Planning
Frequently Asked Questions
All leaks at fittings, seals or other typical leak points will eventually cause a pump to cycle. If your VektorFlo ® pump cycles more often than you feel appropriate (more than once per minute without a valve being shifted), call us. We will gladly offer advice. I want to limit the pressure into a sequenced hydraulic circuit. Which valve do I install first? We recommend that you avoid putting one special function valve behind another if possible. If you must, put the pressure limiting valve after the sequence valve. This avoids the limiting valve being shut off before the sequenced circuit is fully actuated. I want several sequenced operations to happen on my fixture. Can I put three or four sequence valves in series? We do not recommend it. Our sequence valves operate better if run directly from the main hydraulic supply line and set at different pressures. We recommend at least 500 psi differential for ease of setup. My company uses a lot of brass fittings on our product. Can I use these to connect my hydraulic clamps? No, brass fittings and some aluminum or steel fittings are for low pressures. Be sure that locally sourced fittings are rated for 5,000 psi operation. All of our fittings are rated for at least 5,000 psi. We do not recommend the use of lower pressure fittings. We understand you may have a local source for high pressure O-Ring style fittings, but also want you to know that suitable fittings are available from us. I need to disconnect my fixture from the pump. I also need double acting clamps. How can I do this? Vektek has designed several configurations in Automatic and Manual Shutoff Valve Decouplers to fit your application. VektorFlo ® automatic valve decouplers work with either single or double acting devices. Manual decouplers, originally designed for single acting systems, include an auxiliary port that can be used for double acting systems. By adding a second quick disconnect to the auxiliary port of the manual decoupler (we suggest female), connecting a second line and employing appropriate valves you can decouple your fixture from the power supply for machining.
(Top plates or manual decouplers with self-closing valves are not designed for use with double acting circuits.) We use anti-freeze, not hydraulic fluid in our plant. Will this affect our clamps? Yes, our warranty specifically excludes the use of non-standard hydraulic fluids. While there are some good fluids out there, our approved fluids (or equivalent) are on page J-1. If you must use another fluid and it has good lubricity and corrosion resistance, we can tell you whether it is likely to cause problems or not. Some fluids may provide adequate long term service; we will offer advice upon request. We do not approve of the use of these fluids but may be able to recommend compatible seals. We run a fixture for 3 months, store it for 6 months, then bring it back on line. How can we keep everything working? Preventive maintenance. Before you store your fixtures, be sure that they are free of coolants, coolant buildup, clean and dry. A light coating of corrosion protection may help. Be sure to store in a cool, dry, clean environment. We encourage the use of double acting clamps on fixtures which will be stored for extended periods. Our clamps are used for cast iron grinding. Our coolants also seem to be corrosive (our fixture plates rust). Will your clamps stand up in this environment? Better than other brands. Nothing is going to be 100% foolproof. Our extensive use of hard chrome plating, stainless steel and our corrosion resistant BHC™ will give you the best possible resistance to corrosion. Our processes will allow our clamps to run longer with less problems even in this destructive environment. Preventive maintenance is essential to keep hydraulic systems and components running at peak performance through millions of cycles. Be sure to flush your entire system at least once a year and more frequently in high contamination environments.
When I unclamp my single acting clamps, a “spurt” of coolant comes out of the vent port. I am running flood coolant and the clamps are covered during the entire machine cycle. Can I eliminate this problem? Maybe. We suggest you run a vent line to fresh air from each breather port. This can be done in copper or plastic tubing. If you can’t get to fresh air, a trap in the tubing or protected vent inlet area will reduce the amount of coolant entering the cylinders. Keeping the coolant out will reduce the chance of corrosion in the cylinders. It will also keep the cylinders from having to expel the coolant as they return causing sluggish return. Our Swing Clamps are now available with “bottom” venting to allow them to breathe dry air from protected areas under the fixture. These threaded holes are called “ports”. The label “P” or “ADVANCE” ports are normally used to clamp the part, “RETRACT” indicates the port normally used to unclamp or retract the clamp. My local chemical representative has recommended the use of “water-glycol” hydraulic fluid. What are the benefits of this fluid and should I use it? Water-glycol is a non-traditional hydraulic fluid. This fluid was developed for use where petroleum based fluids are not allowed. They are commonly used in areas requiring “flameproof” fluid. They often cause problems with device seals, valves and pumps. We do not recommend When I look at my clamps, there are threaded holes in them. What do the labels “P”, “ADVANCE” and “RETRACT” mean? water-glycol fluids. We may, in some cases, be able to provide devices with seal compounds acceptable for use in this environment. We cannot recommend or warrant their use in any Vektek pump or directional control valve.
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800-992-0236
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