Fluid Power World February 2018

Electrohydraulic controls for sawmills p. 34

Pneumatic tubing versus hose p. 46

All eyes on Germany for tech events p. 52

www.fluidpowerworld.com

February 2018

How automated air control valves can replace VFDs PAGE 38

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FluidLines

Fluid power continues to evolve Fluid power has somewhat of a reputation for being mature and unchanging, but at least from a corporate perspective, changes do happen and sometimes they can happen fast. After covering this industry for more than two decades, it’s amazing to think of the brand names that have come and gone.

As part of a new podcast series for our sister publication, Design World, I recently had the chance to speak with Ryan Schroeder, President, Americas, for IMI Precision Engineering—many of you are probably familiar with his company’s Norgren Division. IMI has been in the news a lot lately, after the big announcement that the company is buying Illinois-based Bimba Manufacturing. I was curious as to what that meant for the brands.

On the surface, it seems like a smart fit. Norgren made much of its reputation off of FRLs and the air preparation side of the business, while Bimba is more synonymous with pneumatic actuators. But while Schroeder admitted that the cylinder business was what they were after, he also noted that there will be efficiencies in other areas.

“When you look at their footprint and you look at their market capitalization, they really, genuinely welcome their distributors as a core part of their business. We felt that’s a great fit, with Norgren having a very distributor-centric model as well,” he said. “Their relatively recent acquisition of Vaccon fits perfectly with us. It’ll help us continue to enter that part of the automation marketplace with the Vaccon brand and the products that come along with it.”

Schroeder also mentioned that Bimba’s recent acquisition of ACRO, a manufacturer of pinch valves and integrated fluid control assemblies, made sense, giving IMI another branch into the life sciences sector, a fastgrowing field that’s been a key market for them.

He also told me that 2018 is looking good for the company, with all of its verticals expecting growth. Any time I hear that from a fluid power manufacturer, it’s hard not to get excited about the industry in general.

Hopefully I’ll see some of you at this month’s National Fluid Power Association annual meeting in Orlando, where I’m sure the speakers will be telling us even more about what to expect over the coming year.

To check out the new Design World’s Executive Edition podcast, visit designworldonline.com and click on Engineering Resources >> Podcasts.

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FLUID POWER WORLD

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vol 5 no 1

February 2018

C ontents |

|

fluidpowerworld.com

•

2

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2018

F E AT U R E S HYDRAULICS

Electrohydraulic control smooths sawmill performance

34

When an application calls for high forces and heavy loads, hydraulics is the usually the choice, but motion controllers provide the necessary precision and safety.

PNEUMATICS

How automated air control valves can replace VFDs

38

Air knife systems controlled by automated valves offer significant benefits over complex and costly VFD motor controls.

INDUSTRIAL FLUID POWER Tubing versus Hose in pneumatic systems

The wires of the pneumatic world are tubing and hoses. Here’s how to select between the two, and how to apply each in industrial plants and facilities.

INTERNATIONAL FLUID POWER All eyes on Germany

Keep watch on Europe this spring, as fluid power luminaries will be focused on two big industry events being held there.

6

D E PA R T M E N T S

02 FluidLines

46

08 Korane’s Outlook 10 Association Watch 12 Design Notes 22 Energy Efficiency

52

24 Fundamentals 28 Training 30 Research & Development 57 Products

62 Component Focus 64 Ad Index

A | S | B | P|E

A | S | B | P|E

American Society of Business Publication Editors

American Society of Business Publication Editors

Fostering B2B editorial excellence

ON THE COVER

Engineered air-knife systems are reliable alternatives to VFDs, especially on high-speed food and beverage lines.

38

FLUID POWER WORLD

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52

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2 • 2018

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Ko ra n e ’s O u t L o o k Ken Korane • Contributing Editor

Track contamination, not people Nobody likes a micromanager. A boss constantly looking over your shoulder is at best annoying and more often counterproductive, demotivating and the root cause of high turnover.

Yet in recent head-scratching news, Amazon has patented a tracking wristband that monitors a worker’s every move and vibrates when they do something wrong.

Ostensibly, Amazon warehouse personnel would wear the device and track where an employee’s hands were in relation to inventory bins and products—and provide “haptic feedback” to guide the person to fill orders faster.

In this Big Brother nightmare, supervisors could push workers ever harder and identify every time someone stops to chat, grab a coffee, or takes too long for a bathroom break.

Critics note that this type of surveillance raises privacy concerns, to say the least. Amazon’s announcement comes on the heels of tech company Strava’s embarrassment over its fitness app. The software lets users with a mobile phone or Fitbit track activities like running and biking, but also unwittingly made public the movements of U.S. military personnel in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Here’s a better idea. Virtually everyone agrees contamination in a hydraulic system is bad. Running dirty fluid through a highpressure circuit, more often than not, leads to premature component failures, damage to equipment, unscheduled downtime, and higher maintenance and operating costs.

The contamination-control industry does its best to head off such problems.

Their engineers have developed a wide range of products that help keep systems clean and are a bargain, compared to the alternative. And they’re getting better and 8

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2 • 2018

better. For instance, the dirtholding capacity and efficiency of a typical filter has probably doubled in the last decade.

“Smart” contamination sensors count and classify minute particulates in fluid.

And innovative diagnostic systems spot trouble before it gets out of hand.

Hydac, for example, makes a sensor that’s really a micro-laboratory.

It continuously measures parameters like temperature, water saturation, conductivity and dielectric constant and detects changes in viscosity, mix and dilution, to provide an early warning of oil deterioration. The unit transmits data to higher-level controllers, in line with the Industry 4.0 trend toward “intelligent” machines that self-monitor, self-learn and self-correct.

Fluid-monitoring units from Hydac measure

Unfortunately, such fluid conditions and provide early detection cutting-edge systems aren’t of system faults. foolproof. Regardless of whether a filter is fitted with a simple differential-pressure gauge or an entire machine is equipped with the latest condition-monitoring technology for predicting fluid health, it’s all for naught if filter elements aren’t replaced when loaded and contamination sources aren’t quickly identified and addressed.

We need to go that last mile. Amazon’s inventors, IoT professionals and fluid-power experts could team up and design a system that reads and interprets oil cleanliness data and transmits it to a wearable device. Plant executives, fleet managers and maintenance supervisors would be mandated to wear the wristband which would not vibrate, but instead generate a harmless but painful electric shock anytime they ignore a filter that needs attention. Maintenance practices will, thus, improve dramatically. \FPW

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Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

ASSOCIATION WATCH

NFPA Association Watch

The STEM competition challenges college engineering students to redesign a traditional bicycle using hydraulics as the mode of power transmission.

2017-18 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge The NFPA Vehicle Challenge kicked off this September with 12 teams from universities across the United States participating. The teams recently completed their individual Midway Review calls in which they were judged on their design objectives, vehicle design, fluid power circuit design, selection of hardware, results and incorporation of analyses, and stage of their prototype built to date.

In the upcoming weeks, they will begin building and testing their prototypes to eventually compete in the Final Competition, which will take place on April 10-14, at Danfoss in Ames, Iowa. At this competition, the teams will give a final presentation on their vehicle construction, testing and lessons learned. They will also compete in three races (Sprint, Efficiency and Endurance).

This STEM competition is based on an initiative by Parker Hannifin Corp., and challenges college engineering students to redesign a traditional bicycle using hydraulics as the mode of power transmission. By combining this unlikely pair, the Vehicle Challenge 10

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2 • 2018

will create an environment that results in uncommon connections and breakthroughs while supporting learning and the growth of fluid power industry knowledge.

The NFPA Vehicle Challenge needs judges and mentors.

Meeting and working with the students who participate in this program is a great recruitment opportunity that they reserve for donors to NFPA’s Pascal Society. Without the financial support of industry, the NFPA could not make this program a reality.

Universities that would like to participate in the NFPA Vehicle Challenge in 2018-19, should contact Lynn Beyer at lbeyer@nfpa. com or (414) 778-3364.

FAMTEN expected to bring new talent to NFPA members FAMTEN is the Fluid Power and Applied Mechatronics Training and Employment Network, and its focus will be on developing, introducing and connecting NFPA members to new technical talent entering the fluid power job market.

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FAMTEN is the Fluid Power and Applied Mechatronics Training and Employment Network, and its focus will be on developing, introducing and connecting NFPA members to new technical talent.

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The FAMTEN Hub will stack four necessary program components within the community: • A middle school outreach program to raise fluid power education awareness; • A high school education program to develop initial competencies; • A two-year tech school degree program to deliver the skill sets NFPA members are looking for; and • A network of industry partners with facilities near the community to provide mentorship to students and jobs to graduates.

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The long-term strategic goal is to build 12 of these FAMTEN Hubs in important fluid power communities around the country.

The vision is to identify where NFPA members have manufacturing or assembly facilities and to align expansion plans with education partners in those communities.

To make this ambitious goal a reality, the NFPA will rely on donations from members to the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation. With those donations, company representatives can become engaged with the NFPA’s Tech School Education Committee, which will play a critical role in directing and supporting this program.

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FLUID POWER WORLD

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DESIGN NOTES

Pneumatic grippers for cobots

By Walt Hessler

The simple definition of the word collaboration is: “The action of working with someone to produce or create something.” This is the exact purpose of a Collaborative Robot, or cobot. Cobots are typically power and force limiting. The robot can feel abnormal forces in its path and may be programmed to stop when it reads an overload in terms of force.

The cobots are designed to dissipate forces in case of impact on a wide surface. As a result, the cobot may be used for direct collaboration with a worker for various tasks. The cobots can work alongside humans without any additional safety devices.

Typically, cobots are highly adaptable and virtually plug-and-play. This versatility means a user doesn’t need a great deal of experience to program and apply the device effectively. Some companies are using them because they can be placed alongside humans. Others are using cobots for ease of programming, quick uptime and flexibility. As a result, these units are not always used in a collaborative environment.

Regardless of how and why a collaborative robot is used, the unit must have some type of end effector to perform a work function. These end effectors come in many forms including vacuum cups, grippers and other specialty tooling.

Vacuum cups are suitable for picking up parts that are typically flat and require little to no precise registration. This is a relatively inexpensive method

Pneumatic grippers provide a simp le open and close jaw position versus the programmability of electric grippers .

