If you’re not familiar with the basics of hydraulic filtration, just wait a week. A week is all it takes to be bombarded by blogs, articles and advertising on the importance of hydraulic filtration—and rightfully so, as it’s the most critical consideration you can make if you’re serious about reliability. I’m guilty of lecturing readers […]
Hydraulic system: Top five errors
Hydraulics is easy to get wrong. In fact, I’d say there are more ways to screw up in hydraulics than there are to get it right. Not everyone finds fluid power concepts to be intuitive, so without proper education and training, mistakes, oversights and misconceptions occur all the time. I’d like to save you at […]
What is a hydraulic motor?
I’ve asked similar questions, “what is a hydraulic cylinder,” and “what is a hydraulic pump,” so I thought I’d add another query to the list, and ask “what is a hydraulic motor?” Just as with the previous two articles, this may seem like an elementary question, especially if you’re a fluid power professional. For me […]
9 things they never taught us in college
Colleges and universities drape the cities of our planet, and they provide a solid foundation of mathematics, communications, processes and engineering to those entering (or already in) the field of fluid power. If you have a degree in mechanical engineering, for example, I can assume your fundamental understanding of math, physics, material properties and drafting […]
What is a hydraulic pump?
It seems like such a basic question to ask, but unfortunately, many who even work in this industry do not know the function of a hydraulic pump. When I was first taught about the function of a hydraulic pump, I was told its only job was to provide flow. I was also told that any […]
5 tips for yearly maintenance
Well, we made it through another year. I’m not sure what else we could have done, since doomsday theories never seem to pan out. This means your hydraulic machines are still humming away as you go through your work day to achieve the status quo. To keep your machines—whether they be tractors, excavators or even […]
Tis the Season
If you are employed with a manufacturing facility, then ‘tis the season for visits from salespersons, who bring with them their sacks full of treats; cookies, chocolates, crackers, or if you’re lucky, some of old grampa’s cough medicine in a 26 oz bottle. Whether you consider them generally annoying or essential to business, the salesperson […]
Environmental considerations for fluid power system design
I have been designing and selling fluid power systems eight years, and not once has a customer ever asked for environmental friendliness to be the first consideration … nor the second, nor the third … in fact, it’s never been a requested consideration. My eight years in the industry pales compared to many of you […]
Not your grandfather’s gear pump, part 2
Continuing the discussion from last week, the past fifty years saw a continued evolution of the gear pump, which has resulted in higher efficiency, higher pressure and more versatility than was ever previously available. Aluminum alloys are now the most common construction material for the gear pump housing, and hardened steel is used for the […]
Not your grandfather’s gear pump, part 1
The venerable gear pump is so strongly associated with hydraulics that perhaps only cylinders are more prominent in this industry. There is good reason for the popularity of the hydraulic gear pump; they are simple, inexpensive, durable and interminable. I’ve seen them made from about five pieces if you don’t count seals and bolts, and […]