When operators at a John Deere equipment facility in Iowa were experiencing difficulties with the hydrostatic transmission on an excavator, they determined the problem came from the excavator’s hydraulic system. Dirt and debris within the hydraulic system were getting into fluids traveling to the hydrostatic transmission, causing failure and costly down time. The solution seemed simple: clean the hydraulic system’s hose and tube assemblies using a traditional fluid flushing method. After the procedure was completed, the excavator was up and running again.
Unfortunately, within the month, the hydrostatic transmission failed a second time, and it was determined that, once again, contamination was the culprit. The same fluid flushing procedure was done, and the excavator was working — but not for long.
After the third failure, John Deere operators decided to employ a secondary method of decontamination. They flushed the hydraulic hose and tube assemblies, then cleaned them using the Ultra Clean System, which uses a dry method of cleaning hoses that employs a pneumatic launcher to “shoot” a foam projectile through hose and tube assemblies, dislodging and carrying away dirt, debris and contaminants, many “unseen” even within new and recently cleaned hoses.
The amount of rubber dust, flakes of metal, and scale clinging to the projectiles of the just-flushed hoses was surprising.
Employing the Ultra Clean System on all of the excavator’s hydraulic hose and tube assemblies did the trick, and the excavator was put back into operation, with the hydraulics remaining contamination-free and causing no failures in the hydrostatic transmission.
After reviewing the situation, John Deere engineers determined the Ultra Clean System was the best solution for cleaning hoses and tubes. It helped reduce maintenance time from 1 week to 11⁄2 days, and was far less expensive than flushing units and solvents.
As a result, Ultra Clean Technologies is an approved and promoted supplier to both the construction and agricultural divisions of John Deere.
Call Ultra Clean Technologies Corp. at (856) 451-2176, or visit www.ultracleantechnologies.com.
