IFPE Education On Hydraulic Fluid

It’s critical for equipment manufacturers and engineers to possess a sound understanding of the composition of oils, the properties of lubricants, and how hydraulic fluids can impact machine performance. With that in mind, IFPE 2020 will include an education session entitled “Hydraulic Fluid Properties, Efficiency and Contamination Control.”

“I think it’s important for both equipment manufacturers and end users to have a sound understanding of the fundamental principles by which hydraulic fluids function in a system,” said session presenter, Paul Michael, manager of Tribology Research at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). “There have been many upgrades in the quality of oils – in general – in the last two decades. Improvements in refining practices have led to the doubling of the life of oil. Oils are so much better now than before. Getting the maximum benefit out of a high-quality hydraulic fluid that has a great deal of longevity potential requires a good understanding of contamination control and filtration. It’s also necessary to understand the sources of contamination in hydraulic systems, as well as their impacts on a system.

“In my presentation at IFPE 2020, I’ll be talking about the fundamentals of hydraulic fluids, how they function, and their composition. I’ll discuss some of the more advanced technologies and fluids – synthetic fluids, fire-resistant hydraulic fluids and biodegradable fluids. After talking about the nature of the fluids, and how to validate their performance through standard testing, I’ll discuss contamination control, how to assess contamination level in terms of particle count, and present some case studies that look at the debris that’s found in the hydraulic oil filters, in order to identify the root cause of machine problems.”

The session will be held Tuesday, March 10 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m in Westgate Ballroom E-F. For more information on IFPE’s education opportunities or to register for the show, click here.