All hydraulic systems are made up of several component parts. We know this, you know this, plenty of people know this. More importantly, knowing the purpose and function of each individual hydraulic part can help cut back on troubleshooting time. It’s best to know any system you’ll be dealing with like the back of your hand. That way you can’t be caught off guard with any surprise maintenance issues later. So, let’s take a look at the parts of the whole and make sure we know them back to front.

System Part #1 – Reservoir

This is where your hydraulic fluid rests when the machine isn’t in use. Reservoirs are in charge of heat transference and work to manage the initial force applied to the system. Any access air or moisture is separated from the fluid and released by the reservoir before it can cause problems for the overall system. A reservoir functions much like a gate; it allows you to add extra fluid to the system without contaminating it.

System Part #2 – Pump

  The pump is (arguably) the most important part of any hydraulic system. In the pump, the mechanical energy created by fluid compression is transmitted into hydraulic energy. That hydraulic energy is created as a result of the pump’s ability to displace the mechanical energy of fluid compression to numerous parts of the system without any of the energy becoming lost or diminished. In other words, the pump is responsible for energizing the fluid in any hydraulic system.

System Part #3 – Valves

Valves are also very important to these types of systems, because without them, the now energized fluid wouldn’t have any direction. Valves work to open and close passage-ways in a hydraulic system so that the fluid can reach the actuators. Valves can be used to create hydraulic systems that can allow workers to use different parts of a larger machine for different jobs at different times. Mechanisms that open and close valves are often available to machine operators so that they can control the mechanical output of the overall system.

System Part #4 – Actuators

These are the final components of any hydraulic system. Actuators complete the hydraulic cycle by converting the hydraulic energy transmitted by the pump back into mechanical energy. That mechanical energy then works as the output of the system by powering pistons inside of hydraulic cylinders and powering hydraulic motors. The actuators are often located far from the initial source of the mechanical energy (the area of fluid compression). With the help of actuators, hydraulic systems can displace energy from one point to another.

These systems can be complicated, we ought to know. Repairing them can be even more complicated – so let us handle the job. Smith’s has been repairing hydraulic equipment for years, so we’ll have no problem taking on your job. Trust us.