Many eager professionals looking for a cylinder solution fall susceptible to beginning their search prior to considering all that goes into applying the right cylinder for their application. Good news, you don’t have to be that person! A simple example is as follows:
An individual sends in an order for the following cylinder:
- 6” HH Series, 3” Rod, 50” Stroke, FHF Mount, Style 2 Rod End, Port pos. 1 & 5, Non-Cushioned.
The cylinder is made and shipped in 3 days, to the delight of the customer and thanks to the Gold Program (go ahead, check it out), since it was a job that they had to get going in a hurry. The customer installs the cylinder and a few weeks later the cylinder starts to have leaking issues at the rod. They call up very upset that the cylinder is leaking and want it fixed quickly under warranty. We ask about the application to see if we can find out more to help solve their pain as to why the cylinder has failed so quickly.
The root of the problem
In our investigation we find out the following: they are using a fire preventive fluid in the system and the temperature in the application is around 275 degrees F.
Two simple bits of information could have prevented a down situation for the customer and would have told us that the seals in the cylinder needed to be upgraded due to the:
- Temperature
- Fluid
The takeaway (hopefully)
Although this is a very simple example, the lesson is that sometimes the little things often mean a lot -- and the more complicated the system and application, the more you need to prepare for success and be proactive in applying the right cylinder from the start.
Over the years many things have changed but the one thing that is always a constant is: the better information that you start with the more likely you will succeed in the end.
And the "you rock our socks off" moment
For these exact reasons we’ve created “The Ultimate Cylinder Design Checklist: 25 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time” that when used can make your life much easier in the long run -- from the time you need a cylinder quoted, to the installation of the cylinder in your application.
What other items would you add to the Ultimate Cylinder Design checklist? Or what other pieces of advice would you share with the goal of "getting it right the first time"? Leave a comment with your thoughts below...
Image credit: Rawich
