A note from the editor
The November issue of Fluid Power World delivers a forward-looking examination of industrial hydraulics at a moment when efficiency, digitalization, and smarter machine architectures are reshaping the factory floor. This month’s features lead with stories that spotlight innovation, engineering perseverance, and the technologies driving cleaner, more capable hydraulic systems.
We begin with Profiles in Fluid Power, where Rachael Granville’s journey from a discouraged engineering student to a controls engineer modernizing Alkon Corp.’s manufacturing operations showcases how determination and hands-on creativity are fueling the next generation of automation talent. The issue then dives into the centerpiece of our technical focus: industrial decarbonization through digital hydraulics. Danfoss outlines how variable-speed architectures, electrohydraulic actuators, and data-driven system design can cut energy use by up to 50% — a meaningful path toward lower emissions in sectors where hydraulics remain essential. Rounding out the features is a comprehensive primer on industrial fluid power maintenance, offering practical daily-to-monthly checklists that help keep hydraulic and pneumatic equipment clean, reliable, and efficient.
Supporting these in-depth features are some of our regular departments. My FluidLines covers the reshoring momentum reshaping North American manufacturing. In Perspectives, Josh Cosford provides a grounded take on AI and its realistic impact on the fluid power workplace. Component Focus breaks down the role strain gauges play in today’s hydraulic transducers and torque-measurement systems. Design Notes revisits Innas’ modern hydraulic transformer design, illustrating how new displacement principles are changing efficiency expectations. Additional departments — Energy Efficiency, Fundamentals, and Association Watch — offer insights on solving overheating issues, the rise of smart hydraulics in industrial automation, and industry-wide developments.
From innovative digital hydraulics to maintenance fundamentals, workforce resilience, and smart-system integration, this issue is unified by a technically grounded emphasis on industrial hydraulic technology — and the tools, people, and practices pushing it forward.
Mary C. Gannon • Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
linkedin.com/in/marygannonramsak
Filed Under: Digital Issues