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www.fluidpowerworld.com

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DESIGN NOTES

for grasping a part. The use of vacuum cups is limited by the weight of the part being handled and the acceleration and deceleration rate of the robot. Higher part weights and higher acceleration and deceleration rates can cause the part to slip. A mechanical gripper is better suited for heavier parts with higher acceleration and deceleration rates.

Mechanical grippers provide a positive precise part pick up and have placement when used as end effectors on the collaborative robot. These grippers are typically driven electrically or pneumatically.

Electric grippers are flexible with long jaw travel and have the ability to be programmed for various jaw travel lengths.

These are well-suited for applications where the part size and shape change on a regular basis. Some electric gripper manufacturers offer an ‘app’ that installs into the teach pendant of the collaborative robots, allowing the gripper to be programmed as part of the robot. Some of these electric grippers incorporate various types of tactile sensing and jaw force controls. Small motors are normally used to keep the weight of the gripper as low as possible. These small motors limit the jaw force produced by the gripper.

Higher forces may be achieved through gear reduction, which then limits the speed at which the jaws open and close.

This will influence the overall cycle time of the cobot. The cost for these grippers can be as high as $15,000 depending on the sophistication of the unit.

Pneumatic grippers provide a simple open and close jaw position versus the programmability of the electric grippers.

Pneumatic grippers for cobots are suitable in applications where the part size and shape stay relatively consistent. In most cases, pneumatic grippers are lighter because they do not incorporate an onboard motor.

2 • 2018

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Jon Schmidt, Chief Engineer Neff Press, Inc. St. Louis MO

Complex motion? Can do.

Why does Neff Press®, an industry leader in high-speed hydraulic production presses, integrate Delta RMC controllers into its precision can-making line?

“Delta provides some highly advanced tools for tuning axes very quickly and accurately. That has been our best experience versus other motion controllers we’ve used.” “…the smoother motion and synchronization between axes enabled by the Delta controller has allowed us to increase our output by 25%.”

Look to Delta RMC motion controllers and graphical RMCTools software to make complex motion design so much easier than any alternative.

Give yourself a break and call 1-360-254-8688 or visit deltamotion.com Find the Neff can-making case study or one about your own industry or application. Watch a training video to see how easily Delta can put complexity in the can for you.

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2/14/18 12:17 PM

DESIGN NOTES

Pneu-connect is a new accessory for seamless integration of pneumatic grippers on collaborative robots. It connects directly to the tool port on the robot arm, making it easy to attach a PHD pneumatic gripper to a Universal Robot (UR) brand cobot.

Pneumatic grippers can also provide higher grip forces depending on the input air pressure provided. Most of these grippers are provided without the extended jaw tooling.

This allows the user to create tooling to conform or encapsulate the shape of the part being handled. This jaw tooling is easy to create and can even be made using today’s modern 3D printers. By encapsulating the part with the jaw tooling the gripper can be operated at lower air pressures, especially if the cobot is being used in a human collaborative environment.

The lower air pressures mean less force and less chance of injury. As stated earlier, many of the collaborative robots are applied because of their ease of use versus being used in a human collaborative environment. In these cases, the pneumatic gripper can be run at high pressures producing higher grip force and potentially allowing a smaller, lighter gripper to be used. This has a positive effect on the total payload of the cobot. The cost for a pneumatic gripper is also significantly less than the electric gripper.

Pneu-Connect, a new accessory for seamless integration of pneumatic grippers on collaborative robots from PHD Inc., connects directly to the tool port on the robot arm making it easy to attach a PHD pneumatic gripper to a Universal Robot (UR) brand cobot. The PneuConnect incorporates a built-in pneumatic directional control valve for opening and closing the gripper. A connector is provided on the Pneu-Connect that plugs directly into the UR robot tool port. The PneuConnect comes with a “CAP” which is an application specific to the UR collaborative robot. The “CAP” runs inside of the UR control software and provides a graphical interface, making the pneumatic gripper easy to use and integrate with the cobot.

There is a wide range of applications where a pneumatic gripper is the more cost effective end effector on a collaborative robot. One example would be a plastic manufacturer that produces high-volume injection molded products. The manufacturer prefers to pick and place the parts due to their high value versus ejecting them out of the mold and dropping onto a conveyor. This particular part has few variations with the sizes and shapes being very similar. A collaborative robot is chosen to perform this unload function due to the ease of programming and the ability to place the parts in rows to go on to the next process.

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The plastic parts manufacturer is able to use a pneumatic gripper due to small variation in part size. The required jaw tooling to fit the part is able to be produced on a 3D printer and encapsulates the high value part ensuring it will not be dropped during the removal from the mold. In this case, the plastics manufacturer did not require tactile sensing or reprogrammable gripper jaw positioning or movement. The use of the pneumatic gripper on the cobot saved on the investment required to automate the process.

Be sure to weigh all the factors involved when selecting an end effector for a collaborative robot. Part weight, speed, required accuracy, and variance in part size and shape are all factors to consider. When the part size and shape have only small variances and there is a need for placement accuracy, a pneumatic gripper may be the most cost-effective choice.

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DESIGN NOTES

Microtrenching lets utilities keep pace with internet demand

By Ken Korane, Contributing Editor

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demand for instantaneous, high-speed internet connections is growing by leaps and bounds with no sign of easing up anytime soon. As a result, the number of fiber-optic installations is rapidly increasing as carriers scramble to bring fiber cable directly to homes, businesses, schools, and government facilities.

In North America alone, fiber connections to the home that permit quicker data delivery hit record growth between 2014 and 2016. Planning for new developments and nonresidential facilities will require fiber connectivity to push the potential growth of this market far into the future, according to Randy Rupp, vice president of product strategy at Ditch Witch, Perry, Okla.

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In a white paper, “Preparing utility workers for rapid fiber growth,” Rupp noted that for the utility industry, a high demand for fiber installation is putting more contractors on jobsites. Working with tight turnaround times, effective and efficient technology plays a large role when deploying cable across diverse terrains from rural to urban environments.

Fiber-optic cable is largely distributed underground in a protective conduit, he explained. Starting from a central location, the fiber network includes long-haul routes between cities and towns, backbone fiber lines, and the shared miles of fiber that multiple individual properties use when connecting to the backbone.

Although the type and size of equipment varies depending on whether a

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2/14/18 12:26 PM

DESIGN NOTES

contractor is working on a long-haul project in open areas or doing backbone work closer to the city, plowing and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) are common on these jobsites.

Plows are generally preferred where a long-haul jobsite has few surface and underground obstructions, said Rupp. This is often the fastest and most efficient way for placing long-haul conduit in the ground in varied terrain. To improve maneuverability on level and uneven terrains, he cited the Ditch Witch RT125 quad with a plow attachment that benefits from a quad-track ground drive system and is available with optional reel carrier attachments to hold conduit.

Long-haul jobsites that include rough terrain, wooded areas, water crossings or other areas where plows cannot operate are best suited for directional drills.

They are capable of boring under obstacles.

In tough soil conditions or rock, Ditch Witch All Terrain (AT) equipment is designed for drilling precision, control and efficiency in solid rock, fractured rock or other hard, underground conditions.

The cost-effective MT16 microtrencher creates an ideal trench in a single, quick and efficient pass when working with the company’s RT55 or RT80 ride-on trenchers, and the FX65 vacuum excavator.

The RT55, for example, has a 62-hp Deutz diesel engine and powers the MT16 hydraulics. The RT55 has a hydrostatic ground drive with infinitely variable speed from zero to 5.5 mph. Attachments and trenchers also rely on a hydrostatic drive transmission. The ground-drive pump runs at 32 gpm and 5,000 psi. Attachment pump capacity is 32 gpm and is rated at 5,450 psi.

Two smaller auxiliary pumps, with 8 and 6 gpm flow capacities, are rated at 3,000 psi.

Designed to cut narrow trenches 0.5 to 2.0 in. wide and up

Compact, last mile Although plows and directional drills remain popular when connecting shared fiber lines, urban environments create unique issues for utility contractors, said Rupp.

Utility placement beneath city streets is more congested, and unpredictable surface obstacles are more prevalent.

Utility contractors are increasingly turning to microtrenching for fiber jobs in these congested urban environments that require a less-disruptive method of installation, he explained. Unlike traditional installation methods, microtrenching cuts a narrow, shallower trench—deep enough to get under the upper layer of solid ground, but shallow enough not to interfere with existing utilities. Microtrenching also offers high maneuverability in compact designs.

New machines Ditch Witch’s newest microtrenching technology in the MT9 and MT16 machines was featured at the recent ICUEE expo in Louisville, Ky.

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DESIGN NOTES

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16 in. deep, the MT16 decreases disruption to surrounding infrastructure during fiber deployments. An integrated hydraulic accumulator maintains constant pressure on the saw frame for sharper-edged cuts and improved spoils removal. In addition, an infinitely variable hydraulic-plunge feature eliminates manual adjustment of the microtrencher by providing variable depth control from zero to 16 in. For a tighter-cut radius, the unit’s frame swings up to 6° in each direction, letting operators efficiently cut on a street corner or around a cul-de-sac.

“Constrained time and unplanned expenses are the leading jobsite hurdles we hear from utility contractors,” said Steve Seabolt, Ditch Witch product manager, heavy-duty trenchers. “Our MT16 microtrencher is designed to help operators complete fiber jobs efficiently with less time and expense. Compared to traditional installation methods, the MT16 creates consistent trenches for faster fiber deployments, reducing the cost-per-foot on fiber jobsites.”

The MT16 is compatible with a complete lineup of Ditch Witch saw blades, from standard carbide-tipped blades to the Ditch Witch-exclusive Fiberblade, which combines the benefits of both diamond and carbide. The Fiberblade family of blades features a durable, maintenancefree design lasting up to 20 times longer than standard blades. All saw blades for the MT16 are easily changeable on a jobsite with standard hand tools.

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• High-Temp Use Stainless hardware available for service to 130°C

Similar to the MT16, the company’s MT9 microtrencher attachment is designed to improve productivity and reduce the cost-per-foot on small fiber jobsites.

