The use of GPS technology, coupled with the power and precision of hydraulics, ensures modern farming success. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor It’s challenging to find an industry older than agriculture. Humans have been farming for over twelve millennia based on current estimates, making agriculture easily more mature than all other industries outside of carpentry. […]
Mobile Hydraulics Blog
LunchBox Sessions and FPW take to YouTube Live again
Last year, Fluid Power World partnered with the experts at Lunchbox Sessions to promote special, free YouTube Live training sessions to bring accessible fluid power training to the world during lockdown. And although many people are back at work, there is always a need for quality education on hydraulic systems, so we are continuing this […]
Hydraulic cylinder repair: Metric in an Imperial world
By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor We live in a global village where local preferences seem to matter less, and acceptance of unfamiliar ideas more widespread than ever. Thirty years ago, the idea of metric bolts, nuts, threads or other objects measured in round numbers was cringe-worthy, especially in the manufacturing space. Many found it annoying […]
What is the best raw material for hydraulic cylinder repair?
By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor When your customer’s cylinder arrives on your dock for repair, how often do you consider raw material when you quote the overhaul? Probably very little. Most hydraulic cylinders are manufactured from a combination of 1018/1020 cold rolled steel for the “square” components such as flanges, heads and caps. Piston rods […]
Load-sensing gets it done in forestry
Logging and timber harvesting machinery rely on load-sensing electrohydraulics for efficient, productive operation. Contributed by Carl Dyke, LunchBox Sessions In agriculture, like any other large-scale commodity, productivity and efficiency are keys to profitability and competitiveness. In corn harvesting, for example, it is not uncommon now to find harvesters with 2,000 hp and harvesting headers wider than […]
When should you use rotary actuators?
Rotary actuators, in many cases, are a hybrid of linear and rotary actuators. Of course, in the fluid power realm, linear and rotary actuators are more affectionately referred to simply as cylinders and motors, respectively. A cylinder creates linear force when pressure acts up its piston’s surface area, while a motor creates rotational force when […]
How is telematics used on mobile machinery?
In many ways, Industry 4.0 has yet to achieve widespread proliferation throughout fluid power machinery as it seemed we were promised. Baby Boomers are still waiting for their flying cars as promised by the Jetsons. It’s been nearly sixty years since the Jetsons got our hopes up, so I hope it doesn’t take so many […]
Biden owes a debt of gratitude to the mobile industry
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers represents more than a thousand companies involved in the construction and ag industries, including many suppliers of fluid power components and systems. These firms contribute over $288 billion a year to the U.S. economy and support 2.8 million high-paying jobs. So it goes without saying that AEM carries a bit […]
What are the most common hydraulic cylinder piston rod problems?
By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor It would help if you never underestimate the importance of your cylinder rod. The rod is not just the object transmitting the force from the cylinder’s piston but also the interface between that cylinder and your machine. Before you can correctly select and then design the piston rod, you must […]
Rating the real performance of hydraulic pumps
Low- and high-speed tests show that pump and motor performance can vary widely, depending on the speed and pressure. That’s critically important in electro-hydraulic actuators and electric-motor drives. Contributed by Peter Achten and Robin Mommers, Innas BV, Breda, The Netherlands Hydraulic component manufacturers generally publish pump and motor data that reflect optimal performance under ideal […]
