What should you do to keep your hydraulic press running? Know your press—when it is working properly or when it needs attention. You can extend press life and maximize your investment by keeping your eyes and ears tuned and by performing these four preventive maintenance steps:

1. Keep It Cool. A hydraulic press should run cool—typically between 120 degrees F and 140 degrees F, and no higher than150 degrees F.

2. Keep the Oil Clean. Maintaining your press's oil in good condition is a relatively simple way to extend press life. Dirty oil and low oil levels reduce press life rapidly. Dirt and heat are common culprits.

3. Ensure Smooth Valve Shifts. Valve shifts should be smooth from one speed to another—you should not hear any banging noises during speed changes. In fact, any sounds that are not considered normal should be investigated promptly.

4. Check the Electronics. Coils that are located on valves normally have a life cycle of 3 million strokes. Relays normally have a life cycle of 1 million strokes. Replacing the coils before they fail can eliminate or reduce hours of troubleshooting and reduce downtime. Install an hour meter and a nonresettable cycle counter to help maintain accurate records and facilitate maintenance scheduling.

Fix loose wires and fittings and frayed hoses because frayed hoses and incorrectly crimped fittings can cause plumbing failures. Hoses should never touch each other, and fittings should be crimped by an authorized facility to ensure they can withstand the system pressure.

Check the control wiring annually to make sure all connections are tight and that the wiring is in good condition . Loose wiring should be placed in wire ways or tied with wire ties. All spares or unused wires should be capped off or removed. Dust or dirt should be removed from enclosures.