Water Hydraulics Products

Water-based hydraulic systems traditionally have been used in longwall mining applications and in hot-metal areas of steel mills. The obvious advantage of water systems in these industries is their fire resistance. Water-based hydraulic systems also have not-so-obvious cost advantages over oil based fluid. First, non-toxic, biodegradable synthetic additives cost much less per-gallon than oil based fluids do. One gallon of concentrate can make 20 gal of a solution containing 95% water and 5% additive..

Considering the costs associated with preventing and cleaning up environmental contamination, water-based hydraulic systems hold the potential for tremendous cost savings at the plant level. Oil that has leaked or been drained from a system can't just be dumped down the drain. It must be collected, properly contained, and hauled away by a certified carrier — an expensive proposition. Water containing synthetic additives, however, can by dumped into plant effluent systems.

Cost savings at the plant level don't stop at the lower cost of the fluid and its disposal. Because water-based hydraulic fluid consists of 10 parts water and one part synthetic additive, 5 gal of additive mixes with water to make 100 gallons of water-based fluid. A 50-gal container is certainly easier to handle than two 55-gal drums, so warehousing is simpler, cleaner, and less cluttered. Transportation costs also are lower.