Magnetic Filtration Helps Extend the Life of Hydraulic Systems
Preventing contaminants from entering hydraulic systems is key to ensuring their long-term performance. Standard filtration technologies can prevent entry of a number of contaminants but may not catch everything.
This is where MagShield’s magnetic filtration technology can come into play. It uses magnets to remove ferrous contaminants — metals such as steel and iron — that may be too small for other filters to capture.
Metal components utilized in mobile machinery wear down over time, releasing metal particles (referred to as wear materials) that can get into hydraulic and other fluid circuits which can lead to performance issues if not captured or removed during a fluid change.
Most of these wear materials are iron which is very hard and abrasive, said Joe Arico, product manager at MagShield. “If left unchecked and circulating through a system, [iron] causes a lot of [issues] for components, oil and filters. It basically just makes the equipment less reliable.”
Therefore, it can benefit machine performance to use a filter capable of capturing these materials. However, they are often too small for a traditional filter to capture.
Arico explained that OEMs have to find the right balance between practicality and protection. While use of a finer filter enables small particulate to be captured, issues associated with restriction and larger pressure drops can occur which may negatively affect hydraulic system performance. These filters clog faster as well, requiring more frequent replacement.
However, if the filter is not fine enough then too many contaminants can get through and cause premature failure. Arico said standard OEM filters used on mobile equipment tend to be in the 10-micron range because they capture most contaminants without hindering performance of the hydraulics.
Inclusion of MagShield’s filter in addition to OEM filters assures the balance between practicality and protection can be achieved by enabling even the smallest of contaminants to be captured without negatively affecting hydraulic system performance.
Using the Power of Magnets to Protect Hydraulic Systems
The MagShield filtration technology contains rare earth magnets to create magnetic fields which capture and contain ferrous and other materials as oil flows through the filter elements. Particles as small as 0.1 micron can be captured with a holding capacity from 270-1,000 grams (depending on the filter model).
Arico said the flow optimized design of the filter ensures very low pressure drops to maintain hydraulic circuit operation. In addition, he noted the filter can be customized to specific customer and machine needs for optimal performance.
MagShield’s filters are typically installed pre-filter, enabling them to capture contaminants before they reach the OEM-installed filter. By placing the MagShield filters ahead of the OEM-installed ones, particulates of all sizes and types can be captured. This helps to extend the life of the OEM filter as well as reduce downtime, both planned and unplanned.
“We catch all sizes [of particulates], but the small stuff that the standard filtration system can't capture is the stuff that we can in our filtration system. And that has a lot of benefits,” said Arico.
He offered the example of a large mining excavator which can contain anywhere from 2,000-4,000 L of hydraulic oil. If particles such as ferrous contaminants are circulating through the oil and left unchecked, they will continue to build up and cause performance issues. At a certain point, the only way to remove them will be changing the oil. This can be costly not only due to the amount of oil that needs to be purchased for such a large machine but also the downtime spent changing it.
“Because we're pulling the finer [contaminants] out, we can push oil life further,” said Arico. Similarly, the MagShield filters’ ability to capture various contaminants of all sizes takes the load off of the OEM filters to extend their lifespan as well.
“And of course, if you have all this abrasive, hard materials not circulating in the system, we're not wearing the components out anywhere near as badly, so we extend the life for components [too],” he said. “That all keeps uptime high and the cost of operating the equipment and the fleet low.”
Filter Prevents Further System Contamination When Failures Occur
Should there be some sort of failure — which is inevitable when operating any type of machinery — the MagShield filters can help as well. Here again Arico used an excavator as an example.
If an excavator’s boom cylinder fails, a lot of ferrous materials are generated which will make their way into the hydraulic circuit and ultimately into the machine’s hydraulic reservoir. From there the materials are dispersed to other components and systems, essentially contaminating the entire machine.
“That’s a big problem,” he said. “Every single hose, pipe, and valve…every single component on that machine then has to be cleaned out to put it back in service reliably. And even then with your best efforts using all kinds of cleaning apparatus and techniques you never get it all. It just hides in all sorts of nooks and crannies.”
With the MagShield filtration technology, though, it is possible to isolate the contamination. Once contaminants from a failure reach the hydraulic reservoir, they will be captured by the magnetic filter and prevented from spreading to other machine components and systems.
Arico said that some hydraulic circuits will be impacted by the failure, but it will only be necessary to clean those systems affected instead of the entire machine. “Once the metal gets to the tank, it will not go any further. MagShield catches it. So that makes the job of cleanup monumentally easier.”
