Creating Cylinder Efficiencies in Unexpected Ways

With a substantial number of customers in cylinder repair, System Seals recognized a trend: many companies produced an inordinate amount of scrap metal. The interest revealed that cylinder bores with excessive wear were routinely discarded and replaced with brand new parts.

The repair shops knew they produced an excessive amount of waste, but few considered ways to reduce it. System Seals engineers recognized an opportunity immediately: instead of disposing of the worn cylinder bores, they recommended reworking their internals and honing the metal smooth again.

The move offered renewed life for old bores, but the process widened the clearance inside the cylinders and changed the seal specifications. This is where System Seals could help. With extensive experience in custom designs, engineers then developed custom seals and guide bands that would fit the newly sized cylinders.

Larger seals increase the threat of extrusion, so engineers developed more robust designs with extrusion rings that hold the seals in place. In many cases, the cylinder bores could be re-honed twice before they’re discarded, each time requiring a slightly larger seal. In some cases, bores have been shaved down by a full eighth of an inch before compromising their integrity.

The practice has created enormous cost savings by offsetting the expense of new parts and reducing scrap. With System Seals’ rapid turnaround, custom products can be ordered and delivered in about a day. This helps repair shops provide faster service to their customers.

It was years ago, when System Seals began leading the industry in custom-designed seals and could help cylinder repair shops rework old bores. Since then, the practice has spread throughout the industry, providing cost savings, efficiencies and waste reduction to a countless number of companies that regularly rebuild hydraulic cylinders.