Fluid Power World April 2019

Servohydraulics keeps railway testing on track p. 34

Efficient and sustainable compressors p. 46

50 years of offshore expertise p. 54

April 2019

www.fluidpowerworld.com

Hydraulics

for steel production PAGE 42

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FluidLines Mary C. Gannon • Editor

Plot your IoT course like an open roadmap

No Kinks No Hose Twisting

At the National Fluid Power Association’s Annual Meeting last month, attendees had the opportunity to hear from Jeremy Drury of IoT

Simplified hose configuration, less hose and adapters combine to reduce repairs and downtime cutting the overall cost of hydraulics.

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Diagnostics. Drury opened his talk with an old roadmap, comparing the opportunity to plot your own IoT course versus opening up an app on your phone.

“Some years ago when we had to go on a road trip and we had to go see a customer, we had to literally get out an atlas, right? We had to sit down in the car and think strategically about where we’re going, how we’re going to get there, what are we going to try to avoid? Are we going to stop and see any other people along the way? There was a lot of creative skill associated with plotting a course, figuring out where you’re going.”

Modern map technologies probably get you where you need to go faster, but at what cost? Is it at the cost of critical skills, Drury wondered. “For the first time, we literally are looking at an open white space for how we’re going to adapt technology — the Internet of Things — in our business to dramatically change and grow our company over the next two, three or four generations,” he said.

IoT requires almost a leap of faith into an unknown chasm, he said. And when fluid power manufacturers and users look at this chasm they need to leap over — even though they can’t see the other side.

Drury advised listeners to think about an open roadmap and plotting their course while they’re setting up their IoT plan. You need to consider what you’re going to do inside of your organization and find the right people to lead you and your customers across the chasm. “I can tell you, from experience and people inside of our network, customers are looking to be led right now. More than now, all of our channel partners and customers are coming to this and saying, ‘hey, we’ve got an IOT initiative this year,’ and we say, ‘great, what do you mean by that?’ And they say, ‘help us define our IOT initiative.’”

“If you are willing to embrace the long sales cycle, if you are willing to find the right people, if you are willing to sit with your customers in this space, it’s a rare opportunity. If you prove worthy of a seat, it’s there for you, at their table. And we’ve never been in a spot before, I would argue, that we’ve actually been able to sit down, and be the guy in our customer’s car, telling them where they’re going,” Drury concluded. Where will your roadmap take you?

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From the Field

NAHAD’s strong growth continues I spoke with Molly Mullins, EVP of NAHAD, at this month’s 35th Annual Convention at the Bellagio resort in Las Vegas. Mullins, who has been leading the organization for almost two years, has really focused on the organization’s Hose Safety Institute (HSI).

“There is nothing more important to NAHAD, and to our member companies, than ensuring the safety of their products and their customers,” Mullins said. “That is why NAHAD members join the HSI and train their teams on industry best practices related to hose assembly. Our goal this year is to bring this incredibly important information to our members in a much more digestible and user-friendly format.”

Her team has turned the 300+ page HSI Handbook into an online, interactive course where participants can learn at their own speed through engaging content.

Mullins feels that this will, in turn, lead to better participation and retention of content, which will ultimately lead to safer hose assembly.

The NAHAD team has been busy, also launching the NAHAD Training Academy, which includes targeted training opportunities for individuals working in distribution.

NAHAD members will have access to Hose Safety Institute content, as well as other education to benefit their employees, ranging from supply chain to branch management to marketing to inside sales. And the group is also launching a regional training program, starting this Fall.

“NAHAD is launching its Regional Training, which will become a series of trainings throughout the U.S. that provide classroom learning as well as the opportunity to be a part of the fabrication process at various NAHAD-member facilities,” she said. “We chose Cleveland, as so many NAHAD member companies are based in Ohio, and a central location provides an opportunity for local members to send their teams in a cost-effective manner.”

Mullins told me that technology plays a huge role in her thought process and she is always trying to think a few steps ahead about what NAHAD will need not just right now, but as the industry evolves.

“I want us constantly thinking about new products and services with one thought in mind: how will this help my members’ businesses and their overall bottom line?” she said. “We will spend a lot of time in 2020 developing new industry content for our online learning system as well as promoting the message of hose safety to the broader end-user community.”

To learn more details about the NAHAD Academy, read our Distributor Update department on page 30.

