COLOUR CODING

8.1 Introduction
Hydraulics is the science of transmitting force or motion or both
through the medium of confined fluid.
Oil in a hydraulic system is in a state of rest or motion and the
oil pressure is different in different sectors of the hydraulic
circuit at any given time.
The states of flow and pressure of the oil in a hydraulic system
at a given time depends upon the stage of operation the system
at that particular time.
For example, if a cylinder piston is extending towards the right,
oil at high pressure is flowing from pump side into the left
chamber of the cylinder and flowing out of the right chamber of
the cylinder to the sump at low pressure.
Similarly, if a cylinder piston is fully extended towards right
against a load, oil is at high pressure in the left chamber of the
cylinder and oil flow is not taking place on both the sides of the
piston.
It is convenient to indicate the oil flow and pressure
conditions in different parts of hydraulic circuits with
industrial standardized colour codes.

8.2 Colour Coding

To understand or to depict the fluid states in hydraulic systems
easily, Joint Industries Conference (JIC) and American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) have established a
standardized colour coding scheme for flow conditions or
fluid paths as shown in Fig. 8.1.

The significance of different colours is as follows:

 Green colour signifies the intake fluid which is
piped from oil reservoir to pump in the hydraulic
circuit.
 Red colour generally signifies operating system
pressure of the fluid. The oil from the pump flows
 through pressure relief valve to a directional
control (DC) valve. The DC valve either blocks the
flow or directs the flow to a cylinder. The
resistance to fluid flow due to a closed DC valve or
a cylinder piston causes pressure to be created. The
fluid under pressure is shown in red colour.
 Blue colour is used to indicate the fluid that is not
restricted and having minimum oil pressure. It is
generally used to show the oil exhausting from a
cylinder or a valve to the sump.
A hydraulic system in which the fluid conditions are indicated
with green, red and blue colours is shown in Fig. 8.2.

 Yellow indicates the controlled fluid flow or the oil

which is metered through a restriction valve.
 Orange is generally for the oil flow that has been
reduced from the system pressure like the oil at the
output of a pressure regulating valve.
 Violet indicates the increased oil pressure due to the
result of amplified system pressure, like oil with
increased pressure at the output of intensifier
 White is used to indicate the oil pressure in a part of
the system which has no pressure. For example, oil at
the output of a cylinder having fully extended piston is
shown in white colour as fluid from the rod end of the
cylinder to the sump is inactive as there is no
movement.