Over the years, I’ve had several discussions with various members of the industry on the importance of education for the future of fluid power technologies. Although opinions vary, the general consensus has always held that more formal training and early exposure to hydraulics and pneumatics is critical to attracting youth to the field and moving […]
Viscosity versus viscosity index
By David Marlowe • Owner/CEO • DMAR Technical Training and DMAR Business Centers USA Petroleum-based hydraulic fluid has a variety of desirable characteristics, including lubricating and anti-wear properties, so it is often the preferred fluid for hydraulic systems. For these uses, petroleum oil is highly refined to remove undesirable chemicals while other chemicals, such as additives, are added […]
Lightning Hybrids moves forward with hydraulic hybrid technologies
For the last six years or so, I have been covering with great interest the development of hydraulic hybrid technologies for on-road vehicles. Some companies have tried to demonstrate this fuel-efficient technology in smaller automotive vehicles, but have found that its use in medium- and large-duty trucks and buses is truly the way to go. […]
12 questions to answer for shredding equipment design
By Dave Ebert, Product Manager, Gold Cup Pumps & Motors, Hydraulic Pump Div., Parker Hannifin Corp. High-production shredding applications reduce material—appliances, concrete, tires, and so on—into smaller particles for recycling and re-use. Hydraulics is a natural fit for both systems with gearboxes and those that use high-torque, low-speed motors as a direct drive. In operation, […]
Bosch Rexroth launches its 2015 hydraulic training schedule
Bosch Rexroth is accepting registration for all courses in its training program designed for industrial and mobile hydraulics systems engineers. Rexroth’s Hydraulics Technical Training is targeted toward individuals who maintain hydraulic systems, design new systems or want to upgrade existing systems with new technology. Classes run through December. Although the Center for Compact & Efficient […]
New rod wiper test method helps protect hydraulic systems
A partnership between Hallite Seals Americas Inc., Wixom, Mich., and The Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Fluid Power Institute (MSOE) has resulted in the development of a new test procedure for assessing the amount of dirt and dust that enters a typical hydraulic system through the rod wiper. According to Hallite, the test for rod wipers […]
Eaton tests hydraulic hybrid on lift trucks
Eaton’s Hydraulics division has been fairly quiet about its hydraulic hybrid technology lately, considering that the company was one of the first to really pioneer its use in on-highway vehicles, like its partnership with UPS several years back to test its series system on medium-duty trucks. Eaton hasn’t been doing much with its parallel system for […]
Support sought as the Fluid Power Challenge continues to grow
Back in 2008, just three middle school teams competed in the first ever NFPA Fluid Power Challenge, an event aimed at challenging eighth grade students to solve an engineering problem using fluid power. Today, hundreds of students participate in these regional events throughout the country, with new ones being added regularly. In the last week […]
Wix Filters launches proactive molecular hydraulic oil water absorber
Most users of fluid power technology know that water in a hydraulic system can wreak havoc to the system and components, resulting in possible failure. This is why Wix Filters, a global manufacturer of filtration products, has launched what it calls the world’s first proactive molecular hydraulic oil water absorber. The hydraulic oil water absorber […]
Rexroth expands its GoTo program as it marks 5 years
Echoing its local-for-local growth, Bosch Rexroth is once again expanding its GoTo Focused Delivery Program, as it is able to add more products and shorten lead times due to more local manufacturing. Originally launched in the United States in 2009, this marks five years the company has been of providing fast deliveries of Rexroth’s most popular drive […]