Reducing Total Cost of Ownership Starts with Cleaner Oil, Cleaner Air, and Safer Floors

Maintenance teams are under constant pressure to keep presses running, control operating costs, and protect people on the plant floor. One issue quietly undermines all three: hydraulic contamination, especially oil mist escaping through reservoir breathers.

In high-cycle environments like forging and extrusion, every press stroke pulls plant air into the hydraulic reservoir, hundreds to thousands of times per shift. Along with dust and moisture, oil mist is pushed back out into the surrounding area. The result isn’t just accelerated component wear, it’s slippery floors, increased cleanup demands, and degraded air quality around critical equipment.

Industry data shows that up to 90% of hydraulic component failures are contamination-related, with the reservoir breather being one of the most common entry and exit points.
Oilgear Reservoir Breathers are engineered to address this problem at the source. By separating oil mist before it reaches the filter element and draining it back into the tank, the breather maintains filtration efficiency while keeping oil where it belongs – inside the reservoir.

For maintenance teams, this means:

1. Fewer contamination-related failures and unplanned repairs
2. Less oil accumulation around reservoirs, reducing slip hazards and cleanup time
3. Extended service life for pumps, valves, and cylinders

For safety and environmental performance, the benefits are immediate:

1. Cleaner air around hydraulic equipment with reduced airborne oil mist
2. Fewer slick, oil-coated floors and lower risk of slips and falls
3. Improved housekeeping and stronger alignment with safety audit goals

For purchasing teams, the business case is clear:

1. Longer breather element life (often quarterly vs. monthly changeouts)
2. Reduced consumable spend and labor tied to cleanup and maintenance
3. A defensible upfront investment with measurable returns in uptime, safety, and environmental performance

If cleaning oil around reservoirs has become routine—or air quality near presses is raising concerns—it may be time to rethink your breather strategy.