The inaugural Fluid Power Technical Conference, presented by Fluid Power World, will be held at the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Kern Center June 21 and 22. I can say with confidence that all of us at Fluid Power World are excited about this event, as it marks the first conference we’ve embarked upon and brings us back to a city and fluid power hub we all love.

Personally, I’ve been to Milwaukee twice in my life and both times were for fluid power. About three years into my career covering fluid power technology, I had the opportunity to attend the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s professional continuing education series, as I embarked on a week-long introduction to hydraulics class. The class was phenomenal and so was the city. So I’m thrilled to return and hear several different MSOE Fluid Power Institute and Professional Education and Research Development professors provide top-notch technical seminars for design engineers and maintenance personnel.

Here’s a rundown on all that MSOE has in store for us:

Properly applied cooling for hydraulic systems—This presentation by Tim Kerrigan of FPI will address the pitfalls and challenges of achieving the appropriate cooling design for hydraulic systems. Critical factors of loading duty cycle, ambient conditions, heat exchanger design, and coolant are some of the many topics to be considered for a successful cooling design.

Rapid reverse engineering for legacy parts— Joe Munski, FPI, will discuss the proper application of 3D scanning in opening opportunities and saving tremendous amounts of engineering time for retrofitting applications. There are many instances in fluid power applications where an obsolete component needs to be replaced. Typical driving decision factors for the replacement selection are fit, form, and function. Engineers have 3D (solid) modeling as a standard tool to address the “fit,” and we have the ability to 3D scan legacy components and systems in situ.

Properly applied electro-hydraulic components—Tim Kerrigan will also lead a discussion on the growing use of electrohydraulic components. On Board Electronics (OBEs) can make a hydraulic system much cleaner and simpler design to build and maintain. But the electrical devices and OBEs need to be appropriate for the application, or they can become a maintenance nightmare. With the appropriate electro-hydraulic components utilized for a given application, the hydraulic system can be the ideal dream.

System modeling and simulation—This presentation by Dr. Medhat Khalil, of MSOE’s PERD, focuses on the technique of building mathematical models with the least amount of design parameters. This technique is designed to help application engineers who are involved in modeling systems at large. The adopted modeling process of a component is based on existing data published by the component’s manufacturer. If the data is missing, the presentation discusses how to identify the dynamics experimentally.

Importance of Contamination Control in Hydraulic Systems—Finally, Tom Wanke, the Director of the FPI, will lead the last presentation of the event on the main stage. Here, he will highlight how experts agree that 70 to 80% of all hydraulic system failures are a result of contaminants circulating within the hydraulic system. This presentation will cover the types, sources and effects of contaminants on hydraulic components and systems. Methods and technologies will be discussed that eliminate, reduce and/or control contamination levels for improving hydraulic system reliability and maintaining optimal performance.

In addition, attendees will have an opportunity to tour the Fluid Power Institute, one of the original leading fluid power laboratories focused on motion control and fluid power education, research and evaluation. Breakfast will also be served at the Grohmann Museum, which is home to the most comprehensive art collection dedicated to the evolution of human work.

Be sure to visit www.fluidpowertechconference.com for a complete list of seminars, including a look at our keynote presentation by Aleksandar Egelja, Engineering Manager for Advanced Hydraulics Technology in the Advanced Components and Systems Division at Caterpillar Inc. Other keynotes will include talks by engineers from Terex and CNH.

Additional topics will be presented by Carl Dyke, a well-respected fluid power trainer from CD Industrial Group as well as seminars offered by sponsoring companies which include Aggressive Hydraulics, CEJN, Delta Computer Systems, FD Groups America, FluiDyne, , Grimstad, HED, Lynch Fluid Controls, Milwaukee Cylinder, OEM Controls, Price Engineering, SMC, and Webtec.

Fluid Power Technical Conference
www.fluidpowertechconference.com