled maintenance can help your equipment budget in four ways.

First, it keeps your press working smoothly, reducing downtime to a minimum. This lets you make your deadlines and assures a steady flow of work through the shop. That’s what keeps customers coming back with more work. When you impress your clients, they are more likely to give you a referral to others in their network.

Second, it prolongs the life of your C-frame hydraulic press, a complex piece of machinery. The moving parts need regular lubrication, tightening and cleaning to work efficiently. Preventive maintenance catches small problems early, before they require costly repairs and new parts.

Third, it adds years to the lifespan of your press. When it is well cared for, it will last far longer than equipment that is seldom inspected, cleaned and repaired.

Fourth, you save on labor costs because workers are kept busy. Downtime is money down the drain. When your press is in good working order, your staff doesn’t have to stand around while a new part is installed or a fitting is repaired.

Your Maintenance Plan

Essential upkeep that needs to be done on a scheduled basis should follow a daily, weekly and seasonal plan.

On a daily basis, include these items on your maintenance to-do list:

• Tighten fittings that show signs of leaks.
• Clean up excess oil.
• Look for signs of oil leaks on each hydraulic line.
• Check all bolts in the tooling area. Tighten the ones that are loose.
• Look at the ram. It should be moist, but not to the extent of dripping oil.
• Maintain oil temperature at close to 120˚ F.
• Check the level of lubrication on the guided platens. Figure out what the optimum level is and make sure it is maintained. Applying too much grease leads to premature bearing wear due to dirt accumulation.
• Clean all fittings in order to spot leaks more easily.
• Check oil levels. Add more if necessary to keep them at appropriate levels.

Check the Lubrication

Much like a vehicle, a C-frame hydraulic press operates more efficiently and longer if it is properly lubricated. How well it functions is directly affected by the level of the oil, its temperature and its cleanliness.

Too much heat causes presses to wear out before their time. By checking the temperature regularly, you can make sure it is at the right level and that the thermostat is working correctly. Perform this task by inserting a probe into the reservoir.

The optimum temperature for the oil is around 120˚ F, using air or water coolers. With the use of a radiator an electric fan, the air cooler separates the heat.

The oil in the press should be sampled at least once a year. In the hydraulic fluid system, look for signs of dirt and contamination. Be sure the hydraulic fluid properties are within the ranges mandated by the manufacturer.

Check the Electrical System

Every component in a press has a working lifespan. Checking parts regularly will help you spot parts that need replacement, avoiding downtime. You can also find areas that need repair work, catching them early before the damage is heavy.

Though modern electronics are getting more reliable all the time, it is important to check the coils on valves, replacing them before they fail.

The electric cabinet also needs to be checked for signs of loose wiring.

Time invested in preventive maintenance on your C-frame hydraulic press means less time lost to repairs and replacement. Your machinery will last longer and problems will cost less to fix.