US-based Husco International, a global leader in the development and manufacture of hydraulic and electro-hydraulic controls, has installed another MecWash Midi (
www.mecwash.co.uk) component-cleaning system at its European headquarters in Runcorn.
Husco commissioned its first MecWash system in 2000, and the arrival of two more later this year will make a total of nine.
The Midi is cleaning hydraulic control valves that are used in off-highway applications — including agricultural machinery, plus materials-handling and construction equipment — to the exacting standards demanded by Husco’s customers around the world.
Senior manufacturing engineer Mike Gandy said: “Our customers trust us to deliver precision-engineered parts manufactured to the very highest specifications.
"Solid-particle contamination can interfere with the lubrication process in hydraulic fluid systems, causing wear to the components that can result in additional maintenance and repair costs — and a substantial decrease in the system’s service life.
"Worn components can lead to parts seizing, higher fluid temperatures, leaks and reduced control. Contamination can also damage the hydraulic fluid by accelerating oxidation — again resulting in inefficient operation.
“All of our parts must be clean when they reach the assembly line, where even the smallest levels of contamination can have significant long-term effects.
“The MecWash machines are renowned within the hydraulic industry for achieving high cleanliness, which is the main reason we continue to invest in this technology.”