I have witnessed a lot of premature gland wear on T630/900 over the last few years. Although this may have some other reasons I have found that the improper use of pipe stands/ supports can contribute to some of it. This along with the use of the pipe lifts to assist with pipe line up where the lift is left in contact with the pipe while the carriage is moving. We have tried to provide a cut away depiction of what is happening internally to the main carriage cylinders when this is done. The top drawing is when the machine is allowed to move freely with no ‘racking’. The lower picture is what happens when the cylinders are being ‘racked’. Notice that the piston has become a fulcrum allowing the seals located in the glands to become depressed to the point where the brass touches the rod. When you apply hydraulic pressure to the point where it can overcome the friction it will slide the brass on the rod. To the operator, some of the outward signs of this is a carriage that shudders while moving as well as a fine deposit of brass dust located around the wiper seals.
I hope this can help with the understanding why the use of proper supports and set up is important to the longevity of your equipment
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