Global hydraulics leader Enerpac and major distributor South West Hydraulics have combined their expertise to introduce a mobile hydraulic health check service called the ‘Enerpac Doctor’ to ensure widely used high-pressure hydraulic technology is operating at optimum safety and efficiency.
SW Hydraulics’ Enerpac Doctor’s visiting vehicle is a fully equipped service ute, operating within the Enerpac Authorised Service Centre network, and designed to go on-site and test tools (up to 700 bar, 10,000 PSI of hydraulic pressure) to ensure they are in good operating health and to remedy problems if not.
The service – designed to save customers downtime through not having to take their tools off-site – is designed to ensure peak operating efficiency and safety and to help find any incipient failures or problems before they cause a serious safety issue or disrupt maintenance and production. If the tool fails the Doctor’s health test, South West Hydraulics will quote for servicing, replacement parts or a new tool. If the tool passes, a certificate is provided, providing traceability and quality assurance, which can be particularly useful for suppliers tendering for major projects.
“We’re finding that a lot of companies perform the Enerpac Doctor check before a major tender or project,” says Mr Dave Clifford, Managing Director, South West Hydraulics. “Enerpac products are amongst the safest and most reliable in the business, but just like a good car, tools still need to be serviced regularly to work at optimum levels,” said Mr Clifford, whose company is a leading distributor and authorised repair centre for Enerpac in NSW. The company draws work from all over Australia, with customers also bringing projects to its well-equipped head office where preferred, while the new Hydraulic Doctor service ranges out to the Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Western NSW mining, energy, manufacturing areas, as well as maritime, metal engineering, construction, infrastructure, electrical, pulp and paper and transport plants.
Mr Clifford says that sometimes the tools his company sees haven’t been used according to the Enerpac guidelines, and some should never be allowed in service with safety-conscious organisations, including those with:
- Mushroomed and scored plunger rods and leaking cylinders
- Bent up connection couplers
- Hand Pumps leaking from being carried and dragged by the hose
- Broken pump restrictor screws replaced by bolts
- Non-genuine Enerpac Hoses and even low pressure hoses employed in service
- Non genuine Enerpac Oil replaced by Lube Oils and whatever was lying around
In addition to hydraulic health checks, South West Hydraulics’ workshop offers services, including:
- Pneumatic test cell
- 1 tonne overhead crane
- Mobile fork truck
- A frame
- Divided clean area
- Machine Shop – Turning, welding – Mig, Tig, Stick and Oxy
- Hydraulic Test Rigs – 30 HP electric rig
- Portable filtration units, flow test boxes to 800 litres / min
- Honing facilities
- Calibrated test gauges and measuring equipment
- Range of service exchange pumps
- Cylinder rod re-chroming re-seller
- Special work station for assembly of large cylinders
- Use of two factory floor areas, easy access
- Twenty four hour service where required
South-West’s service and supply resources are backed by the national and global capabilities of Enerpac, which has always had a strong focus on safety, and regularly runs ‘Think Safety’ training courses on how to operate and maintain hydraulic equipment. Enerpac’s global expertise spans more than 20 countries.
“We are very pleased to support safety initiatives such as this service by South-West Hydraulics, which is totally in accord with the quality of service industry expects from us,” says Enerpac Regional Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Mr Denis Matulin. “Such services are particularly timely now, as industries respond to highly competitive world markets and seek ways to work smarter, safer and more cost-efficiently.”