When you buy hydraulic cylinders, one of the most important things to know is how they are tested. The reasons for this are varied, and all of them are important. There are many things that can go awry during the manufacture and assembly of a hydraulic cylinder, and it is imperative that it be rigorously tested by an experienced professional before use.

There are problems that thorough cylinder testing will prevent, and they range from lost time to lost life. If you are buying hydraulic cylinders, you owe it to your customers and employees to make sure that you buy safe components that are fit for purpose.

At Ranger Caradoc we design, manufacture and test all our products, hydraulic cylinders included. Let us tell you why having well tested cylinders is so important, and help you to prevent issues than can set your business back. 

Safety

The number one reason to have your hydraulic cylinders tested by knowledgeable professionals is safety. There are so many things that can go wrong if a hydraulic cylinder fails under load. A best-case scenario is that your machine breaks down. If we run the gamut down to the more extreme results of a catastrophic failure, injury and destruction of property do occur.

A hydraulic cylinder is a deceptively simple machine. While the mechanics are pretty basic, the fabrication and assembly are not at all simple. Hydraulic cylinders can be over bored, and unless you have a very experienced testing facility, you will not know that you are buying a machine that is potentially very dangerous. The same thing goes for the all the seals and piston assembly; many companies that sell hydraulic cylinders are distributors, not qualified engineering companies like us.

When we sell you a hydraulic cylinder, we know that it will perform as expected because we build it and test it ourselves. This allows us to have an unshakeable level of confidence in our products.

Service Life

Proper testing of a hydraulic cylinder means that it will perform as expected for its expected service life, if not longer. Just because a hydraulic cylinder functions when you receive it, this is not an indication of its soundness. There can easily be problems with the piston fittings that will not show up until you have been using your cylinder for a year or more, and when it fails you will be looking at failed applications, down time and issues with your end-customers. Depending on how your hydraulic cylinder was warranted, you may not be covered by the time it fails.

When a hydraulic cylinder is properly tested, any defects in its manufacture will be detected, and problems down the line will be prevented. We know how important it is to thoroughly test a hydraulic cylinder before we let it leave our shop, and we recommend that you only deal with a company that shares our dedication to quality.  

Potential Costs

In addition to safety, having a hydraulic cylinder fail will mean down time to your business. Even if there is only a break down, you will be at a standstill until you replace or rebuild the cylinder. In a commercial operation time is money, and a poorly tested hydraulic cylinder means a hold up in your deliveries and potential loss of money. In more extreme scenarios, a poorly made hydraulic cylinder can literally put your whole operation at-risk.

At Ranger Caradoc we want you to know that when you buy from us, we will be there to support the products we sell. If you are having problems with your hydraulic systems call us.

We have more than 30 years of experience with hydraulic systems, and we are located in Worcestershire and the West Midlands. We manufacture everything locally and offer high quality products. Before you start buying hydraulic components from a distributor catalogue, call us, or request a catalogue from our website here.

Product testing, engineering design, construction standards and much more are featured in our new Buyer’s Guide to Hydraulic Cylinders. Download a copy today to access professional hints and tips from our engineering team at Ranger Caradoc.