Mobile Equipment Case Study:

Hitachi EX 2500-1 Hydraulic System

Total System Cleanliness Approach

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Reference: Mobil Engineering service Report Hitachi EX2500-1 Hydraulic System Recommendations May 30, 2006
 Fluid Contamination Under Control . . . A Solution for
Hitachi EX 2500-1 Hydraulic Excavating Shovel
The Problem - Mobile mining equipment hydraulic systems are typically exposed to very high solid particle
ingression rates. A mine using the Hitachi EX2500-1 excavator was experiencing premature component failure
due to contamination. In the first 27 months of operation costs
included 4 variable speed piston pump replacements ($20,000 per
exchange, $34,000 new), 3 swing motor replacements, 2 drive motor
replacements, numerous servo valve repairs or replacements, 42
hydraulic hose related problems, and 16 instances of contamination
sensors requiring cleaning. The oil was highly contaminated yielding
excess oxidation after 2,255 service hours and needed to be
replaced. Other associated costs included excessive unplanned
equipment downtime, over 39 hours, and unplanned maintenance
costs. The machine was also not operating reliably and approaching
the end of the warranty period. The goal was to reduce downtime
associated with premature pump failures, and minimize costly
component repairs or replacements.
The Solution - Fluid cleanliness levels per ISO4406:1999 were consistently monitored from 22/20/17 to
21/19/15. Based on the criticality of the hydraulic system components and the cost of unplanned downtime the
mine set a target fluid cleanliness code of 15/13/10 . The recommendation was a total system cleanliness
approach. It is important to keep in mind that each drop in ISO code means that the number of particles is
roughly cut in half so reducing the 4µ[c] channel from 22 to 15 would effectively mean reducing the number of
particles 4µ[c] and larger from ~30,000 to ~240.

Step 1 - Maintenance practices were implemented to minimize the introduction of contaminant into the system
from new hoses. All new hoses were fitted with a projectile during cutting to prevent rubber and metal shaving
contamination and were then flushed to ensure cleanliness. Hoses were then capped to prevent contamination
during storage and handling before installation. Training and procedures were established to minimize
ingression during hose replacement and installation.

Step 2 - The original hydraulic fluid was rated for 4,000 hours, but had shown signs of oxidation after 1,000
hours and was highly oxidized ( > 30) after 2,250 service hours. The fluid was upgraded to Mobil DTE 25 to
enhance component wear protection, prevent possible varnishing and deposit formation across hydraulic pumps,
valves, and motors.

Step 3 - The original Hitachi return line filter element was made with 10 micron nominally rated cellulose media.
Based on the high ingression rate from the large cylinders and the environment during service (see photos 1 &
2), excessive vibration, and dynamic system conditions the action plan included upgrading from existing 10
micron cellulose media (β10 = 1.4) to Hy-Pro 12 micron (β12[c] > 1000) DFE rated glass media elements to flush
and stabilize the system. Then a 6 micron glass media (β7[c] > 1000) would be installed to achieve and maintain
the target fluid cleanliness. It was determined that the location of the housing inlet port was causing damage to
the pleated media compromising element efficiency (photo 3). A perforated flow deflector was added to the
Hy-Pro element to protect the element from damage in service. Inspection of spent elements indicated abrasion
and that the original elements were not sealing properly with the housing so gasket seals were added, where the
OEM element had no seals, to prevent element bypass.

1 2 3

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Step 4 - Oil sampling procedures were standardized and personnel were trained per the new procedures to
ensure more consistent sampling technique. The mine continues to use bottle sampling as their primary means
of oil analysis. The ideal scenario would be the installation of sampling ports in several locations to allow on-line
particle counting to minimize sampling error from bottle background contamination, dirty sample valves/ports,
and potential exposure to airborne contamination during sample collection. Sample ports provide a place for
contamination to accumulate and on-line particle counting allows you to determine when the sampling port is
free and clear of particle deposits that can artificially inflate counts. With an on-line particle counter connected to
a sampling port the counts will trend downward as the port is flushed and once the counts stabilize the port is
clean and ready for sampling. The flushing interval can range from several seconds to several minutes. Proper
sampling port type, location, and on-line particle counting produces the most accurate picture of fluid
cleanliness.