Developed to work in tandem with the Ditch Witch line of mini skid steers, the industry-first system is well suited for tight and confined residential areas, such as street crossings.

To reduce ground disruption, the MT9 creates clean, shallow trenches up to 9 in. deep and 0.375 to 1.5 in. wide. A patented blade plunge provides infinite variable depth control while the machine is in operation. The microtrencher also works with the FX65 vacuum excavator to ensure a clean trench in one pass by effectively removing spoils.

“Traditional fiber-installation methods lack the speed and efficiency to be costeffective for contractors in many residential areas,” said Seabolt. “Our new MT9 minimizes the space required to operate, avoiding hurdles found in confined, tight and urban jobsites.”

Designed specifically for street crossings, an ability to push or pull the microtrencher keeps the saw in the ground for more efficient and accurate cuts, he added. By eliminating the need to realign during a cut, operators are able to complete the cut faster and produce a better-looking finish.

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Hydraulics and drive control help moveable bridge Edited by Mike Santora, Associate Editor Bosch Rexroth introduced a new system concept of electro-hydraulic drives targeted at large civil engineering and infrastructure projects, such as ship locks and movable bridges. The system has a compact hydraulic cylinder with integrated servo-hydraulics.

The new actuators use a closed-loop system, which means that there is no need for large oil storage reservoirs at the site, often a significant factor in civil engineering or industrial projects. This has the additional benefit that the systems can be fully tested before delivery, reducing testing and commissioning onsite. The hydraulic cylinders are also resilient to sudden shocks or external loads, such as those caused by a ship moving into and through a ship lock.

“This solution draws on closed-loop hydraulic systems that we developed for the offshore market. By combining those with our drive technologies, we have developed a solution that addresses the needs of the civil and infrastructure markets,” said Ron Van den Oetelaar, Vice President Business Unit Large Projects at Bosch Rexroth.

The hydraulic cy linders are very resilThe new systems bring together proven ient to sudden sh oc ks or external loads, technologies from six different Bosch Rexroth divisions such as those ca including the closed-loop hydraulic cylinders, electric drivers, used by a ship m oving into and throug power units and the control systems. The latter can be h a ship lock. installed separately in their own cabinets or integrated with the overall operating or control system for the project.

Additionally, the system can include sensors that monitor oil quality, temperature, etc. This allows for remote monitoring of the systems and enables predictive maintenance, as the operator can see if there is an issue developing and schedule maintenance outside of normal operating WHAT Connect with hours. thousands of DO engineering “These smart electrohydraulic cylinders are the missing link in smart YOU design infrastructure systems,” said Mr. Van den Oetelaar. “They bring the reliability THINK? professionals online. of Bosch Rexroth’s hydraulic cylinders to the market in a simple plug-and-play solution.”

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Ron Marshall • For the Compressed Air Challenge

Saving money on a compressor purchase A mine located in northern Canada has a compressed air system used to generate 150 psi compressed air for diesel engine starting duty.

Due to the failure of the original compressor, a new compressor was purchased as a replacement.

The previous compressor operated in load/unload mode with timed shutdown. This ensured the unit had minimal wasteful unloaded run time, saving power.

When the replacement compressor was selected, the local purchasers looked to keep the cost of the new compressor down. A supplier offered an attractive price for a screw compressor similar to the original—but unknown to them, the This modulating compressor compressor operated in a different control mode consumes 70% of its full load called modulation. This compressor did not operate capacity at 2% load. in load/unload, nor did it have timed shutdown … these options were not installed to save costs.

A compressed air auditor assessed the new compressor operation and found that it was consuming 27 kW while outputting about 10 cfm of average flow. This works out to a specific power of 270 kW/100 cfm. Normal operation would be 25 kW/100 cfm, less than one-tenth the energy intensity. The mine, located in a remote location, pays 32 cents per kWh. This compressor is costing $81,000 per year in electricity!

A second system using load/unload control with timed shutdown exists in another location in the mine, also producing starting air. This system was also monitored and found to consume about $6,500 per year in electricity because of better control energy efficiency. After comparing the two systems, it would appear the attractively low price of the replacement compressor has not generated the desired savings for the company. They are now considering another replacement, this time with better control.

Join us at the Compressed Air Efficiency discussion group at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12065406.

Ron Marshall is a compressed air energy efficiency expert at www.compressedairaudit.com.

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2 • 2018

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FUNDAMENTALS

Martin Cuthbert • Managing Director, Webtec Ltd

What you need to know about hydraulic flow meters What is flow?

Flow is the measurement of the volume of a liquid that passes a fixed point in a unit of time. For most hydraulic applications, flow is measured in liters per minute (lpm), U.S. gallons per minute (US gpm), or, occasionally, U.K. gallons per minutes (UK gpm).

To convert from gpm to lpm, use the following formulas: • •

To obtain lpm, multiply U.S. gpm by 3.785 To obtain lpm, multiply U.K. gpm by 4.546 Why measure hydraulic flow?

r mete flow Flow is to the hydraulic e c fi i r ble o engineer what current is to Varia the electrician, while pressure is the hydraulic equivalent of voltage.

3. Why is flow being measured; how Measuring one without the other can lead accurate does the flow measurement to an inaccurate diagnosis of why a system need to be? isn’t performing.

4. What effect might the flow meter have on the fluid and vice-versa?

Flow measurement 5. How important is it to measure flow and If you had no flow meter and needed to what is your budget? get an idea of the flow rate in a hydraulic ic oil As the temperature of a hydraul system, a crude way to measure the flow y goes down. increases, the kinematic viscosit would be to time how long it takes to fill a bucket with oil. However, apart from 1. What are the fluid properties? being quite dangerous, the solution is not very practical; once the oil is inside of the First of all, is the flow meter going to be used bucket, it is out of circulation, exposed to contamination and no longer inside of the on the same fluid all of the time? hydraulic system.

It is important to know about the fluid(s) being measured, as the characteristics of What should you consider when selecting a flow meter? the fluid can greatly influence the choice of When searching for a flow meter for use in a particular hydraulic application, these flow meter. Of particular interest are the fluid five questions can help: properties: Is it corrosive or is it a natural 1. What are the fluid properties? lubricant, and what is its material compatibility 2. What are the hydraulic system operating conditions? and viscosity characteristics?

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FUNDAMENTALS

Gear type flow meter Fluid viscosity As the temperature of hydraulic oil increases, the kinematic viscosity goes down. The effect of the change in oil viscosity will affect some flow meter technologies more than others.

2. What are the hydraulic system operating conditions?

Most importantly, what are the maximum and minimum flows you need to measure, the maximum operating pressure, and the ambient and system temperature range?

Lastly, you also need to know the system’s typical cleanliness level, especially if the system isn’t very clean, as some flow meters are more sensitive to contamination.

3. Why are you measuring flow; how accurately do you need to measure flow?

For some applications, flow measurement is required to monitor trends, such as answering the question of whether ‘the flow is more or less than last week.’ At other times, flow measurement is required to compare performance with other systems or against a manufacturer’s specification.

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Flow meter accuracy Accuracy is normally quoted by the flow meter manufacturer as a percentage value to indicate the acceptable error band. This should be traceable and be based on when the flow meter was last calibrated and carried out under the conditions stated by the manufacturer. Typically, accuracies are quoted as a percentage of either side of the ‘maximum’ or ‘full-scale’ value or as a percentage of either side of the ‘measured’ or ‘indicated’ reading.

4. What effect might the flow meter have on the fluid and vice-versa?

This ‘effect’ can be measured by the energy loss due to the presence of the meter, better known as the pressure drop (∆P) across the device.

This has two effects: increasing the upstream pressure and generating heat.

5. How important is it to measure flow and what is your budget?

A better question might be, ‘What happens if you don’t measure flow?’ If the answer is ‘nothing; it’s just one of many indicators we look at,’ then you already know that you’re working with a very small budget. However, if the answer is, ‘the PLC will think that the machine

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ter ow me fl e p y et Turbin lubrication has failed and stopped working,’ then you know how much you might budget to stop that from happening.

The most common types of hydraulic flow meter

Variable orifice flow meters The idea of flow displacing an object, usually a piston or a ring, forms the basis of simple ‘variable orifice’ flow meters. The momentum of the fluid exerts a force on a piston that is held in place by a spring. Such meters typically have an accuracy of between 2-5% of full scale.

Gear type flow meters These are positive displacement flow meters. On the inside, they look similar to a gear-type motor. Fluid passes around the outside of a pair of intermeshed gears, rotating the gears on their shafts. A transducer mounted above one of the gears generates a pulse each time a gear tooth passes under it. The rotation of the gears is proportional to the flow rate.

Sometimes, two transducers are used to measure direction and improve resolution.

Turbine-type flow meters In a turbine-type flow meter, a turbine rotor is mounted on a shaft between two sets of flow straighteners. The fluid passes through the flow meter and rotates the turbine blade. As for a gear-type flow meter, a transducer is mounted above the turbine and generates a pulse each time a blade passes under it. The frequency from the transducer is proportional to the flow over a limited range.

Other meter types Oval gear meters are similar to conventional gear meters, but use two elliptical gears that rotate together at 90° to one another inside a housing. The fluid is swept around the chamber by the gears, and the frequency of rotation is directly related to the volume of fluid through the meter.

FPW

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2 • 2018

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TRAINING

Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor

Surface media vs. depth media Inside of any filter assembly resides the material intended to trap undesirable particle contamination as hydraulic fluid passes through the filter element. Although filter elements often look similar at first glance, the construction and quality of each can vary widely. The two types of filter media construction— surface media and depth media—offer advantages and disadvantages, and which option is used depends on the application.

Surface media is created by weaving or layering metal, paper or synthetic fibres to create a porous surface where the openings are an engineered, relatively consistent size. The woven steel mesh of a suction strainer is a typical example of a surface type filter media. The construction of the mesh leaves precise gaps between the layers of wire, and in this case, is described by the number of layers per square inch. A finer mesh is reflected in a higher number, and also results in finer filtration, meaning the micron size of the openings is smaller. Table 1 shows the comparison between microns and mesh number.

