By Josh Cosford Hydraulic motors are used in any application where the output of mechanical rotational energy is required, such as augers, wheel drives, fans, mixers, and grinders. Their execution is just as varied as their application, coming in motor types such as orbital, vane, gear and the major piston types—bent-axis, radial and axial. Motors…

The measurement of pressure had once been a monopoly of Bourdon tube pressure gauges, and if you wanted to check the pressure at any location in a fluid power circuit, you had to go right to the source to install a pressure gauge at the location you wished to measure. The invention of test points…

Hydraulic valves, in addition to the force density advantage of actuators, are what help make hydraulics unique in their control of force, torque and motion. Valves govern direction, pressure and flow of hydraulic fluid, enabling smooth, safe and controlled use of actuators. A selection of hydraulic valves. Every machine both requires and uses valves, varying…

By Josh Cosford Because it is impossible to physically stack every component of a hydraulic system like a Jenga tower, plumbing is required to direct hydraulic energy through the circuit. Pipe, tube and hose are required to channel fluid through the system, and the requirements of the system must be reflected in the choice of…

By Josh Cosford Hydraulic cylinders are used in countless machinery applications: Excavators, loaders, balers, telehandlers, cranes, man-lifts, drill-rigs, dump trucks—not to mention operating booms, arms, lifts, platforms, buckets, and platens. Hydraulic cylinders are the most effective and efficient method of pushing, pulling, lifting and lowering. Cylinders convert hydraulic energy into linear pushing or pulling mechanical…

By Josh Cosford There are a lot of components in a hydraulic system that are not required to achieve the result of work, but you wouldn’t get very far without a pump. The hydraulic pump is the heart of any mobile machine, converting mechanical energy to hydraulic energy, and then pumping it out into the…

Here are the five of the most interesting hydraulic cylinder videos that we’ve found online, along with short descriptions of each one. What other videos to you recommend? Let us know in the comments box below! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YdSPoDNRZE This fun 5-minute video, “How its made—hydraulic cylinders” shows exactly how hydraulic cylinders are built from the ground…