What You Need to Know About Pneumatic Cylinder Repair
W.C. Branham products are designed and manufactured with the highest quality materials and workmanship. We use proprietary quality techniques that are based on countless hours of testing. And re-testing.
However, it’s the nature of things to wear out. Or break. Continuously moving parts suffer wear and tear over time, and pneumatic cylinders typically function in harsh environments featuring water, oils, dust or other potential challenges.
Contamination and inadequate lubrication are two of the leading causes of pneumatic cylinder breakdown. And operating outside of the specified pressure range can damage seals and/or rods.
What Should You Do?
Establish and follow a regular maintenance schedule.
WCB pneumatic cylinders are not only reliable, they are low-maintenance. But that doesn’t mean no maintenance. To ensure long life and protect productivity, you should:
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Always keep cylinders clean, and regularly inspect external parts for contaminants.
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Regularly check seals to ensure adequate lubrication.
This is easy to implement, because you can simply add the cylinder(s) to your existing preventive maintenance checklist.
Be prepared.
W.C. Branham makes a wide selection of pneumatic cylinders with multiple options, including:
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DURATRK™ DTS, DTK, and DTF Rodless Cylinders that have just 27 parts, 11 of which are standard across other models.
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MAGTEC® Magnetically Coupled Rodless Cylinders that are sealed against operating environment.
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pneU-SA® Rodless Enclosed Cable Cylinders that can be repaired in the field.
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Rodless Cable Cylinders. These can also be field-repaired by ordering a repair kit that includes cable/seal gland assemblies and wearable seal kit.
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In addition, W.C. Branham makes interchangeable cable cylinder repair kits for brands such as T-O-M. And when it's time to replace that cylinder, you can install a new WCB pneumatic cylinder instead.
When it comes to rodless cable cylinders, standardization of parts across models and with products from other OEMs streamlines maintenance. Nonetheless, each type of pneumatic cylinder is different. And, of course, operating environments differ, too. Therefore, the parts and steps needed for pneumatic cylinder repair depend on which product(s) you are using.
For instance, we recently shared some specific tips on replacing cables on a cable cylinder. You can also download our cable cylinder guide which includes maintenance tips and step-by-step instructions.
When equipment breaks down, time is always critical. Downtime in any industrial setting can be dangerously expensive. Here at W.C. Branham, we strongly recommend you keep a repair kit onsite for each type of pneumatic cylinder integrated into your equipment. Each kit contains the assemblies, seals, and gaskets required to complete the repair.
With pneumatic cylinder repair kits at hand, you can reduce costly downtime. You can get in and make the repair right away, rather than waiting for ordered parts to arrive. You’ll also avoid rush delivery charges.