The initial advantage of surface media filtration is that they offer low pressure drop due to their relatively large nominal hole sizes. Fluid passes freely through surface media, allowing all particles to pass except those larger than the hole size, which get trapped. As the surface media becomes clogged Micron and Mesh Comparison with particles over time, surface Size in Microns Appx Mesh # Size in inches media quickly loses its advantage millimeters of low pressure drop. As fewer 40 350 0.0016 0.04 and fewer open pores allow fluid and particles to pass, pressure 50 300 0.003 0.05 drop increases exponentially, and 63 230 0.0024 0.063 the element needs cleaning or replacing.

74 200 0.0029 0.074 Therein lies the second 88 170 0.0035 0.088 advantage of surface media, 105 140 0.0041 0.105 especially with strainers; they can be cleaned and replaced. During 149 100 0.0059 0.149 regular servicing, a suction strainer 210 70 0.0083 0.21 can be cleaned with a solvent bath and then replaced before enough 420 40 0.0165 0.42 particles are trapped to cause 841 20 0.0331 0.84 excessive backpressure.

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A depth media uses multiple layers of fiber or foam so that particles can be trapped within the depth of the filter, rather than just on the surface. Because a depth type filter element can be created with multiple layers of increasingly small pore sizes, they provide a dual benefit of trapping many particles of various sizes, and are capable of very high dirt holding capacity before pressure drop increases. The disadvantage is they experience higher pressure drop right out of the gate, especially if they have a lower micron rating.

Depth media is more costly, and is typically given an “absolute” rating, meaning they trap nearly every single particle larger than the filter size its rated for. This is important to consider, since pump, valve and component manufacturers provide minimum requirements of filtration, which must be met using filters with absolute ratings.

A depth media filter element is used most often as the primary filter for contamination removal and offers finer filtration—much finer— than any surface media can offer. A 350 mesh strainer offers an average pore size of 40 microns, and it’s nearly impossible to get much finer than this with surface media. A depth media element using a quality synthetic material can provide absolute filtration down to 3 microns or finer.

Surface media elements for hydraulic machinery are used nearly exclusively with suction strainers, and depth media elements are the standard choice for return-line, pressure and kidney-loop filtration. Although some manufacturers make crossover product—depth media for suction strainers, for example—these products are rare.

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Edited by Mary Gannon • Managing Editor

CCEFP’s government funded research directions are divided into three areas. Offhighway vehicles, led

by Zongxuan Sun at the University of Minnesota, is perhaps the most successful project in terms of government funding.

Upbeat future for

fluid-power research

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In a recent webinar, Kim Stelson, Director of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power, reviewed the operations, accomplishments and vision of the CCEFP. Here are some of his comments about current activities and an upbeat assessment of future prospects.

“The state of our Center is strong and, in fact, we’ve moved from a situation of great uncertainty about a year ago, to a situation where I’m quite confident,” said Stelson.

“We know where our direction is, and I’m sure we’re going to succeed.

“On a day to day basis, it doesn’t look like there’s any change,” he said. But if one considers the progress over the last decade, there’s actually been a great deal of change— although he admits there is still a lot of work to do.

“Just to review, the mission of the Center is changing the way fluid power is researched, applied, and taught.

That’s constantly been our mission. Our vision is that fluid power is the technology of choice for power generation, transmission, storage and motion control. We do this in

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2/14/18 12:53 PM

four ways. First of all, we work on improving existing applications. Secondly, we work on creating new markets. We do this in close partnership with industry, and we educate the next generation of technology leaders for fluid power.”

The CCEFP began in 2006 with funding from the National Science Foundation at several universities. Since then, the Center has expanded by involving additional universities by funding research and holding summits. “What we’re trying to do is generate a nationwide network in every important geographic region where there are universities actively doing fluid power research and education,” said Stelson.

One recent example of outreach to a university involves the University of Kentucky. “One of the big interests on the part of the industry is noise and vibration,” Stelson said. While important, the CCEFP itself doesn’t have sufficient resources to fund noise research in a generic sense. “We decided within the Center to restrict ourselves to noise problems that are specific to fluid power, to hydraulics and pneumatics.” This makes sense, he continued, because the UK College of Engineering runs a leading vibro-acoustics industry consortium. Instead of trying to directly support this kind of research, the Center is partnering with the consortium and encouraging its industry members to consider joining the UK group.

Since its founding the Center has attracted sizeable sums, including a $40 million investment from the National Science Foundation, $8 million from universities and matching funds, $7 million from industry and membership fees, and $25 million from individual projects that faculty have been leading in fluid power.

“We have created a direct hands-on experience in fluid power research for over 1,000 university students. We’ve surveyed the graduates of our program, and two-thirds of them are working in fluid power. Also, in the classroom, over 1,400 undergraduates per year have been exposed to fluid power in various courses

and labs. That’s a total of about 15,000 students over the life of the center. Additionally, we offer a MOOC, a massive online open course, which gives about 8,000 students per year an exposure to fluid power.

This course is free, it’s open to anyone. We have students from all continents except Antarctica.

“We have greatly raised the awareness about fluid power in the government by visiting agencies such as the National Science Foundation, NIST, DOE, DOD, and also Congress. We have created a comprehensive fluid power research strategy that is the model for the world. That’s a great deal of accomplishment, when you take the long view.”

Previously, the Center partnered with the Pascal Society (part of the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation) to directly support pre-competitive fluid power research with pooled industry donations.

Now, to increase its impact, CCEFP will become an independent, free-standing organization July 1. “We will utilize the pooled industry support to fund targeted research projects and help with the administration. We will also use some of the funds to maintain the core administration that focuses on indirectly supporting pre-competitive fluid power research by creating new government funding opportunities. We expect it to support many more projects than if we just funded our research directly.

“We also organize events, conferences, and communication necessary to maintain the fluid power academic industry consortium. The rationale for revising the strategy, if we’re unable to directly fund a significant number of research projects and administration, we just don’t have the resources to do everything we’d like to do directly. We do have the ability to obtain significantly greater funding from government agencies. We have the credentials, network, and experience to succeed to this strategy.

We are succeeding,” Stelson emphasized.

Government funded research is divided into three areas: off-highway vehicles, led by Zongxuan Sun at the Univ. of Minnesota; human scale systems, led by Eric Barth at Vanderbilt; and fluid power manufacturing, led by Tequila Harris at Georgia Tech.

“The greatest success we’ve had so far is in creating a fluid power commercial off-road vehicle research program,” said Stelson. The federal budget for fiscal year 2017 established a $5 million program for R&D to improve energy efficiency of fluid power systems for commercial off-road vehicles. And the tentative 2018 budget has the House Committee

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Kim Stelson, Director of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power

“The state of our Center is strong and, in fact, we’ve moved from a situation of great uncertainty about a year ago, to a situation where I’m quite confident,” said Stelson. “We know where our direction is, and I’m sure we’re going to succeed.”

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

on Appropriations recommending $10 million for energy efficiency improvements for commercial off-road vehicles, with the Senate committee recommending $5 million at this point. “We’re going to ask Congress to ensure that a minimum of $8.5 million is targeted for university led research projects, in collaboration with industry,” he said.

With the initial $5 million funding, the Dept. of Energy requested proposals last October. Notification of winning selections is slated for March and final contracts completed in May. Stelson thinks somewhere between 20 and 25 concept papers were submitted. A few examples of proposed relevant and important

research areas include: energy-efficient hybrid architecture for wheel loaders; high-efficiency variable linkage drive motors for skid steer loaders; connected construction vehicles for energy saving and productivity improvements; free piston engine pumps for construction machines; flywheel and accumulator hybrids for construction vehicles; integrated variablespeed electromechanical pumps; tribology and hard coatings for pumps and motors; and energy improvement through enhanced filtration.

“We think that there’s probably going to be something in the neighborhood of about 10 or 12 of these proposals coming in for the final selection of two to three projects

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for funding. Two to three projects for funding doesn’t sound like very much, but this is just the beginning. Next year, we’re anticipating a doubling of the funding, so something like four to six would be coming in in the second year. It starts to accumulate until it reaches steady state, with $10 million of funding every year.” That would result in a sizeable number of faculty and students being involved in a range of research projects over the long term.

The second area of focus is on human scale systems, primarily involving “wearable” robotics. This is championed by the Wearable Robotics Association, the group that hosts the annual WeaRAcon event, explained Stelson.

These wearable robotics would provide performance enhancements, such as an exoskeleton to restore function for the injured, or to provide therapy. “People are anticipating a very wide application of wearable robotics. It’s not a big industry now, but I think it will be in the future. One of the things you realize when you start to look at the numbers is that if you have to carry your power along with you, you can’t do this with high performance and electrics. You need hydraulics and pneumatics, because of its high power density, to get good performance in these kinds of applications. This is an ideal future direction for us to look at.”

The WeaRA network includes CCEFP researchers, but also researchers from other organizations that encouraged a letter writing campaign to influence a program from the National Science Foundation called Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation, or EFRI.

Due to the efforts, NSF announced it will fund a program involving research into continuum, compliant, and configurable soft robots, exactly the sort of wearable robotics CCEFP has been advocating. Its researchers are actively pursuing these grants and expect six to seven, four-year awards. Anticipated funding for soft robotics will total about $13 million. “This is coming online, because fluid power is a fundamental enabling technology for this area,” noted Stelson.

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CCEFP | ccefp.org www.tompkinsind.com | 800-255-1008

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Electrohydraulic control smooths sawmill performance When an application calls for high forces and heavy loads, hydraulics is usually the choice, but motion controllers provide the necessary precision and safety.

Hydraulics is the go-to technology when applications demand high forces and equipment must lift heavy loads. But it is essential to precisely harness that power to prevent harm to workers and machinery. Engineers at Western Forest Products (WFP) of Vancouver, British Columbia, turned to an advanced motion-control system to avoid such headaches and ensure safe and trouble-free operation.

The company’s mill in Ladysmith, B.C., uses two powerful, 31-ft long hydraulic

cylinders with a load capacity of 50 tons to lift bundles of hemlock, Douglas fir and red cedar logs out of the adjoining bay.

Two 31-ft long cradle-lift cylinders must be precisely synchronized to prevent jams.

The cylinders connect to a pair of lifting arms, which attach to either side of a large cradle. The cradle raises the log bundles in an arc onto the elevated log deck where the mill operates. Both lifting arms must move in unison, or off-center forces could damage the cradle, halt production and necessitate costly repairs.

