Troubleshooting Challenge

ROBERT J. SHEAF, JR. | Contributing Technical Expert

Regenerative Circuit
Fails to Close

A
large press uses a regenerative circuit to increase
the closing speed of a ram. A pressure switch
signals a PLC to close a logic slip-in cartridge
valve so the ram can reach maximum tonnage.
The press started having trouble developing enough tonnage
when the logic valve did not close when Solenoid A was de-
energized.
Technicians found the logic valve sleeve and poppet to be
in good shape, and replacing the pilot valve did not fix the
problem. They then removed the screw-in cartridge shuttle
and found it damaged to the point that the floating ball was
lodged in one end and would not move. They replaced the
cartridge shuttle with a new one, but the new valve failed
after only six to nine months of operation.
Any idea what was causing the failures?

FIND THE SOLUTION

Think you know the answer to this month’s
problem? Submit your solution by emailing
rjsheaf@cfc-solar.com. All correct solutions
submitted by July 3, 2017, will be entered into a
random drawing for a $50 gift card. The winner will
be notified, and his or her name will be printed in
Closing Opening
a future issue. Only one gift card will be awarded to speed Solenoid A X speed
any participant within a calendar year. orifice orifice
Congratulations to Nick Chasler, P.E., CMRP,
Maintenance Reliability Engineer at Harley-
Davidson Motor Co. A $50 gift card is in the mail
Damping
to him. orifice

SOLUTION TO LAST MONTH’S PROBLEM: Y

LARGE-PLATE SHEAR PROBLEMS B

The shear blade problem straying from the
backstops was caused by a lack of nitrogen pre-
A
charge in the 2½-gal accumulator bladder. When
the shear blade retracted, forcing the pullback
cylinders to retract, a vacuum was caused in the
rod areas, allowing air to enter past the cylinder rod
seals. The cylinders were full of air, which allowed
the blade to pull away from the backstops.

1 HYDRAULICSPNEUMATICS.COM