Smart manufacturing must be open to change — are you? Over the course of two weeks, I heard several industry experts echo a fascinating trend as they discussed the future of manufacturing. The factory of the future is going to have to be flexible and fast, using IoT and AI, to deal with customized products…

Plot your IoT course like an open roadmap At the National Fluid Power Association’s Annual Meeting last month, attendees had the opportunity to hear from Jeremy Drury of IoT Diagnostics. Drury opened his talk with an old roadmap, comparing the opportunity to plot your own IoT course versus opening up an app on your phone.…

The power of connections Engineers and others working in fluid power understand the importance of connecting with their peers. This is especially true for those younger individuals just entering the field. Fluid power is a technology that many (myself included) admit they “just fell into.” Very few actually enter it intentionally (apart from those involved…

Don’t leave humans out of the Industry 4.0 equation At the recent Integr8 conference in Detroit, a panel of five speakers from Bosch Rexroth discussed how to successfully implement Industry 4.0. Key to connected industry, they all agreed, was ensuring that people are at the center of decision-making. Rodney Rusk, the i4 business leader for…

Pneumatics and automation must go hand-in-hand to survive Although some manufacturers are moving away from pneumatics in their machine designs, the industry can continue to grow if done smartly. That is, seamless integration of automation and pneumatics will rely heavily on the continued adoption of smart technologies, data collection and use, and more compact, efficient…

The reality of women in engineering leadership Last month, I wrote about the need for mentoring to get more young people — young women, in particular — studying engineering and entering the field. There’s a reason for this. Despite strong recruiting efforts, women just aren’t entering the engineering space. According to research by the Society…

Our future lies in engaging the littlest engineers among us My thoughts and face now grace this column in every issue, thanks in part to a surprise promotion by our VP, Editorial Director Paul Heney at the conclusion of our Women in Fluid Power Panel at our Fluid Power Technology Conference. He couldn’t have picked…

Fluid power overview Welcome to the seventh edition of the Fluid Power Handbook. Every year, our editorial staff works hard to add to the detailed information we’ve already accumulated on hydraulic and pneumatic components and systems. Once again this year, we’ve incorporated some new frequently asked questions into many of the Handbook sections. We had…

Boston Dynamics talks fluid power, 3D printing at IFK More than 650 fluid power manufacturers, users and academics came to Aachen, Germany last month to talk about the future of hydraulics and pneumatics technology at the 11th IFK. Aaron Saunders, VP of Engineering of Boston Dynamics gave a memorable keynote address. Boston Dynamics is the…

At first blush, the industrial robotics market doesn’t appear to be a place for fluid power. Walk through an industrial trade show, and you’ll see a multitude of Delta, SCARA, Cartesian and other types of robots busy demonstrating their skills. And each of them is run by electric drives— certainly not hydraulics or pneumatics. But…

  Will automation make too many jobs irrelevant? At the National Fluid Power Association’s recent Industry and Economic Outlook Conference in suburban Chicago, Kevin Surace of Appvance spoke about the amazing disruptions that technology will play in our lives over the coming decades. The future is both scary and amazing, but we have to prepare…

  Building a better event Although you may be thinking Fall, we’re already thinking Spring, because we’re knee-deep in the midst of planning for our third annual Fluid Power Technology Conference & Expo in Milwaukee. The conference, held at MSOE’s Kern Center, is already set for May 15-16, 2018. One of our takeaways after successfully…

  The value of associations is in participation I’ve been a big proponent of associations over the course of my career covering the world of fluid power. They’ve helped me meet and interact with important industry leaders, network with readers, and understand the critical issues facing manufacturers today. I recently had the chance to catch…

  FLUID POWER OVERVIEW Welcome to the sixth edition of the Fluid Power Handbook. Every year, our editors strive to add to the great amount of information we’ve already accumulated on hydraulic and pneumatic components and systems. For this year’s edition, we’ve incorporated some frequently asked questions into the majority of the sections, and I…

  A cause for optimism? It’s been the heart of trade show season the last few months, with the triennial IFPE, the annual Hannover Messe and Offshore Technology Conference keeping the fluid power manufacturing community—not to mention us in the media—quite busy. It is always great to get out and see the new technology firsthand,…

In this issue: 32 Hydraulic hybrid slashes operating costs 40 Safe pneumatic system design 48 Demystifying transducers 54 Fluid Power Technology Conference   Maintaining relevance in the midst of change Change in the fluid power industry is almost always through gradual evolution, and not in huge jumps and starts. Our technology is a mature one,…

In this issue: 74 Fluid Power drives mega dozer 82 Keeping your mobile machine running efficiently 88 Staying dry with cool air 94 How do you remove water from hydraulic fluid?   Caterpillar’s trucking it out of Peoria … what does it mean? By Paul Heney   If you were sick of the political back…

In this issue: 36 How can you keep your mobile machine running efficiently 44 PNEUMATICS Comparing the real costs of vacuum generators 54 INDUSTRIAL HYDRAULICS Is hydraulic efficiency a myth? 60 HOSE AND TUBING How does extreme heat affect hydraulic hose?   Engineering education: The science vs. technology split   Although it’s been more than…

In this issue: 32 Careful monitoring ensures reliability in high-speed hydraulics 38 Engineering a groundbreaking hydraulic hybrid 48 Pneumatics makes quick work of packaging lane changes 54 Pneumatic valves continue to inspire unique applications   Expanding your options online   One of our passions here at Fluid Power World is providing you with all your…

In this issue: 20 Water glycol fluid and hydraulic seals 38 Sensors help you understand your system 48 Right-sized pneumatic cylinders 52 Pilot systems for mining shovels: Large motions begin with tiny valves   Building a better distributor   Not long ago, I had the opportunity to sit in on a “University of Industrial Distribution…

WELCOME to the fifth edition of the Fluid Power Handbook. This year, we have again changed the look and feel of this issue, and we welcome your feedback on these changes. You will find updated sections on many components and other areas of fluid power interest, some all-new topics, and a fascinating trends piece on…

In this issue: 26 Ag machinery relies on the versatility of hydraulics 34 Twelve tips for better cylinder selection 42 A Lego-like pneumatic solution for customized machines 48 The hydraulics of injection molders   Challenging college students to love hydraulics   This week, I had the good fortune to attend the Chainless Challenge, one of…

In this issue: 32 MOBILE HYDRAULICS Hydraulics define the evolution of construction machinery 40 MARINE HYDRAULICS Electrohydraulic controls improve ship stability 48 AIR PREPARATION Understanding proper air preparation 56 FILTRATION Spotlight on offline filtration   The looming crisis in hydraulic repair   Quality, cost and overall value have always been important considerations when it comes…

In this issue: 32 OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY Hydraulics captures the power of ocean waves 38 PNEUMATICS Safe Packaging applications with pneumatics 46 MOBILE HYDRAULICS Mobile hydraulics troubleshooting, part 2 55 GAUGES The lowdown on gauges