The Swash plate is an essential component responsible for properly functioning hydraulic axial piston motors. The main thing which adversely affects the hydraulic motor performance is the presence of abrasive contaminants. It leads to severe wear and tears in your hydraulic motor.

This wear also affects the functioning of other key components. In the end, you fail to get the most out of your final drive. This article provides you with useful information on swash plates. What is their main role? What potential issues can you face with swash plates? How to increase their useful life? Read on to get in detail insights!

Introduction

The swash plate refers to one component among several other components in a rotator group. The main components are a swashplate, piston shoes, cylinder block, pistons, valve plate, retainer plate, and press pins. All these components are depicted in the image below with their pictorial demonstration.

In an axial piston motor, the swash plate’s key function is to transform axial pistons’ motion. It converts this motion from the axial reciprocatory motion to rotary motion.

In general, the axial pistons slide throughout the swash plate angled surface. While doing this, they continue their motion up and down.

This motion results in the barrel’s rotation, which makes the drive shaft rotation possible. This is because the barrel location is spline to the drive shaft. Please note that the swash plash does not move or rotate itself. Rather it remains stationary throughout this process.

Impact of Swash Plate on Motor Displacement

The swash plate has a slight angle, which greatly affects the hydraulic motor performance. When you increase this angle, you will get maximum displacement.

On the other hand, when you decrease this angle, the displacement gets to a minimum. By doing this, you can change the speed as well as torque of your final drive motor. This is how your swash plate works in a final drive motor.

You can achieve the change in angle by utilizing an actuator. The actuator transforms the power of hydraulics into mechanical power. Here it acts as a servo cylinder.

Issues You Can Face Using Swash Plate

Some of the main issues that you can face using these plates are as follows:

1.   Abrasive Wear

Abbreviated as wear in final drive motors. Abrasion is the wearing away by rubbing off all or part of the metal surface on which it occurs.

Arising from a series of events, final drive motors experience high levels of abrasive wear. Contamination of hydraulic fluid in on-site applications can lead to abrasive wear of the final drive motor.

Internal contamination and external contamination are two types that lead to abrasive wear. Internal contamination occurs when your hydraulic motor has a low oil level. A low oil level means metal-to-metal contact may occur. This will result in a high amount of friction.

Friction leads to excess heat, which results in the expansion of the component. When the metal slides, they chip away some of the parts. The chipped-away material mixes in oil and results in higher contamination.

These contaminants take the place of hydraulic fluid between the components, thus leading to more abrasive wear and more contamination.

On the other hand, the external contamination that may lead to abrasive wear comes from outside or include foreign elements. These elements are dust, dirt, debris, grit, etc.

Whenever seal leakage exists, these foreign elements mix within the hydraulic oil. This can also be due to the contaminants like moisture and air within the hydraulic oil.

Contamination also exists when the product or component is assembled or developing. Like sandblasting or die casting, the chunks of metal strips are left within the component. These contaminants lead to severe abrasive wear, which affects the performance of the hydraulic motor and other components.

2.   Scoring

Scoring refers to a phenomenon in which one metal moves from one surface to another metal surface. Whenever a high pressure is applied, this occurs. Whenever a low level of lubrication exists, you may experience a scoring phenomenon.

When contaminants exist between the components, they lead to even severe scoring. With time if scoring persists, it may result in the cracking of the components. This especially occurs whenever they feel high stress at that point.

3.   Scuffing

Scuffing is an undesirable effect on a final drive motor. Scuffing is the abrasion that occurs between two surfaces conducting a force. In relation to Final Drive Motors, Scuffing can occur on piston shoe contacting the swash plate.

This occurs when sliding material sticks to another metal similar if there is adhesive between them. Then during sliding, it chips off the material from another metal surface. This effect adversely impacts the performance of your final drive motor.

Elongate Your Swash Plate Life

Yes, it is possible to elongate the life of your final drive swash plate. You can do this only when you keep the hydraulic fluid free from contaminants. Ensure no leakage exists that allows the sneaking of dirt, debris, or sand inside.

Every time you perform the hydraulic fluid replacement, use filtered oil. Apply troubleshooting to your final drive motor. This will make you check the performance of your hydraulic motor from time to time. It also prevents the internal contamination of your hydraulic motor.

Replace the worn-out, scored, scuffed parts or components facing extreme wear and tear. Because eventually, they contribute to a decrease in efficiency and effectiveness.

Verdict

You cannot ignore the importance of a swash plate in the final drive motor. It is the main component that supports the transformation of motion. You can face normal wear and tear because of contamination in the hydraulic fluid. It does not only affect the swashplate but also adversely affects the other components. You can choose Xugong if you experience severe wear and tear on the final drive swash plate.

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