Product Safety Guidelines

WARNING!

The improper selection and/or use and/or improper installation and/or maintenance of accumulators and related accessories can result in failure and/or death and/or personal injury and/or property damage.

Prior to the selection or installation or use of any Tobul Accumulator or related accessories, it is important that the user read, understand and follow all safety information.

OVERVIEW

Due to the wide variety of accumulator (hereafter referred to as “products”) applications and operating conditions, Tobul Accumulator, Inc. does not warrant any particular product or products as suitable for any specific application. This safety guide does not consider and/or attempt to analyze all technical information and hydraulic system parameters which must be considered in selection of products.

Each user, through their own analysis, is solely responsible for determining the final selection of products and related accessories. The user shall be responsible for determining if the products are required to meet specific design requirements as required by any governmental agencies or industry standards applicable to the design of the user’s equipment. User must insure that all safety requirements are met and safety guidelines are followed and that the particular use/application of any product and accessories presents no health or safety hazards. The user is also responsible for providing all appropriate health and safety warnings on the equipment on which the products will be used and/or installed.

SEAL SELECTION CRITERIA

When selecting the seals for a particular application, it is extremely important to read and understand all pertinent information on the operating fluids to be used in the system or contact Tobul engineering for assistance. A wide variety of fluids can be utilized in systems and can occasionally have deleterious effects on the accumulator seals if the seal compounds are not compatible with the fluids. Additionally, dynamic seals are wear items. The rate of wear depends on many factors and can rapidly increase if the product and/or the system and/or the system fluid is not properly maintained/filtered.

ACCUMULATOR MOUNTING and PORTING CONSIDERATIONS

Tobul Accumulator, Inc. recommends mounting of accumulators in a vertical configuration (with the fluid port on the bottom) for optimum performance. This configuration minimizes the chance that system/fluid contaminants may be deposited within the accumulator, as may occur when accumulators are mounted horizontally. Horizontal orientation and/or contamination can result in premature seal wear and/or premature failure.

Installers/users must insure accumulators are mounted securely, and the hydraulic system plumbing should never be the sole method of mounting. When “U-Bolt” type clamps are utilized, the installer/user must insure the clamps are not excessively tightened, especially on piston-type accumulators, to prevent distortion of the pressure vessel wall. Welding mounting brackets to any type of accumulator is NOT recommended.

Accumulator ports must be sufficiently sized to provide the required fluid flow as specified by the user, but must also be of a recommended design for the pressure rating of the system. The preferred port type is one sealed by an elastomeric seal designed for the system pressure, rather than an interference fit such as a pipe thread.

ACCUMULATOR PRE-CHARGE

—————————WARNING!—————————
ACCUMULATORS SHOULD BE CHARGED ONLY
WITH AN INERT GAS, SUCH AS DRY NITROGEN.
NEVER USE OXYGEN!

Only qualified personnel following the manufacturer’s instructions and utilizing only components specified by the accumulator manufacturer should perform pre-charging of an accumulator, or the periodic checking of proper precharge. Accumulators function due to differential pressures. The specific differential within the system is determined by the system’s operating parameters. Variation from this pressure will cause the system to degrade in performance.

REPAIRS AND MODIFICATIONS

Tobul products are NOT to be disassembled and/or modified after leaving the manufacturer. If products require modifications, these modifications must be performed by Tobul Accumulator, Inc. or by a factory authorized facility. Disassembly of any Tobul product for the purpose of preventive maintenance and/or seal replacement is allowed ONLY after proper factory authorized training of all involved personnel.

ALL ACCUMULATORS ARE PRESSURE VESSELS AND
MUST BE HANDLED WITH THE UTMOST CARE BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ONLY!

Operating and Maintenance Instructions (PDF Download Center)