Paul Heney

In the compressed air world, the hottest thing in the market lately has been the introduction of variable speed drive controlled compressors. Being hot (as in popular) is good — but being hot as in temperature is not so great. These units, if installed appropriately, can stabilize the air pressure, and save significant amounts of […]

Helios Technologies Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Daman Products Co. Founded in 1976, Daman is headquartered in Mishawaka, Ind. and is a recognized leader in complex manifold design and manufacturing for precision hydraulic manifolds and related fluid conveyance products. Daman products are used in numerous hydraulics applications for industrial…

As recent months have shown, engineers are ready to get back to in-person meetings and conferences, from the Automate Show in Detroit to the Robotics Summit and Expo in Boston. And few are larger or more important to OEM design engineers than the biennial IMTS that’s held in Chicago’s vast McCormick Place complex. IMTS, or…

Soon after I began to cover fluid power back in the mid 1990s, I heard the drumbeat from many worried hydraulic component manufacturers — the electrics are coming to get us. There was a lot of fear (as well as a lot of doubt in some corners) that someday, electric actuators would replace hydraulic cylinders.…

At this week’s National Fluid Power Association event, the annual International Economic Outlook Conference, Donna Ritson of DDR Communications shared results of an industry survey done for PMMI that looks at the future of robots and cobots for automation. Ritson’s firm had discussions with the leading robot manufacturers, robot suppliers, and integrators in the industry…

Last week, ITT’s Compact Automation announced that it has acquired Clippard Instrument Laboratories’ product lines of interchangeable pneumatic cylinders. The company said that the purchase will expand its offering of air cylinders, as well as linear and rotary actuators used in applications such as robotics, packaging, and automation. For Clippard, the sale was emotional, as…

ITT Inc. has announced it acquired Clippard Instrument Laboratories’ product lines of durable, low maintenance, and cost-competitive interchangeable pneumatic cylinders. The product lines include stainless steel, brass and aluminum cylinders and volume tanks. These industry-leading components will expand ITT’s Compact Automation product offering of air cylinders, linear and rotary actuators used in applications such as robotics,…

Thermal mass flow meters are excellent devices to use when measuring compressed air flow. These devices use a hot wire anemometer method of measuring the velocity of the compressed air in the pipe. Two probes are used, one heated and the other not, and are inserted into the compressed air pipe. The flow of air […]

Have you heard the story of the Gimli Glider? An Air Canada flight ran out of fuel on July 23, 1983, at an altitude of 41,000 feet, midway through the flight. The cause? It was a mix up of pounds and kilograms when calculating the weight of fuel to load for the flight. (Give it […]

Motion Industries Inc. has announced that Lisa Solomon has been promoted to SVP – Corporate Accounts. Solomon joined the Company in 2015 as a Business Development Manager focused on an automotive industry account, before transitioning the same year into an Automotive Specialist role concentrating on a different automotive account. In 2016, she expanded her role…

On August 1st, 2022, SBP Holdings joined forces with Mattson Distributing Co. Mattson will operate within the Fluid Power & Automation Division of SBP Holdings. With this addition, SBP Holdings will increase its North America footprint to approximately 70 locations with more than 1,000 employees.  Mattson Distribution, established in 1957 has been owned and operated…

Delta Computer Systems Inc. of Battle Ground, Wash. is celebrating 40 years in business this Summer. Delta, a manufacturer of high-performance motion controllers, was incorporated in June 1982. Since then, the company has grown within the industrial hydraulics market and other demanding applications in the manufacturing, wood products, automotive, testing, entertainment, and aerospace industries. “I…

Your equipment controls can sometimes tell you some good stories if you observe carefully. And sometimes tell of problems. Consider two thermal mass cycling air dryers installed in a foundry. Thermal mass cycling dryers are designed to reduce the energy consumption of the internal cooling system by turning off and on (cycling) the refrigerant compressor […]

It is very common in an industrial facility to have compressed air blowing applications installed at various locations to provide cleaning of sensing eyes and scanners.  But it is important to keep in mind that this blowing demand can add up quickly — especially if there are many of these applications installed within the plant. […]

With a 370-ton crimping force, the new SC 12 i is the most powerful workshop crimper for R15 industrial hoses up to 3-in. and high pressure hoses up to 1-in. With its large opening and a maximum crimping range of up to 139 mm (5.47-in.), the SC 12 i also crimps 4-in. Camlock industrial fittings and even 90° fittings […]

A wood products company had a two-compressor system installed on a mezzanine. Under the compressors and dryers were the piping and storage receivers. Each tank and each compressor had timer drains installed to expel the condensate that forms when the compressed air cools in the compressor aftercooler, piping, and storage vessels.  The outlets of these […]

Brennan Industries has announced the construction of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14644 Cleanroom Standard Class 8. The cleanroom has been completed to support a Technical Cleanliness Lab for particulate contamination testing.  Controlled environments, such as cleanrooms, provide just that control to perform contamination-sensitive activities. This is specifically important to the aerospace industry where […]

A local food company was resizing its compressed air system while renewing its plant operations. To get the sizing correct, the plant maintenance foreman purchased a flow meter to measure the output of the compressors. The meter was installed with a data logger to capture the flow profile of the plant. The readings showed that […]

The National Fluid Power Association officially launched registration for the 2022 Industry & Economic Outlook Conference (IEOC) last month, and industry professionals have high expectations for the event. This event will take place August 16-17, 2022, at the Westin Chicago Northwest in Itasca, Ill. Compared to previous years, the association said that there is a stronger…

Despite years of warnings — and the development of OSHA standards — there are still many dangerous compressed air blow wands in service at facilities throughout the world. Countless injuries and even deaths could have been prevented if safer devices were used or the blowing eliminated altogether. Fig. 1 shows a wand used to clean […]

The 2022 edition of VMAC’s State of The Mobile Compressed Air Industry Report has been released, sharing fascinating insights from mobile air users. “We are pleased to release VMAC’s latest research on the mobile compressed air industry,” said Tod Gilbert, President of VMAC Global Technology Inc. “There is a lot of uncertainty with global events […]

At a recent user conference put on by Bosch Rexroth in suburban Chicago, the company presented specifics on some of its latest components designed for use on mobile machinery. Specifically, we learned about products that, more than ever, incorporate hydraulics with electronics and software. This will lead to easier user experiences, additional flexibility in the…

If you are shopping for a refrigerated air dryer, it is a good idea to consult the Compressed Air & Gas Institute (CAGI) published data from the manufacturer before you buy. If you buy a non-cycling air dryer, the unit will consume about the same power no matter what — even if the associated air […]

Jon Hirschtick, the general manager of Onshape at PTC, spoke recently at the Robotics Summit in Boston, and he had a lot to say about the technology that is shaping our future. Hirschtick, who is well known as the fellow who developed Solidworks, was also a member of the famed MIT Blackjack Team, which was…