3 Reasons why Pneumatic Cylinders Fail in Applications

Pneumatic cylinders experience unexpected failures mainly due to three reasons. Most of the time, these reasons are overlooked by application users, leading to major troubles requiring expensive repairs.

Reasons for Pneumatic Cylinder Failure?

Without proper maintenance and repeated usage, pneumatic cylinders are susceptible to damage in stressful environments. Some of the reasons that account for sudden failures are as follows:

• Clogging of Contaminants – Your pneumatic system may fail if its parts are blocked with contaminates like solids, water, and oil. Prolonged exposure to industrial environments containing chemicals, paints, or weld splatters, results in damaging seals, plugged orifices, and decayed surface finishes. Clogging of water and oil content affects barrel or rod finish, and blocks orifice flow through. All these lead to unanticipated equipment failure, costly repairs, and expensive downtime.
• Inadequate Lubrications – When cylinder seals have inadequate lubrication, it results in catastrophic failures. Ensure that the seals are provided with sufficient lubrication. Conducting periodic maintenance helps in understanding the lubricating condition of the seals.
• Operating Over a Specified Pressure Range – Pneumatic cylinders are susceptible to damage when they operate over a specified pressure range and energy limit. Operating above the specified operating limits will result in:
  Seals experiencing extreme stress
  Rod ends bending or breaking
  Extreme pressure spikes

Follow the Right Operational and Maintenance Procedures

The service life of your pneumatic cylinder can be enhanced if you follow the right operation and maintenance procedures recommended by the OEMs. Formulate a pneumatic cylinder maintenance program, and execute the same in regular intervals. In this manner, you will have up-to-date knowledge of the system’s condition, allowing you to take necessary measures accordingly. Follow the troubleshooting tips as suggested by the manufacturer. If you come across any major problem, take the unit to a credible repairing station. A reliable service centre can help bring the unit back to operating efficiency levels.