YOU CAN SAVE NOW OR YOU CAN PAY MORE LATER, A LOT MORE!!!
Anyone who's been in the hydraulic industry for any period of time, both on the user end as well as the repair facility, has had the decision to make time after time again.
"What repairs should be made after a cylinder is torn apart?"
Sooner or later, someone has to make a choice: Repair, or replace. If all factors are carefully weighed, chances are the right decision will be made. Given enough time, money, and knowledge, any mechanical device can be repaired, but realistically the time will come when it's no longer wise to repair, especially in the area of re-chrome.
WAIT A SECOND!! IS THIS REALLY TRUE??
Let's examine the situation. Recognizing when that time has come is one of the most difficult problems for maintenance personnel. The following six considerations will affect your decision, and it's a good idea to think about them before you make your choice...
With all of these factors in mind, lets look at the world of hydraulic rods and when the service center should re-chrome, replace, or do nothing.
There can be a fine line between a hydralic cylinder that is working properly and one that isn't, or one that will only work for only a short period of time. For a hydraulic repair facility to offer a warranty the cylinder must meet high standards that start with the rod. When a cylinder comes in for repair chances are it shows signs of leaking, usually because the seals are torn. It's important to know that even the smallest scratch on a hydraulic rod can start the process of tearing the seals. Obvoisly the larger the score, the sooner the cylinder will fail. Proper size of the rod is also an important factor of cylinder life. A rod that has become undersized through wear or that has been previously incorrectly repaired will give only limited life. Many repair facilities will simply strip off existing chrome and flash plate with only .0005 of chrome. This yields a deceptively good appearing and possibly low-cost product that will fail early in service. At Triangle Industrial Corp., every rod is pre-ground, chromed with at least .005"-.007" of chrome and finished ground to factory specs.
When a customer looks at the cost of repairing a cylinder, the charge for rechroming can appear to be a high, even prohibitive expense. In reality, however, this cost usually represents a substantial savings. To begin with, re-chroming almost always costs less than a new rod by repairing the damaged wear surface of an otherwise serviceable rod. But the real savings comes from restoring to O.E.M. specs a rod which, if untouched, will lead to premature failure. That early-failing cylinder will be right back in for warranty repair with accompanying cost for down-time and parts when it could be out being productive. Of course, there are times when a customer must have his equipment out and running now without regard to future cost or down-time and a new rod will be purchased if immediately available. At Triangle, we simply want you to know that every rod leaving our facility is as good as new and will stand up to our warranty. The next time you face the decision, consider re-chrome to ensure the rod is in a condition that will guarantee it's operation over the years to come.
