Purdue University welcomes engineers and fluid power professionals to the 2024 International Maha Fluid Power Conference, held September 3-5, 2024, at the Stewart Center. The conference will include technical presentations, keynote lectures, and social events for attendees to network, exchange ideas, and discuss recent research trends in fluid power and motion control technologies. For the […]
Research
Stone walls make a comeback with an autonomous hydraulic excavator
It’s no secret that the construction industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. As such, engineers and researchers constantly explore new technologies that align with sustainability goals while increasing productivity and reducing manual labor. Take dry stone wall construction, for example. This manually intensive task dates back thousands of years and was historically […]
Purdue’s 2024 International Maha Fluid Power Conference planning is underway
Purdue’s Maha Fluid Power Research Center has started planning for the 2024 International Maha Fluid Power Conference. The conference will be held at Purdue University from September 3 to 5, 2024. The goal of the conference is to network, exchange ideas, and present the recent research trends in fluid power and motion control technologies. The […]
Teleo launches autonomous capabilities for heavy construction
Teleo, a Palo Alto, Calif. based company building autonomous technology for heavy construction equipment, today announced that Florida-based Tomahawk Construction will become the first customer to deploy its autonomous capabilities on an active job site. Tomahawk Construction’s articulated dump trucks will use autonomous functions to move material to build a residential community in Naples, Fl. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Why hydraulic efficiency is becoming critical
Given the heightened attention on climate change and growing regulatory attempts to rein in CO2 emissions, the push toward electrification of mobile equipment is gaining momentum. Mobile OEMs are in the infancy of a major transformation toward electric-powered systems, but success in large part hinges on more-efficient fluid power systems. Why does hydraulic efficiency matter? […]
Precision is key in agricultural machinery
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. […]
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 […]
Mobile hydraulics embraces electrics
A number of OEMs are introducing electric-drive machines that power existing hydraulic systems. There’s a slow and steady move toward electrification of construction equipment, including a focus on compact, battery powered machines. Concerns over the environmental effects of climate change have led many governments around the world to look to curb CO2 emissions. Legislative pressures […]
