Cylinders & Actuators

Contributed by Robert Sheaf  •  Founder of CFC Industrial Training I was recently called by a customer who attended one of our advanced hydraulic training sessions. He was having a problem with an old rolling mill. The servo-controlled cylinder was oscillating that held position on one of the rolls. This cylinder helped maintain the thickness…

Hydraulics are predominantly used in most mobile crane designs, from the cylinders for lifting, to valves for holding, and more. By: Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor We’ve all seen those crane yards when driving along highways near towns and cities. You know, the ones with their booms reaching high into the sky, proudly advertising the location […]

Fluid power saves lives. That is how Captain Stewart McQuillan addressed the audience at the National Fluid Power Association’s annual conference in February. McQuillan, Colonel Sean McClung and Kristen Christy opened the conference to highlight their foundation and introduce the industry to a device he created to allow him to continue flying helicopters despite being…

Hydraulic — and even pneumatic — cylinders are used massively throughout auto manufacturing, providing the power, precision and durability needed. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor If you’re (un)lucky enough to sell and service hydraulics in the automotive manufacturing industry, you understand life in the belly of the beast. The automotive manufacturing industry is not for…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor If you didn’t already know, I work for a company that manufactures hydraulic cylinders. A common question from customers is, “What is the life expectancy of your hydraulic cylinders?” My response is often to take a deep breath and then sigh because the correct answer is never straightforward. The salesman…

Hallie Riley and Victoria Lower of IC-Fluid Power explain how Eckart E3 actuators are used in MarQuipt’s davits and cranes. MarQuipt is a marine and yachting equipment manufacturer specializing in products that facilitate easy and safe boarding of persons and the handling of tenders. Its product line comprises stairs, ladders, gangways, davits, cranes, and other […]

Liebherr’s next-generation hydraulic cylinders are designed to meet the growing demand for sustainable, smart, high-performance machinery. The new, innovative hydraulic cylinders deliver peak efficiency, while reducing environmental impact, and offer a forward-thinking solution for industries that strive to meet both performance and sustainability goals, the company said in a press release. With a team of […]

As at most mobile machinery shows this September, Parker Hannifin showcased a variety of technologies to ensure efficient, powerful mining machines. Newest on display, though, was its Force Command electrohydraulic linear actuator. This new EHA features a brushless dc motor with integrated controller and absolute position sensing, giving users full control over the toughest and […]

In this month’s Troubleshooting Challenge, we go into the extreme environment of a steel producer, which had modified an electric arc furnace to include a retracting hood that covered the conveyor. This conveyor feeds scrap metal into the melt pot. The conveyor would occasionally jam and/or require service. A pair of hydraulic cylinders were installed…

Moog Inc. announces the launch of the EPU-G, the latest addition to its Electrohydrostatic Pump Unit (EPU) portfolio. The EPU-G, featuring a newly designed 4-quadrant internal gear pump and a high dynamic servomotor, targets applications with flow rates of 20 to 85 lpm and pressure levels up to 345 bar. Engineered for direct control via…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor If your hydraulic cylinder is moving slowly and you’re reading this article, your cause is not likely a lazy operator. Your situation is obviously one where an expected performance isn’t being met, or there was a sudden and dramatic slowdown of your cylinder velocity. Diagnosing the cause of a cylinder…

In linear motion applications, pneumatics, servo pneumatics, and controlled pneumatics each deliver unique motion and force capabilities. Contributed by By Frank Langro, Director of Product Market Management, Pneumatic Automation, Festo Pneumatic linear actuators are fundamental for automation because of their low cost, ease of installation and operation, high yet compliant force, speed, compactness, safety in hazardous areas, […]

A wood products company had an aging heatless 1,000 cfm desiccant air dryer, being used to condition the compressed air produced by two 100-hp compressors in their processing facility. After working for many years, the dryer controller failed and had to be replaced. Replacement parts could not be found, so the local electricians came up […]

Sometimes, the smallest change makes the biggest impact. Here’s why one machine builder no longer adjusts proximity switches on pneumatic actuators. Proximity switches are used to monitor and control the position of pneumatic actuators. They include sensors that detect the presence or absence of an object within a specified range without making physical contact with […]

When we delve into the realm of linear actuators used in industrial fluid power, our minds often gravitate towards the familiar, such as NFPA and mill-type for hydraulics, or compact round-line or extruded-aluminum body cylinders for pneumatics. These are the tried and tested construction styles. However, a lesser-known yet highly innovative player in this field […]

At Hannover Messe this week, Bosch Rexroth announced that it has developed a scalable portfolio of servohydraulic drives for compressors in the power range between 10 and 280 kW in partnership with others from the hydrogen industry. Hydrogen produced from renewable energies plays a key role in achieving global climate targets. It is a CO2-free […]

Electrohydraulic actuators are standalone, self-contained systems that perform powerful tasks without external piping. They typically include an electric servomotor driving a hydraulic pump — often an axial-piston unit. Other components include a hydraulic cylinder, tank, valving and charging circuits. Because they are fitted with their own closed fluid circuit, they require only a small amount […]

Duplomatic MS Spa, a company within the Daikin Group, is pleased to announce a significant development in Germany. Günther Till GmbH & Co. KG, a well-known German cylinder manufacturer and already a part of Duplomatic MS since December 2021, has successfully signed an agreement to transfer the assets of Phillip Acon Hydraulik GmbH, a branch […]

Hydraulic cylinder column strength is essential in most applications. Here, we go into some basic specifications to consider when selecting, mounting and using hydraulic cylinders. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor As someone who helps run a cylinder manufacturing company, I can tell you that hydraulic cylinder column strength is a poorly understood concept by designers…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Hydraulic cylinders are unique in that they’re nearly 100% volumetrically efficient, although they are subjected to losses from mechanical efficiency. This means that nearly all the fluid stuffed into them results in proportional linear movement, but only some of the pressure required by them is to move their loads. Regardless,…

Waste and recycling applications are dominated by hydraulic technologies, where the power density, ruggedness, speed and precision they provide are crucial to uptime. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Hydraulics have proven to be a versatile and efficient technology in various industries, offering precise control, reliability, and extraordinary power density. Some industries are lightly equipped with […]

Packaging machine manufacturer Coesia and its sister companies rely on system integration for efficient, precise and fast operations. With a focus on streamlined systems that reduce pouch or carton handoffs and offer the ability to move non-standard sized materials, Coesia companies R.A. Jones and MGS turn to modern motion control systems married with precision pneumatics […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Pneumatic cylinders are essential in various industrial applications, providing the mechanical force needed to move loads, automate equipment, and perform countless other tasks. However, pneumatic cylinders encounter issues that impede their performance like other machine components. When your pneumatic cylinder isn’t working as expected, it can lead to downtime, reduced […]

Moog Inc. has delivered a high-performance test system for Spain-based Piedrafita Systems that the company now uses to design vehicle suspensions. Among its current projects, Piedrafita is using the new test rig — installed in July 2023 — for the SRB Project, which aims to develop a revolutionary hydropneumatic rotary suspension for armored vehicles. Through…

Alfiniti Inc., a producer of drawn aluminum tube and pipe, has registered the 6061-T8 temper with The Aluminum Association and secured its inclusion in the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standards. This provides a standardized definition of the temper’s manufacturing methods and mechanical properties that was unavailable until now. The lightweight and durable 6061-T8 temper…