2022 Maha fluid power conference returns to Purdue University in May

Purdue’s Maha Fluid Power Research Center will host the 2022 Maha Fluid Power Conference at Purdue University from May 17 to 19. The goal of the conference is to network, exchange ideas, and present the recent research trends in fluid power and related applications.

Maha fluid power conference logo

The conference program includes technical presentations, keynote lectures, and a half-day workshop. Social events, such as networking breakfasts, breaks, lunches, and dinners will also be included. Speakers will be coming from other prominent fluid power research universities, said Andrea Vacca, Maha Fluid Power Faculty Chair, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, joint with Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

Katharina Schmitz, EngD – RWTH Aachen University

“The two keynote speakers are from the two most important labs in Germany and certainly among the most important labs in the world. We have Katharina Schmitz from IFAS in Aachen and Jürgen Weber,from Dresden, who will give talks about mobile machinery. Then we have some other professionals from Europe, from Tampere University and Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, both in Finland and Linköping University, in Sweden,” Vacca said. “So really the top schools, the top centers for fluid power in the Scandinavian region that is a traditionally very strong are well represented. And we have also some other presenters from Italy, from Technical University of Turin, from the University of Naples. Then we have other speakers from Purdue, University of Michigan, and Minnesota.

“I think the technical community is well represented. Then, we also have presentations from industry, and here we had a call for presentations,” Vacca said. “There is a lot that relates to challenges for mobile machinery, everything that is going on for the application side. But there is also a lot on the component side. We will talk about pump design, simulation tools for hydraulics, even use of artificial intelligence. We’ll speak about electrification a lot. So really everything that reflects the top topics in this field.”

Participants will have the chance to tour the Maha Fluid Power Research Center’s facilities before dinner on May 18. Participants will have also the chance to tour other Purdue facilities.

The 2022 Maha Fluid Power Conference will have a similar structure of the 2019 CCEFP Summit, which was participated in by approximately 170 conference delegates (more than half from fluid power industry).

Jürgen Weber, EngD – Technische Universität Dresden

The two keynote speakers will present opening lectures on the first two days of proceedings. Katharina Schmitz, EngD, RWTH Aachen University and Jürgen Weber, EngD, Technische Universität Dresden, will speak on May 17th and May 18th, respectively. Schmitz will speak on New challenges for Mobile Machinery, while Weber will discuss Bauen 4.0 – Communicating Construction Machines as Prerequisite for Digital Construction Processes.

A pre-conference workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 17. The half-day fluid power workshop will start at 8:30 a.m. Two topics will be offered:

Topic A: Metering control technologies and demonstration — This will cover fundamental concepts of metering control in hydraulic control systems. The features of meter-in and meter-out hydraulic control are illustrated. The meter-in control concept is further expanded to the technologies of load sensing and open center control which are commonly used in mobile hydraulics. It includes a theoretical lecture followed by a hands-on experience on newer hydraulic trainers.

Topic B: Uses of Augment Reality (AR) for fluid power training — This will focus on providing an overview of the essential software and hardware tools necessary to develop modules for fluid power training for applications in sales, component and system development or traditional onboarding. The workshop presents the fundamental concepts for the creation of virtual elements and tools that can be used to augment the learning experience.

Additionally, the event will conclude with a networking and recruiting event. On May 19 at 1:30 PM, companies are invited to attend a student recruiting event, highlight internships and job opportunities, and network with students. Students enrolled in College of Engineering, College of Agriculture, and College of Technology will be invited. There is no fee to participate in the recruitment event. Deadline to register for the recruitment event (not participate in the Maha conference) is May 13.

The Maha Fluid Power Research Center is a University Research Center of Purdue University and it is the largest academic lab in the United States focusing on fluid power research. The center has two core faculty members, more than 5 affiliated faculty, 2 permanent staff, and around 30 researchers focusing their research on various fluid power topics such as novel hydraulic components and systems, following original approaches including both computer modeling and real-world experimentation. The center has available 15,000 square feet of lab space, including several test rigs and prototype vehicles.

Registration is free for students and faculty from academic institutions.

See the full conference program and register at https://engineering.purdue.edu/Maha/2022_MahaConference.