Richard Meyerhoefer • International Sales Manager • Delta Computer Systems • Battle Ground, Wash.

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A hydraulic-powered cradle lifts logs out of the bay and onto a deck that feeds the mill.

Controls upgrade To improve the reliability of the log-lifting operation, mill managers approved a recommendation from Cory Wilson, WFP’s electrical supervisor and Jarrad Astren, maintenance reliability engineer, to upgrade the motion control system operating the arms. “We used to control the arms with a circa 1986 PLC operating a linear positioning module, but it was difficult to ensure the arms moved in unison,” said Wilson. “The old system was installed 20 years ago and there was a lot of corrosion in the mechanical and electrical parts. We wanted to update the new equipment using rigid pipe and stainless steel to protect from the corrosive effects of saltwater. We

also wanted a motion control solution that would precisely synchronize the motion of the arms.”

Workers had previously installed several new machines in the mill which used motion controllers made by Delta Computer Systems of Battle Ground, Wash., and sold by PQ Systems, Delta’s distributor in Burnaby, B.C., with good results. And troubleshooting the Delta units proved to be much easier than other control systems that were used in the past.

To manage the synchronization of the hydraulic arm lifting cylinders, Delta Computer Systems RMC motion controllers have a built-in axis synchronization function, whereby the motion of one axis can www.fluidpowerworld.com

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be precisely linked electronically to that of another. For this application, Wilson chose the eight-axis RMC150 electrohydraulic motion controller.

Synchronized movements The motion controller manages the lifting cylinders using position data obtained from magnetostrictive linear displacement transducers (MLDTs) mounted in smaller 30-in. following cylinders. Each following cylinder mounts on the lifting arm below a main lifting cylinder. By reading position information from the MLDTs and factoring in the size ratio between the smaller and larger cylinders, the motion control2 • 2018

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ler precisely calculates the main cylinders’ required position. The Delta RMC150 also connects to pressure sensors mounted in the large cylinders that allow the motion controller to monitor hydraulic pressure and display it on the bundle lift’s human machine interface (HMI).

“We’re just monitoring the pressure right now, but in the future we could use this pressure information to weigh the log bundle,” said Wilson. To precisely control cylinder extension, the RMC150 drives two proportional servovalves, with each valve controlling one main lifting cylinder.

The RMC150 precisely synchronizes motion operations.

When one cylinder moves, the other will as well. If an axis should lag too much, the controller will stop the motion. “This automatic control gives us a huge advantage,” Wilson said. “The lifting arms can deviate a maximum of 9 or 10 in. at the end of the arm without doing damage to the log carriage, so we designed the new lifting system to keep the ends of the bundle lift to within 4 or 4.5 inches of each other. At the following cylinders, this corresponds to an MLDT transducer reading target range of about ½ in.”

Delta’s RMC150 can simultaneously control up to eight motion axes.

The log carriage will raise and lower at different speeds depending on the load, and the amount of force required to move the bundle lift changes depending on the angle of the arms. Though the speed may change, arm motion is continuously synchronized.

In addition to the main lifting arms, the Delta motion controller handles a third motion axis that controls a secondary piece of equipment that lifts logs, one at a time, from the log deck onto the belt that feeds into the mill. To control this axis, the RMC150 gets position inputs from an MLDT embedded within another following cylinder, to control oil flow in this cylinder via another hydraulic servovalve. Because one RMC150 can handle up to eight motion axes simultaneously, it was no problem for the same controller to handle the bundle lifting arms and the log lifting arm all moving at the same time.

Temperature compensation Three hydraulic units, containing a total of ten 50-hp motors, supply high-pressure fluid to the bundle lift equipment. Because the properties of hydraulic fluid can change with temperature, the system can react differently to the same control inputs in different environmental conditions. To minimize these effects, one of the other changes that Wilson made in the system upgrade was to install analog temperature sensors in all the hydraulic power units—giving the PLC the ability to monitor temperatures and control the hydraulic pumps.

An HMI displays hydraulic oil temperature, tank level and pump current on each motor, so the operator can observe any differences between readings and take any necessary action. “We can now tell exactly which pump may be having a problem with a quick glance,” Wilson said.

“Being able to monitor the condition of the equipment on the fly using the Delta controller has helped streamline our maintenance routines. We now catch hydraulic issues before the equipment fails and can act preventatively rather than reactively,” Astren added.

WFP’s controls team used Delta Computer Systems’ RMCTools software to program the motion. It includes a powerful Plot Manager tool that displays the difference between target and actual motion parameter values in real time, and a Tuning Wizard that simplifies the task of setting the gain factors used in closed-loop control.

The bundle lift controls have now been designed so that the lifting arms will stop if they ever get out of alignment. To reset movements, the operator gives a start command, the motion controller puts the arms back into alignment and then the cycle resumes.

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Air knife systems controlled by automated valves offer significant benefits over complex and costly VFD motor controls.

Variable frequency drives for electric motors have become a welcome addition to a wide variety of machinery for a long list of 21st century applications, but they are no longer the only option when it comes to precise air velocity control for blower-powered air knife systems. Often, much simpler air control valves can offer comparable performance at a significantly lower cost.

VFD basics Variable frequency drives are known by many names, among them: variable speed drives, variable frequency controllers, inverters, speed controllers and frequency inverters. Most people simply call them “VFDs.” In a basic setup, a VFD connects inline between the power supply and motor that, in turn, drives a rotating device like a pump or fan. A VFD’s ultimate purpose is to adjust the motor speed to ensure the rotating device delivers optimum performance based on the required rpm, and at the lowest energy demand.

The VFD receives alternating current (ac) incoming power at a 50 or 60 Hz frequency, converts the ac power to dc, then modulates the dc voltage in accordance with an external command signal to change the speed of the driven motor. It then converts the modulated dc voltage back to ac at a different voltage and Hz to make the driven motor operate at the required rpm.

The devices routinely control motors from 1 to 500 hp and adjust the performance of blowers, fans, pumps, compressors, mixers, conveyors, machining centers and many other rotating devices.

VFDs for blower-powered air knives Air knives are devices that direct a tightly controlled flow of pressurized air to clean, dry or cool products that often are moving along a conveyor. A common benefit of blower air knife systems is their 75% lower electrical consumption versus most compressor powered blow-off devices.

Most systems today use 3 to 50 hp compact, high-rpm centrifugal blowers with air flows of 200 to 3,000 cfm at 1 to 3 psig air-knife pressures. These are available with either high speed belt-and-pulley drives powered by two-pole, 60 Hz, 3,600 rpm motors; or with direct-drive blower motor assemblies using ultra-high frequency VFD systems to operate ac motors at speeds up to 20,000 rpm.

Although air knives are now used in virtually every industry, high-volume food and beverage filling and packaging facilities represent the largest market for these systems. Most food and beverage plants have computer-based systems to monitor, control and adjust every aspect of each production line, with multiple VFDs serving several key roles for a wide range of motor-driven machinery. However, the VFDs with the highest power demand are often those operating

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blower driven air knife systems used after washing, cooling or warming processes; or prior to labeling, ink jet coding and packaging.

Some production lines permit changeovers for handling multiple types of products. They usually have a PLC which interfaces directly with the blower VFD to automatically deliver real-time air knife velocity control, based on production rates and specific package sizes, while optimizing the drive motor’s electrical operating cost. When VFDs combine with blower powered air knife systems in such cases, exit air velocity can be adjusted to use only the precise amount of air force needed for blow off while maximizing the total system efficiency for every condition on each production line. These are considered a proper use of VFD controllers.

Potential misapplications A VFD can be the most-efficient method for air knife velocity control, but there are many situations where the VFD is misapplied or, at the very least, serves only as an expensive motor

Engineered air-knife systems are often used on high-speed beverage conveyors to remove moisture prior to labeling or ink-jet coding.

starter. The results can be a host of unintended consequences or just a much longer return on investment than was used to justify its original purchase. This is particularly true if the VFD is chosen simply as an alternative to a magnetic motor starter even though the production line runs almost steady state and the driven motor operates at ≥80% of full speed most of the time.

Thus, experts always recommend that an electrical engineer review the entire job site before committing to the integration of a VFD, particularly to power a blower with a 10-hp motor or larger, or with multiple blowers and VFDs. This includes installation, cabling, operating plan and electrical power supply to ensure the compatibility and highest reliability of each VFD, motor, and all other associated plant equipment.

Although there are many successful installations where the VFD and motor are from different manufacturers, having the VFD manufacturer supply—or at least recommend the specific motor for each installation—can eliminate any questions of compatibility if problems arise.

Even with a “matched” VFD and motor, however, faults can occur.

For example: Electrostatic discharge (ESD) primarily affects the internal surfaces of motor bearings as electrical energy in the rotor travels through the bearings to the motor’s grounded casing. This high-frequency electrical arc across bearing surfaces causes “frosting” and “fluting” which significantly decrease the normal operating Blower and air knife combinations controlled by automated valves are much simpler and significantly less expensive than those with VFD motor controls.

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life of the motor bearings. Extra care must be taken with grounding procedures and proper cable shielding to minimize these conditions.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI), as enhanced by a VFD’s high-speed internal dc voltage modulation, can disrupt the signals of nearby low-voltage equipment, sensors or mobile communication devices. One telltale sign is a “whining” noise from the VFD. Install VFDs with properly shielded cables and enclosures, or with added distance between other sensitive equipment to resolve this issue.

Electrical harmonics, electrical sine waves which travel to and from the VFD, interfere with the operation of computers, PLCs and other sensitive systems within the same electrical circuit. It may require power conditioning equipment, a dedicated electrical circuit, or strict adherence to the type and length of cabling required into and out of the VFD.

Overheating of the VFD or driven motor can have several causes.

Regardless, excessive heat will always shorten the operating life of VFD components or that of the motor, so an electrical engineer should diagnose each situation and recommend corrective actions.

