Fault finding hydraulic systems can be difficult but much harder without the benefit of an accurate circuit diagram.
Many systems are very simple, a pump, relief and directional control valve. This is straight forward and easy to follow but more complex systems with large manifolds can be almost impossible without the benefit of a circuit.
To the un- initiated eye, circuit diagrams can look like something written by a creature from a distant planet but circuit diagrams and symbols are quite easy to understand.
I always say to students that hydraulic symbols are similar to road signs and will resemble the components it represents. (a spring looks like a spring, a flow path an arrow)
What I find irritating and most annoying is when I pick up a circuit drawing that has come from a well known International hydraulic company that have symbols I do not recognise or maybe a Relief valve drawn instead of a Reducing valve. I even see symbols that have been made up, created and nothing I have ever seen in ISO or CETOP standards.
Many of us would not be particularly fazed by a Relief Valve being misplaced by a Reducer because of it’s the location in the circuit. but on my complex circuits, non standard symbols can be confusing and result in a lot of head scratching and wasted time.
Like any engineering drawing, circuit drawings should be clear, unambiguous and follow proper International standards. If we all start designing own symbols and drawing circuits without proper convention it could at best be more confusing and at worst cause serious accidents. Employers should ensure that their engineers are doing things right and setting standards that we can all understand.
I would love to hear your views; maybe you have misread a drawing?
Cheers
Bob
No comments:
Post a Comment