Cleveland State is overall champion of 2020 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge

Cleveland State took the Overall Champion trophy in the 2020 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, which took place virtually April 15-18, 2020 and was the largest Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge to date — with nearly 150 students, university faculty members, and industry supporters taking part. This was the second year in a row that Cleveland State took the Overall Champion title.

The Vehicle Challenge is a competition that combines two technology platforms that are not normally associated with one another—human-powered vehicles and fluid power. In a typical year, teams design and build their own fluid power vehicles and then compete against each other in three races with the help of NFPA industry sponsors, judges, and mentors. While the races could not happen this year due to quarantines and school closings, students were able to give a presentation on the vehicle construction, quality of vehicle design, and lessons learned.

This year’s champions are:

• Overall Champion: Cleveland State University
• 2nd Place: University of Cincinnati
• 3rd Place: Purdue University

This year’s event also highlighted the use of pneumatics in addition to the traditional hydraulic systems in teams’ designs with the new prize for Best Use of Pneumatics, Sponsored by Bimba, which was taken home by Western Michigan University.

Many thanks to the judges, mentors, and sponsors who participated this year.

• Bimba Manufacturing Co.
• Bosch Rexroth Corp.
• Danfoss
• Deltrol Fluid Products
• Eaton Corp.
• FORCE America
• Gates Corp.
• HAWE Hydraulik
• IMI Precision Engineering
• International Fluid Power Society
• Iowa Fluid Power
• JM Grimstad Inc.
• LubeTech
• Source Fluid Power
• SunSource
• Trelleborg Sealing Solutions
• Walvoil Fluid Power