Resonant frequency vibrations can develop at certain rpm below the motor’s rated operating speed as the Hz settings on the VFD are reduced. Although resonant frequency vibrations do take place in direct drive blower/motor units, they are generally much less severe than those in V-belt drives. V-belt driven blower/motor assemblies entail multiple components rotating at differing speeds, thereby creating vibration spikes at specific critical component speeds. Blower V-belts can act as a shock absorber for these resonant frequencies, but then the shock-absorbing belts will themselves need to be replaced much more often. It is extremely difficult to determine the Hz settings on a VFD that cause resonant frequency vibrations. Many times, the resonant frequency spike occurs only as the blower slows down or speeds up on command from the VFD, so the operator isn’t even aware it is happening.

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A brief history of air knife systems PRIOR to the historic 1987 Montreal Protocol, wherein nearly 200 countries ratified an agreement for the worldwide phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other volatile organic compounds commonly found in refrigerants, aerosols, cleaning agents, inks, coatings, adhesives and others, the term air knife was almost completely unknown. Only a small number of liquid blow-off applications in just a few manufacturing sectors had any need to use air to blow water or debris from their production lines.

The printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing industry in the 1980s was trying to keep up with explosive growth at the start of the new personal computer age. The standard for cleaning boards after automatic soldering machines was liquid Freon, a CFC compound that was an effective and instantly evaporating cleaning agent. Scientists soon realized that the massive amounts of Freon being used for cleaning were inflicting enormous damage onto the earth’s protective upper atmospheric ozone layer.

The Montreal Protocol addressed this urgent problem head on and water-based, non-CFC cleaning alternatives were implemented throughout PCB fabs and other industries during the late 1980s. As the need for ways to blow water-based cleaning solutions off manufactured products grew, most industries initially chose the lowest cost and easiest-to-install water blow-off devices they could find. Many of these early users bought or made air knives and air nozzle designs powered by their factory’s existing high-pressure compressed air systems. Subsequently, the high electricity demands of most compressed air blow-off equipment became more widely understood, and the search for energy efficient alternatives began.

It wasn’t long before most engineers realized that a 1 to 3 psi air knife could dry as good or better than a 100 psi compressed air system, which in turn created the demand for what is today’s blowerpowered air knife systems industry.

The bottom line: before adding VFDs to any blower/motor for air knife systems, the user must be aware of a wide range of factors which could result in unintended consequences, higher repair and maintenance expenses, and a corresponding increase in the total cost of ownership over the long term.

Automated flow control valves An alternative to VFDs is using flow control valves in air knife designs. An automated air flow control valve on the outlet of a blower powered air knife system responds to PLC signals much like a VFD. However, that is where the similarities end, as air valves can offer some significant benefits over VFD motor controls.

First, the production line manager must define all the air knife system’s performance objectives, along with variables in the product mix and conveyor speeds. This lets the system designer size the air knife performance to minimize horsepower requirements and cost, but at the same time achieve the desired blow-off results to handle the highest production rates and the most-complex product geometries.

The second requirement is to have an effective and repeatable method for air knife velocity control. This is necessary when production line variables require either a reduced air knife velocity; or for the air to be shut off completely, such as during planned or unplanned production stops common in many food and beverage conveyor lines.

Whenever the product flow is interrupted and the air knife needs to shut off, regardless if it’s only three or as many as 20 times per hour, the automatic air flow control valve can immediately divert all of the air completely from the air knife. In the air-divert mode, the blower continues to run at normal speed while total blower flow reduces to only 25% and air discharges through the bypass outlet to atmosphere.

This cuts the motor amp load by 50%. There is no VFD “lag time,” so the line sensor signal instantly shuts off the air knife, and then immediately resumes full air knife velocity the moment a restart signal is received.

Another condition that is better suited to an air flow control valve, instead of a VFD, is when the production line requires only two air knife velocity settings. In such cases, high air velocity is needed for the largest products or fastest line speeds, and a lower velocity setting for smaller, simpler or more delicate products passing through the air knife zone.

Likewise, the high air velocity point doesn't have to be the maximum possible, but can be set only as high as needed. This allows the blower volume and corresponding motor amperage draw to be reduced for peak efficiency at the upper operating point, similar to the benefits of a VFD set at 80 to 95% of maximum Hz. There is no dispute about a VFD being the most-efficient motor control system. But with the air control valve being only a few percentage points less efficient for most operating conditions, the low cost, ease of installation, rapid response and much lower long term cost of ownership all

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make for a strong justification for the air control valve option.

The air control valve has no delay in response time and can cycle on and off without limiting the number of cycles per hour or per shift. The motor runs at a constant 50 or 60 Hz and 3,000 or 3,600 rpm while the amps cycle up or down in response to the blower air demand signals from the production line. Although it is true that a VFD can reduce power demand by up to 75% in the “turn down” mode, these low flow/no flow air knife modes represent a small percentage of normal production cycles for most factories, and the true operating cost savings are therefore much less.

Valves for air knife velocity control can instantly reduce or shut off flow to the production line. They’re nearly as efficient as VFDs under most operating conditions.

Cost comparison As an example, consider a 20 hp, 60 Hz, 460 V motor at full air knife velocity running at 28 A. When the air diverter valve shuts off air knife flow, the motor amp load drops by 50% to about 14 A. By comparison, a 20 hp motor with VFD control would be turned down to approximately 30 Hz,

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The automated Sonic Y-Verter flow control valve mounts on the outlet of a blower powered air knife system and responds to PLC signals much like a VFD. which reduces motor current to approximately 7 A. Assuming that this low flow air operating condition represents 10% of a typical production day, the approximate electric savings of 4.2 kW/hr for each 8-hour shift, 5 days a week would take 10,000 to 15,000 total operating days to pay for the extra $5,000 purchase price for the VFD rather than air control valves.

Even if the low flow/by-pass condition were 90% of the air knife system’s daily operating time, the 37 kW/hr savings per 8-hour shift would still require more than three years to recoup the purchase price (material and installation) of the VFD. At the end of the application review, and before purchasing equipment, have the blower/air knife system supplier do an ROI analysis for each system, and then proceed accordingly.

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The world of fluid power may not be full of new and amazing products, but it’s used daily and requires connections via tubing and hose. Starting at the air compressor, fluid power is distributed through pipes to plant or area filters and dryers, and then on to machine air preparation systems. Once compressed air lands at the machine, tubing and hoses make connections to valves and cylinders. Tubing, hose and related fittings—often sold in bulk—are the final pieces to plumb and connect pneumatic devices.

This article looks at some differences between tubing and hose, and discusses related fittings. Best practices for design, selection and implementation are also covered.

Tubing and hose Modern pneumatic systems for industrial automated machines typically don’t use rigid connections, but instead use flexible tubing or hose, available in many different types.

Tubing is specified by outside diameter—for compatibility with push-to-connect fittings. Hose is specified by its inner diameter, and is typically sold with swivel, rigid, or quick-disconnect fittings attached at both ends.

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Typical tubing is an extrusion of polyurethane, nylon or a specialty material like PTFE. Tubing used in automation is typically less than 1 in. outside diameter (OD). Common tube OD ranges for main supply circuits is 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 in. Pneumatic control circuits to cylinders and actuators often use smaller diameters in the range of 1⁄8 to 3⁄8 in. tube OD. Metric OD tubing is also available in a common range of 6 to 16 mm. Tubing is usually sold in rolls of 100 or 500 ft. It is good practice to use all English dimension or all metric dimension pneumatic tubing on a machine and in a plant.

Coiled and bonded tubing are available in a similar range of sizes. Coiled tubing has flexible coils, and is often used to supply air to moving machinery.

The coils help prevent kinks and breaks. Bonded tubing—consisting of single, double and triplebonded coils or straight tube—provides a strong, flexible, organized and color-coded grouping that makes installation neater and easier.

Tubing is often used with push-to-connect (PTC) fittings. As mentioned, straight, coiled and bonded tubing are all specified based on outside diameter.

This enables secure connections to push lock, PTC or other similar fittings.

Hoses are commonly used for manual operations and are often dragged across floors, so they sometimes are manufactured with an integral nylon braid to add strength. Some hoses are made with heavier rubber and some with lighter weight polyurethane, among other materials, but all are made to be flexible, strong and kink-resistant. This makes hose a good choice to connect shop air for manual operations such as pneumatic tools and blowguns.

Common hose inside diameters (ID) are 1⁄4, 3⁄8 1 and ⁄2 in. Fittings use National Pipe Thread, or are quick disconnect.

Selecting the right material The following materials are commonly used to make pneumatic tubing and hose.

• Polyurethane • PVC • Nylon • Polyethylene • PTFE Polyurethane is the most popular type of tubing used in industrial automation machinery.

It is flexible, strong and resists kinking that may

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NITRA pneumatic tubing, hoses and fittings are available from AutomationDirect in a variety of materials, sizes and colors.

occur with other, stiffer tubing. Polyurethane’s working pressure is 150 psi or higher, which is adequate for most plant applications. It works well with a wide range of push-to-connect fittings due to its tight OD tolerance. To help identify pneumatic circuits and functions on a machine, this tubing is available in several colors, and some offer UV stabilization for outdoor use.

Of the materials listed above, polyurethane and PVC tubing are the best choices for use in flexible applications. The durability and memory of polyurethane make it a good choice for self-storing, coiled and portable pneumatic hose applications. Although PVC is not as tough as polyurethane, it’s a good choice if low cost and high flexibility is required. PVC can also be specified in food-grade applications.

Nylon and polyethylene are harder plastics than PVC, making them less flexible. However, this stiffer tubing works well for straight-run piping and air distribution around a plant or large machine. Nylon has several advantages in high pressure and high heat applications and when installed around caustic chemicals. It has a temperature range up to 200°F, a working pressure of 240350 psi (depending on diameter), and excellent resistance to chemicals. While less flexible than polyurethane, it is strong, lightweight and works well with push-to-connect fittings and is available in a variety of colors.

PTFE tubing has an even higher working pressure and more heat resistance than the other four types of material, along with excellent chemical resistance. It can handle temperatures up to 500°F and, depending on tubing diameter, can have a working pressure up to 372 psi. It is also flame retardant, and its good dielectric properties make it suitable for use in applications with electrical static and noise. This chemically inert tubing, available in a range of sizes, pairs well with stainless-steel push-to-test fittings.

