When you install hydraulic cylinder onto a machine, how do you bleed air out of the cylinder? Do you repeatedly extend and retract the cylinder’s piston rod under no load, a technique commonly referred to as free travel? This common practice is unsafe, and you must be aware of and understand the safety problems inherent […]

At Rest Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safe Those not properly trained to work on mobile hydraulic systems often assume that if a machine is not running, the hydraulic system can be worked safely. Some may even realize that even if a machine is shut down, it should not be worked on if it is still supporting […]

Students at a technical college were going to learn how to disassemble a hydraulic cylinder. In this case, the cylinder was a round, welded design with the rod gland retained on the ID of the cylinder tube. Students removed the gland retaining ring, then laid the cylinder on the floor. They then tried to pull […]