Improved Hose Management and Oil Filtration Protect Against Failures and Reduce Costs at Brick Manufacturing Site

The customer, a manufacturer of house bricks, invited a representative from their local Hayley branch on-site, who brought along a fluid power specialist to walkthrough some of Hayley’s core capabilities in this area. The site was using a mobile hose repair service on a semi-frequent basis when hose assets failed.

This was a costly solution to a problem that was evidently due to mismanagement of hose life-cycles. Multiple hoses on-site were identified as being at risk of leakage or bursting, with some installed as far back as 1989.

Less than 24 hours after the initial site visit, Hayley’s own Fluid Care Vehicle was with the customer. All hoses with wires exposed and those in need of immediate attention were replaced with suitable high-quality alternatives. Every hose installed at the facility was also tagged and registered on a database, providing a quick reference for any future maintenance activity. The work for this was conducted over a five-day period during a planned shutdown.

Eleven hydraulic power units (HPUs) had breathers on that were allowing sand and dirt into the tank, contaminating the oil within. The breathers were replaced by Hayley with Hydac desiccant breathers, representing a significant upgrade. Oil samples were also taken from each HPU for analysis.

The customer can now rely on the fact that all of their hoses are fit for purpose and not about to cause them unplanned downtime or pose issues due to leakage or bursts. With all assets tagged, and replacements held at the local Hayley branch in Stoke-on-Trent, stock is accessible to the customer prior to failure. This work has dramatically reduced the risk of hose failure, cut the costs associated with maintenance and improved asset management overall.

Solid particulate contaminants were previously infiltrating the hydraulic oil used on-site. This is no longer an issue thanks to the new Hydac breathers installed on eleven hydraulic power units. The rapid delivery of the services provided by the Hayley Fluid Power technician and the specially-designed Fluid Care Vehicle enabled the site to reopen on schedule, without delay.