PEOPLE, PASSION & SOLUTIONS

Fittings Fittings are used extensively to facilitate the connection of tubing and hose to the various components that make up a pneumatic system. A wide variety of

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I

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These NITRA fittings are an important part of a pneumatic system, and ensure robust leak-free connections.

fittings are available to meet application criteria. They include: • • • • •

Push-to-connect Quick-disconnect (QD) Barb Compression Brass-threaded

Push-to-connect fittings are one of the most popular methods to connect flexible pneumatic tubing used on industrial machinery. These fittings allow tubing to be easily connected by inserting it into the fitting. The tubing can be released from the fitting by depressing the circular ring on the fitting and pulling on the tube.

Push-to-connect fittings often have a strong thermoplastic or brass body, with stainless-steel tube-gripping claws.

If threads are present on the fitting, they are typically nickel-plated brass. While this plastic/brass fitting is a good solution in most applications, if the fitting is to be installed in a high-temperature or washdown application, stainless steel, all-metal push-to-connect fittings may be needed.

Other materials should also be considered if the fitting will be directly exposed 50

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2 • 2018

to fluids such as coolant, cutting or lubricating oil QD fittings are typically used at the end of a shop air hose, and work well in situations where pneumatic hose needs to be connected and disconnected frequently. To maximize the range of motion of an air tool and allow freedom of movement for operators, use of a swivel style QD fitting is a good practice.

These swivel styles can also can help prevent kinking and strain on the attached air hose. Two rotation points will allow full 360° circular and 45° angular rotation.

An easy way to connect flexible tubing and hose is to use barb fittings, where the inside diameter of the tubing or hose is pushed over a slightly larger diameter barb. Although the barb fitting is simple to use, there is a risk of the tubing splitting, popping off the fitting or leaking. A hose clamp can be used to improve the connection, making it tighter and more secure.

Compression fittings provide a very secure connection by using a small barrelshaped sleeve called a ferrule. The ferrule is installed over the OD of the tube

between the fitting nut and body. When the fitting is tightened, it compresses the ferrule, often permanently. This crimped ferrule can be difficult or impossible to remove, so it is often necessary to install a new ferrule, and to shorten or replace the tubing.

Brass-threaded fittings consist of connectors, elbows, tees, bushings, and plugs. Although they don’t usually connect directly to tube or hose, they often act as a union, adapter or converter between thread sizes. They also provide a means to connect to a variety of miscellaneous pneumatic devices.

Sometimes it takes more than a straight male connector or elbow to connect tubing between valves, cylinders and actuators.

To address these situations, a variety of special purpose push-to-connect fittings are available to enhance integration, function and operation. One popular special fitting is a speed controller, also called a flow control valve, used to control cylinder speed. Check valves may also aid cylinder function and operation.

Other special-purpose fittings combine pneumatic devices with push-to-connect fittings to create miniature versions of popular pneumatic system components such as hand valves, gauges, regulators, and quick exhaust valves. These special-purpose, pushto-connect pneumatic fittings can be used for testing and troubleshooting, or installed to permanently control machine functionality or monitor air usage.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

2/14/18 2:34 PM

Application notes Designing, specifying and installing tubing and fittings is often like putting together a puzzle and finding a piece is missing. Even after a second or third order is placed, pieces may still be missing to properly integrate the pneumatic system. Fortunately, pneumatic components are often low cost, so the leftover fittings, due to errors in ordering or purchase of a multipack, can often be put to use. It’s likely the next project will benefit from an inventory of fittings.

Hose can be repaired, and repair kits are readily available. However, tubing is disposable. In fact, to prevent leaks, it is a good design practice to install tubing a little longer than needed as the end should be cut off every time it is disconnected from a PTC fitting.

It is also good practice to always use a tubing cutter when cutting tubing or hose. Use of a knife or diagonal pliers can crush the tube and prevent a good seal at the PTC fitting, causing leaks. Tubing should also be cut at a right angle to the tube axis. After cutting the tube, it should be inspected for an even cut, and impurities such as dust and excess debris should be cleaned off before

inserting into the fitting. Tubing should be inserted fully into the fitting.

It is good practice to pull the tube gently after insertion to make sure it does not release.

Users often have a difficult time removing tubing from a fitting.

While the tubing can be difficult to remove, attempting to remove it under pressure is dangerous and makes removal even more difficult.

Therefore, all pressure should be released before pressing the release ring at the end of the fitting and pulling the tube.

It is important to avoid installing tubing under tension, or with a tight bend radius. Excessive vibration or rotation of the tubing can cause leakage or damage to the fitting. Tubing must also be protected from weld splatter as it could melt or cause a fire. Most fittings are only recommended for pneumatic systems, and other uses, such as water or chemical delivery, should be avoided.

When it comes to tubing and hose selection, take the time to review the requirements of the application, and make use of different materials and colors as necessary. Take advantage of the wide variety of fittings available to properly integrate the pneumatic system. Following these guidelines will ensure your pneumatics installation works as designed.

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2 • 2018

04/06/2014 16:51

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All eyes on

Germany Keep watch on Europe this Spring, as fluid power luminaries will be focused on two big industry events being held there.

Paul J. Heney • VP, Editorial Director

Europe

has always been a manufacturing stronghold for fluid

power, with many familiar company names originating from Germany, Italy and the U.K., and a strong reputation for R&D. The continent has had an ex-

cellent partnership between industry, government and universities that had been lacking in the U.S. prior to the CCEFP’s founding about a decade ago.

This Spring, two important events on the fluid power calendar hit Germany, a mere five weeks apart. From March 19-21, the 11th International Fluid Power Conference will be held at RTWH Aachen University, not far from Cologne. And from April 23-27, the annual Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial trade show, will be held in Hannover, a little more than 200 miles to the east. | istockphoto

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L

F L U I D

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Following is a preview of both events.

Hannover Messe

Hannover Messe (or Hannover Fair, as many Americans tend to call it) claims to be the world’s largest industrial trade show, and if you know someone who’s ever attended the massive event, you probably won’t hear them argue against that claim. Fluid power and power transmission technologies have historically been relegated to shows held in odd-numbered years. But after the 2017 event, show organizers announced a change in that thinking. Starting in 2018, fluid power and power transmission would be focuses every year, music to the ears of many manufacturers.

According to officials at Deutsche Messe, the show’s organizer, IoT and Industry 4.0 are increasingly blurring the lines between the various sectors of industry, while innovation cycles continue to get shorter. These are trends that manufacturers around the world cannot afford to ignore and, as a result, the Hannover Fair is adapting to this new reality.

So, this April, the Fair’s annual Industrial Automation (IA) fair will merge with the biennial Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA) event. The new, combined flagship tradeshow will be called Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives (IAMD) and will feature a full range of industrial automation, power transmission and fluid-power components and systems.

“From a technology standpoint, the Industrial Automation and MDA shows have been converg-

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Hannover Messe now includes hydraulic and pneumatic technologies every year rather than every two years. Show organizers are focusing more on fluid power, as increasing innovations in digitalization require more frequent updates to users.

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tractors with mechanical

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

ing for a number of years,” said Deutsche Messe Managing Board member Jochen Köckler. “This merger reflects the reality of today’s market environment, which increasingly favors cross-sector and cross-platform solutions as well as digitally integrated products. It also further bolsters Hannover Messe’s position as the world’s number-one Industry 4.0 tradeshow.”

That’s because it will showcase a complete range of IoT offerings: everything from smart components to cloud-based data management, not just the individual building blocks, he said.

The merger was driven by requests from leading companies and major industry associations.

Power-transmission and fluid-power systems play a key role in machine performance, said Christian Kienzle, chairman of the Fluid Power Association within VDMA (the German Engineering Federation) and CEO of the Argo-Hytos Group.

“With digitalization, these systems have now also become important data sources. Two years are an eternity in the age of digitalization. That’s why it’s important that we have the opportunity to put our latest solutions in front of customers without undue delay,” Kienzle said.

“The automation industry’s sensor, control and networking products and systems are the ‘enablers’ of the fourth industrial revolution. And by bringing them together with electronic and mechanical drive systems under the Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives umbrella, Deutsche Messe has created a flagship fair that covers the entire factory shop floor and shows how it can be integrated into the Industry 4.0 environment,” said Gunther Kegel, the head of German industry association ZVEI’s measurement technology and 54

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F L U I D

P O W E R

process automation division and Managing Director of Pepperl + Fuchs.

The new IAMD show will comprise everything from pneumatic and hydraulic components to bearings, gears, motors, linear technology and sealing systems. It will also include robotics, industrial IT, and production and automation systems.

“We do expect the new IAMD to increase business prospects for exhibitors because the annual cycle better suits their innovation/product development cycles,” said Hannover Messe spokesman Brock McCormack.

Another advantage for IAMD exhibitors and visitors will be the show’s co-location with the CeMAT, which features mobile machines such as truck-mounted cranes, forklift trucks and driverless transport systems—a key target market for power transmission and fluid-power technology.

Deutsche Messe plans to roll out the IAMD brand to key markets around the globe. This will open up further opportunities for companies wishing to export to emerging and fast-growing economies with an enhanced need for automation, such as China. Deutsche Messe also organizes IA/ MDA events at IMTS in cooperation with AMT in the U.S. and has similar events in Canada, China and Turkey.

Each year, the fair selects an overarching theme. This year’s theme is “Integrated Industry” and there promises to be a continued focus on Industry 4.0—Hannover Messe officials insist the world prefers their

spelling of “Industrie 4.0” and that the term has become synonymous with “made in Germany.” Integrated energy is another core focus, and there will be six parallel show areas, as in the past: Industrial Automation, Motion & Drives, Digital Factory, Energy, Industrial Supply and Research & Technology.

Mexico is set to shine as this year’s official Partner Country of the fair.

“With an EBT of $1.3 trillion, Mexico ranks as the second economy within Latin America. In 2017, our economic growth was 2.2% and the estimation for 2018 is 2.4%.

This number is considerably higher than the average growth of Latin America,” said S. E. Rogelio Granguillhome, Ambassador of the United Mexican States, Berlin.

Granguillhome proudly noted that his country was the first-ever Spanish speaking nation honored as Partner Country. And with a $1.3 trillion GDP, Mexico is aggressively looking for new trading partners.

