Hydraulic pumps and motors

Hydraulic motors use pressurised fluid to move mechanical components. Two essential parts are required to take fluid from a reservoir and turn it into power: the hydraulic motor itself and the hydraulic pump that creates the pressure that moves the fluid.

A hydraulic pump performs two main functions:

1. Using a mechanical action, it creates a vacuum at the pump's inlet. This generates pressure that forces hydraulic fluid to move from the reservoir, through the inlet line and into the pump.
2. The pump then uses a mechanical action to move the fluid through the pump's outlet and push it into the hydraulic system.

The fluid that is mechanically pumped through the system by the hydraulic pump pushes the gears, vanes or pistons that power the hydraulic motor.