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Pneumatic technology continues to evolve and deliver new levels of performance, flexibility and intelligence. Modern pneumatic systems provide the rapid response times and high cycle rates required by today’s high-speed manufacturing equipment. Technologies such as proportional valves, programmable controls and integrated sensing enable more sophisticated motion profiles, dynamic pressure and flow control, compressed-air optimization and…

Contributed by Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, is a behavioral scientist and CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts A technician opens an AI assistant, enters a fault code and receives a likely cause with a suggested repair sequence. The explanation sounds convincing. Before anyone reaches for a tool, the supervisor asks one question: What evidence would prove the…

Contributed by Michael Cook, Global Segment Director Off-Highway, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Hydraulic cylinders no longer operate in predictable, controlled conditions. They are pushed through wider temperature ranges, higher pressures and longer duty cycles than ever before, all the while adapting to new fluids and tightening regulatory requirements. For OEMs, this shift raises a question: can…

A popular new system for improving responsiveness and efficiency, especially on mobile equipment, is to decentralize the hydraulic system. Mobile machinery, especially electric ones, can do away with massive reservoirs, huge pumps, bulky valve manifolds, and the extensive plumbing networks used to send controlled fluid to actuators throughout the machine. Such decentralized systems instead use…

Smart technologies, from software-defined machines to digital integration, allow manufacturers to easily maintain machines and predict critical failures and faults before they cause downtime. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor The packaging industry operates in a world where ultra-high-speed machinery reigns, manufacturers accept razor-thin margins, and versatility is required as products change frequently. From high-speed form-fill-seal machines […]

What happens when you get a couple of serial entrepreneurs together? They set out to disrupt and reshape the mobile machinery industry. That’s what co-founders Mike Terzo, Andrew Johnson, Ryan Twiss, Nick Darrah and Davide DeSilvio are doing with HeavyTech Inc. as they build completely reimagined construction machines from the ground up. Built on a […]

I’ve just returned from two intensive days at the Danfoss Distributor Meeting, where I had the opportunity to learn what Danfoss Power Solutions is homing in on with its distribution customer base. And while it was interesting and informative to learn about its updates to its industrial lines or electrification solutions, I was hit with…

At the Danfoss Distributor Meeting earlier this month, I had the opportunity to sit down with Daniel Winter, president of Danfoss Power Solutions, for the first time since he took the helm in January 2025. Read on to see where he says Danfoss will continue to grow, what its strategic advantages are, and how it’s…

If you’re a longtime reader, you know I’m a car guy. I love the look and smell of a hot rod, but I grew up on Japanese hot hatches and eventually developed a taste for the power and refinement of German luxury brands. I love discovering great new music while still keeping the soundtrack of…

As many know, there are few ways to improve upon pneumatic and hydraulic technologies. They already offer high pressures that are unmatched by competitive technologies, reliability, precision and much more. While efficiency gains are always needed, an area where the industry is seeing improvements is with connectivity. On both the mobile and industrial side, connected…

At the NFPA’s IEOC back in August, the association brought together leaders from OEMs and market intelligence for a panel discussion on what the future holds for mobile machinery and the part hydraulics will play. Integrated systems were a huge part of the discussion, but where this discussion led revealed that OEMs are not really…

From its massive beginnings to more controllability and efficiency, electrification has changed mobile hydraulics for the better. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor The electrification of hydraulics has come a long way since the first AC induction motors powering hydraulic pumps replaced centralized power distribution systems. Such immense systems, Figure 1, employed giant, stationary steam engines rotating […]

Pretty much every fluid power industry meeting I’ve been to in the past decade included at least some mention that we are stirring the embers of the final hearth of knowledge, which will die with the wave of upcoming retirements from Boomers and Gen X. From the IFPS to NFPA to CFPA, round table discussions…

It’s not often that you hear the words hydraulics and Erin Brockovich together in the same conversation, but that’s exactly how Mehdi Kargar, PhD, CEO of Maxterial, educated me on how his technology came into being. Hexavalent Chrome, the chemical that was causing cancer and killing people in the Southern California town that inspired the…

I’m not out here trying to be a climate denier, but I’m also not going to deny that these past few winters and springs have been absolute trash. There’s been too much cold, too much snow, and too much rain. Yes, yes, I’ve heard that places like the Southwest have been extraordinarily hot on occasion,…

See how major manufacturers are reinventing steering to ensure safe and reliable control as machines become more autonomous. At CONEXPO earlier this year, I had an opportunity to hail a ride from a Zoox taxi, an autonomous vehicle that provided rides to very specific destinations. That’s what really stood out to me as we cruised […]

As it wrapped up the initial project testing phase, Danfoss Scotland, part of Danfoss Power Solutions, announced the results of its Dextreme Max system validation in a 30-ton battery-electric excavator. Undertaken with a £4.29 million grant from the UK Government, Danfoss demonstrated that its Dextreme digital hydraulic architecture reduced excavator power consumption by 35% across […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor At this just-past CONEXPO show in Las Vegas, which is not in the tourist drought my algorithm is telling me it is, one of my favorite technologies was the mobile hydraulic robots from companies like Bot Crew and Green Climber. These are machines without a seated operator that can function […]

CFI leads multiple fluid power companies to modernize the hydraulic system responsible for raising and lowering the walls of the Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS) telescope dome on Maui. By Bill Perry Imagine taking on an engineering project tied to national security on an island 4,000 miles away. The job site is situated along the crest…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Let’s be honest, there hasn’t been much change in the fundamental nature of hydraulics in the past couple of decades. Discoveries regarding how we control or operate hydraulics are few and far between. We’re unlikely to see another breakthrough like post-pressure compensation or horsepower control, because it’s just so much […]

HYDAC, which is known for its filtration and hydraulic power and drive technologies, used CONEXPO as a launchpad for several new technologies, including its SustainMicron filtration technology, but more importantly, its new Fluid Architecture Engineering approach. This comes as the company argues that the hydraulics industry must rethink how systems are designed, integrated, and optimized.…

Over the past two months, members of the fluid power industry have gathered multiple times — for the National Fluid Power Association’s Annual Conference in New Orleans and CONEXPO/CON-AGG in Las Vegas. The global industry also gathered in Germany for the International Fluid Power Conference presented by the Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems…

At this year’s CONEXPO-CON/AGG show in Las Vegas, Lingong Group unveiled an expanded construction equipment portfolio and a new global service platform to better support customers across North America, Europe and other key markets. The group’s core subsidiaries, Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery (SDLG) and Lingong Heavy Machinery (LGMG) introduced new product lines such as loaders,…

At CONEXPO this week, 20 technologies are finalists for its Next Level Awards, showcasing the cutting-edge innovations and groundbreaking advancements shaping the future of construction and heavy equipment. These distinguished finalists were selected by a panel of expert judges and represent the next generation of equipment, technology, sustainability, and efficiency in the sector. This year,…

Throughout the lots at CONEXPO/CON-AGG, show attendees may have many opportunities to climb into machines and possibly even operate them. But the fun is not limited to the big machine makers — many fluid power companies have demo units for attendees to try out as well as custom-designed machines highlighting the many products available for…