Robotics will also be in the mix at Hannover Messe, of course. With advances in machine learning, robots are increasingly able to make autonomous decisions. And with the rise of so-called soft robotics, pneumatics may play a larger and larger role in robotics in the future.

“Hannover Messe is the place to go to experience the rapid rise of Industry 4.0 and its benefits first-hand,” said Köckler. “The world’s leading manufacturers of automation technology, big-name robotics providers and global IT and software corporations will all be there, making the show an absolute global hotspot for Industry 4.0.”

11th IFK, Aachen

The International Fluid Power Conference (IFK) in Germany is held in even numbered years, alternating between Aachen and Dresden. This 11th iteration promises to be something special, as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Controls (IFAS), the fluid power center at RWTH Aachen University, the conference host. Additionally, longtime IFAS director Prof. Hubertus Murrenhoff will be retiring, and his successor, Prof. Katharina Schmitz, will be introduced.

Plenary lectures will cover a range of

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tractors with mechanical

topics. Dr. Steffen Haack, SVP of Industrial Hydraulics for Bosch Rexroth in Lohr, Germany will be discussing whether industrial hydraulics is really on track with regards to Industry 4.0.

Dr. Shimpei Miyakawa from the Japan Fluid Power Association in Tokyo will talk about his three decades of research into water hydraulics applications, which started with a stay at RWTH University. He’ll also discuss the launch of the ADS (Aqua Drive System: New Water Hydraulics), which uses tap water (additive free) as a working fluid. The technology development is suitable for markets such as healthcare/medicine, semiconductors, packaging, and food/ beverage.

Other planned plenary lectures are:

• Digitization in Pneumatics for

Increasing Automation Efficiency

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Post, VP Applied

Research, Festo AG, Esslingen, Germany

Recent developments in automation technology including pneumatics have to

be evaluated in the context of Industry 4.0. Four main areas of activities need to

be covered when discussing Industry 4.0:

Horizontal integration, vertical inte gration, lifecycle management/engineer ing and people. In all of these fields, modern pneumatic developments are

offering solutions, which will be

addressed in this presentation.

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Aaron Saunders, VP Engineering, Boston Dynamics, Waltham, Mass.

A key to high performance mobile robotics is maximizing strength to weight. Powerful, low-inertia limbs with high bandwidth

actuation enable robots to take on

elements of dynamic balance that make them move more like people and animals.

Atlas, weighing in at 80 kg and standing 1.5-m tall, is the latest in a line of

advanced battery powered humanoid

robots being developed at Boston Dynamics to push progress in these key areas. This talk will cover recent develop- ments on the Atlas program along with lessons learned and some of the obstacles Boston Dynamics faces in building ad vanced robots. Presenters will show how the combination of Direct Metal Manufac turing, or 3D printing, and advances in hu man scale hydraulic actuation have let them create a compact robot with high strength-to-weight ratio. These designs along with advances in whole- body balance, give Atlas the ability to manipulate objects in its environment, travel on rough terrain, and perform dynamic tasks approaching what an average person can do.

Breakout sessions will cover a wide variety of areas, including: mobile hydraulics, energy management, systems,

• Building the World’s Most Dynamic Humanoid Robot

components, the design process, tribology, fluids, pneumatics, industrial hydraulics, and applications.

The conference will also include an exhibition, where companies dealing with instrumentation, controls or simula- tion tools have the opportunity to display and demonstrate their novel products and developments. There will be a full spouse/guest program, as well, and plenty of opportunities for networking.

Registration for the 11th IFK is at ifk2018.com.

FPW

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www.fluidpowerworld.com

2/14/18 2:41 PM

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retrofitting of WIP units, including extra air filters, in existing conveying systems. Sterile, Ultra Low Penetration Air (ULPA, class U15-17) filters provide greater filtration than High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, and are offered as standard accessories for piFLOWp.

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www.fluidpowerworld.com

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PRODUCT WORLD

Wear rings Trelleborg www.tss.trelleborg.com HiMod Slydring HC rings are suitable for use in a variety of operational conditions. They have high compressive strength and wear resistance even at elevated temperatures, provide low friction performance in lubricated settings, and are easy to install due to their simple closed-grooved design. The wear rings also eliminate local stress concentrations, fretting and seizure, while damping mechanical vibrations and protecting against dieseling and hydrodynamic pressure problems.

The consistent parts quality and performance of HiMod Slydring HC wear rings mean faster installations and increased wear life between changeovers, making these products suitable for manufacturers of hydraulic cylinders. This extended range simplifies complete sealing system design.

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PRODUCT WORLD

DIN valve connector Canfield www.canfieldconnector.com The series 5K DIN valve connector is now offered without the integrated gasket design to promote version compatibility with the company’s MCCR (Multiple Control Connector Receptacle) and its ILW (Interposed Lighted Wafer).

Both products are used primarily in the hydraulic valve industry.

The 5K offers the following advantages: •

Provides snug and secure pin contacts on solenoid spades.

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Runs one rather than two wires from the MCCR device to the control box, reducing moisture intrusion in the box and saving on labor costs.

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Can be manufactured in a range of plastic housing materials for compatibility with high-temperature and various chemical applications.

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Allows the ILW module to plug into a molded connector to provide a convenient indicator light.

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In addition, the 5K has a rugged “straight-line” interface/cord configuration that is versatile for various applications including installation in many limited-space situations.

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PRODUCT WORLD

Pressure gauge Ashcroft www.ashcroft.com When space is limited, the 1008S 40 mm (1.5-in.) and 50 mm (2-in.) diameter pressure gauges provide the performance of a larger gauge, but in a smaller diameter. A

In-cylinder rod style linear position sensor

NEMA 4/IP66 ingress rating and a stainless steel case allow the 1008S to be used outdoors or in harsh environments. Liquid fill or the patented Flutter Guard movement enhancement protect the gauge and make it easier to read in high vibration installations. Available in ranges up to 20,000 psi, the rugged 1008S stands up to a variety of tough applications where lesser quality gauges may fail.

Balluff www.balluff.com The BTL6 rod style linear position sensor with IO-Link 1.1 interface is suited for continuous hydraulic cylinder position feedback. It uses

Fire-resistant hydraulic fluid

field-proven magnetostrictive technology to provide accurate, continuous position and

Bel-Ray www.belray.com

velocity measurement at stroke lengths up to 180 in.

No-Tox BioFR Hydraulic 46 is a nontoxic, fire-resistant hydraulic fluid. This industrial

Features of the BTL6 include:

lubricant is designed for severe operating conditions in hydraulic applications

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Position resolution to 5 µm

where petroleum and other synthetic hydraulic fluids create a potentially unsafe

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Stroke lengths to 4572 mm (180-in.)

environment and where a fire hazard exists.

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Simultaneous measurement of both position and velocity

Factory Mutual tested and certified, No-Tox BioFR Hydraulic 46 is formulated to work in high-pressure hydraulic systems of up to 7,500 psi, and is nontoxic for use where

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Non-contact, wear-free operation for long service life

incidental food contact may occur. The fluid’s naturally high viscosity index and shear stability ensures that the optimum viscosity is maintained across a wide range of temperatures from start up to optimal operating range. It is designed for system reliability, reducing varnish and sludge formation in valves, pipes and reservoirs. NoTox BioFR Hydraulic 46 is also a certified HFD-U fire resistant fluid. Additionally, it is biodegradable, which reduces the environmental impact.

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COMPONENT FOCUS

Ron Marshall • Contributing Editor

Should I buy a bigger air compressor to supply my future growth?

A big question when buying an air compressor is “will it be big enough?” Having a larger compressor than you currently need reduces the possibility of pressure problems due to lack of capacity—but purchasing a compressor that is too large can significantly increase your operating costs—especially if you choose a fixed-speed, lubricated screw compressor.

Air compressors need to be sized large enough to adequately supply peak demands; if they aren’t, the system pressure will fall during a time when you need it the most. But, typically, peak flows occur only a small fraction of the time, and the remainder of the operating hours are spent at lower flows. This is where efficiency problems occur, as a fixed-speed screw compressor part loads, it becomes less and less efficient.

The reason for this inefficiency is unloaded power consumption.

Most screw compressors remain running when they are unloaded, a unit running in load/unload mode will be consuming about 25% to 35% of its full load power even though no air is being produced. And as the load on the compressor gets lighter, more hours are spent in the unloaded condition. For example, a compressor at 40% load might spend 60% of its operating hours running unloaded.

This is where size matters, if the new compressor you chose is double the size that you really need, then the extra energy cost is quite significantly more. Let’s look at an example: a 50-hp (37 kW) compressor with 43 kW full load and 15 kW unloaded power consumption. A compressor of this size at an average 40% load, and running with storage capacity of 2 gallons per cfm, would consume about 32 kW when the effect of the storage receiver size is considered. But if the compressor chosen was double size—say 100 hp or 75 kW—and the storage receiver size remains the same, then the larger compressor would consume about 56 kW at the same capacity, about 80% more power than the smaller unit. At full-time operation, and 10 cents per kWh electrical costs, this would consume about $22,000 more per year in electrical costs!

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Here are some solutions to bring the operating costs down: • Purchase two 50-hp compressors instead of one 100 hp. For this example, a well-controlled system with two smaller compressors would keep the power consumption at about 31 kW, yet give double the peak capacity.

• Install larger storage receiver capacity. If the original 50-hp compressor had 10 gallons of receiver capacity per cfm, its power consumption would lower to 26 kW, a reduction of 19%.

For the 100-hp compressor, the power reduction would be 36%.

•

Purchase a variable-speed drive compressor. These compressors have very low or no unloaded power consumption. A unit of 50 hp in size at 40% load would consume slightly more than 40% of its full load power consumption. This would result in an approximate 44% reduction in power consumption for the same loading conditions. For the oversized 100-hp compressor, the savings due to variable-speed drive would be about 55%, depending on the compressor energy characteristics at low flows. Note that operating a variable-speed compressor at very low speeds for long periods of time should be avoided. A better scenario would be to have one variable and one fixed-speed compressor operating in a well-controlled system.

But won’t two compressors cost more money to maintain?

Probably, but do realize that the electrical input to an air compressor represents 70% to 80% of the lifetime purchase and operating costs. The energy savings will very quickly pay for a little extra maintenance.

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