A metal casting plant in Sharjah asked us to bring the hydraulic power packs across its production line back into good order in one programme. We refurbished 14 units serving furnaces, presses, manipulators and handling equipment, and repaired the pumps, cylinders and valves we found worn along the way.
The problem
A foundry is hard on hydraulics. Power packs sit close to furnaces, in dust and heat, and run long shifts. Over time this plant’s units had built up oil leaks, dirty tanks and breathers, aged oil, worn couplings and gauges that no longer read. Some machines had specific faults: a clamping circuit losing pressure, pumps that had lost performance, and cylinders leaking.
What we found
A survey of each unit gave a common baseline and a list of extras:
- Dirty tanks, breathers and suction filters, and oil past its useful life on every unit
- Worn elastomer coupling spiders between motors and pumps
- Pumps needing overhaul on the 750 kg, 2 t and 5 t, and 10 t furnace power packs
- Leaking cylinders on the hydraulic press, the closures, the roll-over painting station and both manipulators
- A clamping pressure drop on the 3 t closure, traced to the clamp cylinders and pressure regulator valve
- Leaking valve blocks and pipework on several units
What we did
On each power pack we followed the same baseline:
- Cleaned the unit inside and out, including the breather and suction filter
- Drained the old oil, flushed through the pipelines and hoses, and refilled with new oil
- Renewed pressure and return filter elements and pressure gauges where fitted
- Replaced the motor-pump coupling spider
- Arrested oil leaks and checked every hose and pipe joint for tightness
Then the machine-specific work:
- Furnaces: pump overhauls on three units, control valve leak repairs and new pipe clamps
- Hydraulic press: main cylinder overhaul
- 1 t closure: clamp and rotation cylinder overhauls
- 3 t closure: two clamp cylinders overhauled, clamping pressure troubleshooting including the regulator, new valve block O-rings
- Roll-over and painting station: lifting and clamping cylinders overhauled, six metal pipes and fittings replaced, hoses dressed and routed
- Stripping manipulator: two rack-and-pinion cylinders overhauled
- Charging manipulator: slewing motor and grab cylinder overhauled, accumulator nitrogen pre-charge restored
- Return line pusher: five hoses renewed
- Transfer car: loading valve renewed
Result
All 14 power units were refurbished in one planned programme, with three pumps and ten cylinders overhauled. The plant moved from reacting to breakdowns machine by machine to a known baseline on every unit: clean oil, new filters and couplings, and leak-free joints.
Heat is the main enemy in a foundry. We advised regular cooler and breather cleaning and oil checks to keep the units in this condition.