The Result - The impact of the fluid change was seen almost immediately. Copper levels, indicative of pump
shoe wear, dropped by an average of 70% and overall component wear metals were also reduced. The fluid
service life was extended to 17,000 hours far exceeding the OEM rated fluid service of 4,000 hours. The 12µ[c]
flushing element was replaced after fifty hours of service then the 6µ[c] element was installed and have achieved
better than target cleanliness of 15/12/9. After a cleanliness equilibrium was reached and the runaway
contamination problem was under control filter element replacement interval was extended from 500 hours of
operation to 1000 hours of operation. Typically when upgrading from cellulose to high efficiency glass media
elements the interval between element changes may be extended minimizing planned service down time.
There were no differential pressure gauges or pressure gauges on the original equipment near the filter
assemblies. A device was installed but damaged in service. The element service interval has been extended to
1000 hours based on oil analysis data. More attempts are being made to install differential pressure gauges to
help maximize filter element life. Overall hydraulic fluid cleanliness levels have greatly improved by controlling
contamination levels and reducing component wear over the past four years. This resulted in the elimination of
four pump replacements, 39 hours of shovel downtime, and a 400% increase in hydraulic fluid life.

HItachi EX2500-1 Wear Metals History

120
Parts per Million (PPM)

100

80

60

40

20

0
02

03

04

05

5
/0

/0

/0

/0
4/

4/

4/

4/
10

10

10

10

Copper Iron Silicon

Hitachi Original Hy-Pro Flushing Hy-Pro Element Hy-Pro Operating Hy-Pro Element
Cellulose Element Upgrade Element Efficiency Upgrade Element Efficiency
4219713 HP475L17-10MB β12[c] = 1000 HP475L17-6MB β7[c] = 1000
4333469 HP445L17-10MB β12[c] = 1000 HP445L17-6MB β7[c] = 1000

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TCO Category
Revenue Enhancement*
Process Improvement**
Expenditure Reduction***
Asset Improvement
Total Cost of Ownership Summary .
Description Savings
Reduced shovel downtime by a conservative 39 hours $102,375
Reduced labor efforts to replace pumps, clean contamination $963
sensors, change hydraulic fluid and service filter elements by
at least 39 hours (assumes labor rate $24.70 per hour)
Eliminated (4) pump replacements and extended oil life by $90,534
400% (includes increased unit price of upgrading Mobil DTE25
hydraulic fluid and Hy-Pro Filter Elements
n/a
Total Savings $193,872

*Revenue Enhancements :
Conservative Assumption of Hitachi EX2500-1 Production Rate: 1,400 cubic-yards/hour
Assumed stripping ratio: 20 to 1
Coal production: 70 cubic-yards/hour
Coal weight: ~ 2,150 Lb/cubic-yard
Coal production (tons): 2,150 x 70 divided by 2000 = ~ 75 tons/hr
Assumed coal price (spot market): $35 per ton

**Process Improvement Savings:

Eliminated 5 filter changes (1 hour each): 5 changes x $24.70 x 1 hour = $123
Eliminated 3 oil drains (2 hours each): 3 drains x $24.70 x 2 hours = $148
Eliminated 4 pump replacements (2 hours each): 4 pumps x $24.70 x 2 hours = $198
Eliminated 16 contamination sensor cleanings (1.25 hours): 16 x $24.70 x 1.25 hours = $494

***Expenditure Reductions;
Pump assembly exchange cost: ~$20,000, new pump ~ $34,000
Oil drains avoided (4,000 service hour interval): 3 drains x 780 gallons = ~ $11,900
Element change service life extension: 10 changes/yr reduced to 5 changes/yr = ~ $3,200

Succeed with a Total Systems Cleanliness Approach

The visible cost of proper contamination control and total systems cleanliness is less than 3% of the total cost
of contamination when not kept under control. Keep your head above the surface and avoid the resource
draining costs associated with fluid contamination issues including:

• Downtime and lost production • Root cause analysis meetings

• Component repair, replacement • Maintenance labor costs
• Reduced useful fluid life • Unreliable machine performance
• Wasted materials and supplies ($) • Wasted time and energy ($)

Developing a Total System Cleanliness approach to control contamination and

care for fluids from arrival to disposal will ultimately result in more reliable plant
operation and save money. Several steps to achieve Total Systems Cleanliness
include: evaluate and survey all hydraulic and lubrication systems, establish an oil
analysis program and schedule, insist on specific fluid cleanliness levels for all
new fluids, establish a baseline and target fluid cleanliness for each system, filter
all new fluids upon arrival and during transfer, seal all reservoirs and bulk tanks,
install high quality particulate and desiccant breathers, enhance air and liquid filtration on existing systems
wherever suitable, use portable or permanent off-line filtration to enhance existing filtration, improve bulk oil
storage and handling during transfer, remove water, and make a commitment to fluid cleanliness.

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