Preventive maintenance and regular checks of your hydraulic system will save you a lot of money. It also extends the service life of your moving floor.
The K-Force moving floor is hydraulically driven. You can easily check the essential components of your moving floor trailer, including the hydraulic system.
Below are a few examples:
- change the oil filter annually
- prevent contamination of the oil and damage to the system by using the correct cleaning method
- clean the floor regularly to prevent dirt from accumulating. This means less resistance and therefore unnecessary wear. You also save fuel this way, because the floor does not need to work as hard.
Prevent contaminated oil coming into the hydraulic system
It is very important that you never wash the outside of the hydraulic tank with a pressure washer. Use a cloth to clean the tank, as that will prevent water from entering the oil through the filler cap. If that should happen, rust will form and the oil will lose its lubricating effect. The oil filter is also an important part and should be replaced annually. If this is not done, there is a risk of contamination and damage to cylinders or valve block. The low cost of a new filter is nothing compared to that of replacing damaged parts.
A few tips when changing the oil filter
- use the recommended filter
- always switch off the PTO and place a collecting container under the filter
- unscrew the old filter counterclockwise and collect the oil.
- grease the rubber O-ring before fitting the new filter and, if necessary, apply a bit of copper grease to the thread
- check the oil level. Does the oil need to be topped up? Then use only the recommended oil!
Check the resistance of your floor with the manometer
The correct oil pressure is very important for the correct operation of the hydraulic system. The oil pressure is shown on the manometer. Every K-Force has a manometer as standard, located on the valve block on the left.
The oil pressure in the system is determined by two important factors:
- the resistance of the floor
- the weight of the load
The oil pressure of an unloaded trailer should be between 30-60 bar, depending on the age of the vehicle, to ensure optimum operation of the system. The resistance of the floor determines this "unloaded pressure", and it increases when the floor is (heavily) soiled. Sufficient pressure is always needed for a properly functioning floor, but it should not be too high either. To secure the system, the maximum pressure is set at 225 bar. Above that, the floor will no longer work. You can prevent the pressure from getting too high with a loaded trailer, which would trigger the system's safety device and bring you to a standstill by simply cleaning your floor regularly and thoroughly.
If your system indicates a pressure of 40 bar in an unladen state, for instance, there is a maximum of 185 bar left to unload your cargo. If the floor is heavily soiled with a pressure of, for instance, 100 bar, only 125 bar remains. This might not be enough to unload your cargo. Keep the oil pressure well under control and at a constant level by cleaning your floor regularly. This will prevent excessive resistance, and unnecessary wear and costs.
Do you want to check this? Then fill in the values of your trailer on the measuring sheet and compare them with the prescribed standards.