By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Do me a favor — stand up near a wall just out of arm’s length reach. Now raise your arm with your palm facing the wall and very slowly move toward the wall. Without yet touching the wall, tell me where the force comes from to move your body close […]
Mobile Hydraulics Blog
Overcoming the roadblocks to fluid power education
Nearly 30 years ago, the late Bob Koski of Sun Hydraulics made a provocative presentation titled “Fluid Power Education – What went wrong?” He noted that every mechanical and electric engineer learns about electrical power actuation and motion control, but only about 5% of mechanical engineering graduates learn about fluid power actuation and control. The […]
Sorting out auxiliary hydraulics for mobile machinery
Understanding the hydraulic system is critical when choosing work tools and attachments for mobile machines. George MacIntyre and Ted Polzer, Product Managers, Case Construction Equipment, Racine, Wisconsin Skid steers and compact track loaders (CTLs) are two of the most useful pieces of mobile equipment, and adding attachments makes them all that much more versatile when […]
Are hydrogen fuel cells the future for mobile machines?
Prioritizing decarbonization is, without doubt, one that most countries agree with almost pure unanimity. Here, in the U.S., the Biden administration has a goal to eliminate carbons from the electric grid system by 2035. Globally, most countries are on similar timelines. But, looking ahead to 2050, there doesn’t seem to be a clear path forward […]
Canadian tractor manufacturer Versatile chooses Elevāt Machine Connect for IoT solutions
Elevāt, a global IoT connected machines SaaS innovator, announced that Versatile, a division of Buhler Industries Inc., deployed the Elevāt Machine Connect platform across its entire tractor line for Model Year 2022. Since starting tractor production in 1966, Versatile has remained a leader for articulating four-wheel drive tractors. “We manufacture all our tractors in our […]
Novel tunnel-boring machine takes on mining with the help of hydraulics
Hydraulically powered unit is the first to cut rectangular tunnels in hard rock. Circular, full-face tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are well-engineered, proven pieces of equipment, and they’re considered the most efficient machines for mechanical excavation of tunnels in rock. But they are not often used in underground mining. That’s because mines generally require a flat […]
New cartridge flow transmitter revolutionizes hydraulic flow monitoring
Dale Dietel always knew there could be a better way to understand hydraulic system flows. Tired of the frustration born from the lack of easy flow monitoring, he invented his technology to provide continuous flow monitoring of all hydraulic functions — the world’s first Cartridge Flow Transmitter (CFT), from DGD Fluid Power. The CFT offers […]
Efficient mobile electrification with smart electrohydraulic pump
Nearly a year ago, Terzo Power Systems officially launched its electrohydraulic pump systems designed for on- and off-highway mobile vehicles and industrial applications. Terzo Power Systems developed the world’s first compact and energy efficient smart hydraulic solutions for the electrification of fluid power. Their flagship product, the Hydrapulse, is a complete electrohydraulic system that is […]
Hydraulics takes a direct hit with all-electric Bobcat loader
Up until now, mobile electrification efforts were a shot across the bow of the hydraulics industry. Doosan Bobcat just hit it broadside. At this year’s CES 2022 in Las Vegas, the company premiered a new all-electric Bobcat T7X compact track loader, said to be the first machine of its kind to be fully electric and […]
John Deere and the autonomous future
At last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, John Deere put on an impressive hybrid press conference to announce its fully autonomous tractor. This isn’t some concept machine or a test vehicle. We’ve seen plenty of those over the years from OEMs; this is one that’s ready for large-scale production. The machine combines Deere’s […]