He noted that a customer at a gold mine in the U.S. had a failure on one of its loaders. Because their machine was equipped with the MagShield technology, the amount of time it took to get the loader back in service was halved from what it typically takes which can be as many as 4-6 weeks. That’s a significant time and cost savings for the customer.
Magnetic Filter Provides Low-Maintenance Option
Most hydraulic filters need to be replaced at some point because they become full of all the contaminants they have captured. MagShield’s filters, on the other hand, are designed to be a one-time purchase with minimal maintenance required.
Arico explained that the company offers two products:
- Mag-Shield – An in-tank filter that can be customized for each piece of equipment by make, model and series.
- Mag-Shield X – An in-line solution that is easily fitted to most fluid circuits and provides diagnostic insights into component condition.
Mag-Shield, which is installed within the hydraulic reservoir (also referred to as a tank), typically does not need to be cleaned. Although Arico said that when doing a routine oil change on a machine — just as you would do for your car — it is a good idea to look at the filter once the tank has been drained of oil.
“You might clean it, or you might not depending on how much material is on it,” he said. When inspecting the filter, he noted it typically looks like there is fur on the magnets, which can be cleaned off if desired.
Because the filter is capturing such fine particulates it may not look like it is collecting much but he explained that it is. “When you think about the surface area and everything, it's actually a lot of material.”
Mag-Shield X is meant to easily be installed within a traditional filter housing alongside existing filtration systems. It features a multi-rod design; six magnetic rods provide a large surface area for capturing contaminants. It is capable of holding up to 260 grams of material which Arico said is a large holding capacity.
This filter is more like a traditional filter in that it has a housing and a bypass valve. It also requires occasional servicing with a cleaning tool that can be used to slide collected material off the magnetic rods.
Arico noted the cleaning tool may need to be replaced occasionally, but in general there is no ongoing cost associated with either MagShield filter technology. Both filters are designed to last the life of a machine with no additional maintenance required outside of routine maintenance programs a fleet undertakes.
Preventative Maintenance Programs Benefit from Magnetic Technology
MagShield has also applied its magnetic technology to a device called Mag-Probe which helps to ease maintenance checks and oil sampling for geartrain compartments on mobile equipment. It is designed to be a replacement for the magnetic plugs fitted to these compartments, typically differentials and final drives.
Arico explained that magnetic plugs are integrated into geartrain compartments to help machine owners diagnose potential performance issues. However, standard fit OEM plugs require moving the machine in such a way that oil will not drain out and the plug is above the oil level.
This can be time consuming, he said, to not only find the right position but to do so for each wheel on the vehicle. In addition, it requires someone to stand in close proximity to the machine to ensure the right position is achieved which could present safety issues.
Mag-Probe, on the other hand, has a self-sealing feature to eliminate oil spillage. A spring-activated ball seals the device’s probe to prevent leaks or spills, making it safer and easier to remove the plug to assess potential maintenance needs.
“It doesn't matter where the wheel is; there's no [need to] have someone stand in the vicinity of the machine to tell an operator to move it forward or move it back. There's none of that; that all disappears and so it's a lot safer,” said Arico. “It takes all the risk away when you’re doing that standard preventative maintenance activity.”
The probe portion of the device is embedded with rare earth magnets and infiltrates the fluid flow to capture ferrous contaminants or other particles. Arico said normal magnetic probes don’t typically penetrate very far into the geartrain compartment which can negatively impact the accuracy of oil sampling.
“Our probes go deep inside the compartment to get the best possible indication of what’s happening in that compartment,” he said. “We’re right in the thick of the lubricant, so it gives you a better indication.”
MagShield is introducing a sample adaptor for use with Mag-Probe as well to provide equipment fleets with a diagnostic tool for machine oil. Mag-Sample Pro is designed to prevent contamination of the oil when a sample is extracted which Arico said is a common issue.
The Mag-Sample Pro is screwed into a plug in place of the magnetic probe; it has a hole right down the middle of it so the oil can flow out, he explained. A one-way valve and hose adapter are affixed to it to extract an oil sample. “We screw the Mag-Sample Pro in, push the hose adapter onto the end of it, and oil flows out into a bottle,” he said.
This minimizes the time that the compartment is open to the elements which could cause contamination to get into the sample. “That happens a lot. So, you're minimizing that risk and you're just making the whole process cleaner, safer and a lot simpler,” he said.
Through each of its magnetic-based devices, Mag-Shield is aiming to help equipment fleets save time while also making various aspects of their maintenance program safer and easier, all of which benefits uptime and thus overall productivity.