FPW

Paul J. Heney

VP, Editorial Director pheney@wtwhmedia.com

On Twitter @DW_Editor 4

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APRIL 2019

C ontents |

vol 6 no 2

|

fluidpowerworld.com

•

4

•

2019

F E AT U R E S

INDUSTRIAL HYDRAULICS

Servohydraulics keeps railway testing on track Accurate load tests rely on compact, quiet and efficient servo-axes.

Hydraulics and steel production go hand-in-hand Hydraulics are used profusely in steel production because they offer the power density, precision and most importantly, imperviousness to heat required in this harsh environment.

PNEUMATICS

New-generation compressors focus on efficiency, sustainability The latest air compressors hitting the market benefit from variable-speed drives, oil-free operation and IoT capabilities.

SHOW PREVIEWS

50 years of offshore expertise OTC returns to NRG Park, Houston, May 6-9, bringing close to 100 fluid power manufacturers together for offshore updates.

Bigger and better in Milwaukee The Fluid Power Technology Conference returns to MSOE’s Kern Center May 13-15.

34 42 46

20 D E PA R T M E N T S

02 FluidLines 04 From The Field

54

10 Korane’s Outlook 12 Association Watch 16 Design Notes

56

24 Fundamentals 26 Research and

Development 28 Energy Efficiency 30 Distributor Update 62 Products

70 Component Focus 72 Ad Index

A | S | B | P|E Fostering B2B editorial excellence

ON THE COVER

Hydraulic technologies are ideally suited to the extreme temperatures and heavy-duty motion control required in steel production. | courtesy of iStockphoto.com

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American Society of Business Publication Editors

2018 Regional

DESIGN Award Winner Revenue of $3 million or under

4/16/19 1:03 PM

Harsh Environments.

Hazardous Conditions.

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May 6th – 9th, 2019

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APRIL 2019 • vol 6 no 2 • www.fluidpowerworld.com

MAIN MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS, INC HYDRAULIC FLANGES AND COMPONENTS MAIN’s ADVANTAGES QUICK

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EDITORIAL

VIDEO SERVICES

VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @dw_editor

Videographer Bradley Voyten bvoyten@wtwhmedia.com @bv10wtwh

Editor Mary Gannon mgannon@wtwhmedia.com @dw_marygannon

Videographer Derek Little dlittle@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_derek

Associate Editor Mike Santora msantora@wtwhmedia.com @dw_mikesantora

Videographer Graham Smith gsmith@wtwhmedia.com

Contributing Editor Ken Korane kkorane@wtwhmedia.com @fpw_kenkorane Contributing Editor Josh Cosford @FluidPowerTips Contributing Editor Carl Dyke @carlindustry CREATIVE SERVICES

www.MAINmfg.com/flg Phone: 800.521.7918 info@MAINmfg.com Grand Blanc, MI USA

VP, Creative Services Mark Rook mrook@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_graphics Art Director Matthew Claney mclaney@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_designer Graphic Designer Allison Washko awashko@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_allison Graphic Designer Mariel Evans mevans@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_mariel Director, Audience Development Bruce Sprague bsprague@wtwhmedia.com NEW MEDIA/WEB/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Web Development Manager B. David Miyares dmiyares@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_webdave

Digital Production Manager Reggie Hall rhall@wtwhmedia.com Digital Production Specialist Brian Furda bfurdar@wtwhmedia.com Multimedia Specialist Jaeden Froese jfroese@wtwhmedia.com SALES VP, Publisher Michael Ference 408.769.1188 mference@wtwhmedia.com

DIGITAL MARKETING Digital Marketing Director Virginia Goulding vgoulding@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_virginia Digital Marketing Manager Amanda Fourlaris afourlaris@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_amanda Webinar Manager Lisa Rosen lrosen@wtwhmedia.com Digital Marketing Coordinator Josh Breuler jbreuler@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_joshb EVENTS

Jami Brownlee 224.760.1055 jbrownlee@wtwhmedia.com Garrett Cona 213.219.5663 gcona@wtwhmedia.com @WTWH_gcona Mary Ann Cooke 781.710.4659 mcooke@wtwhmedia.com Bill Crowley 610.420.2433 bcrowley@wtwhmedia.com Neel Gleason 312.882.9867 ngleason@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_ngleason

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Jim Powers 312.925.7793 jpowers@wtwhmedia.com @jpowers_media Courtney Nagle 440.523.1685 cseel@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_CSeel FINANCE Controller Brian Korsberg bkorsberg@wtwhmedia.com

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WTWH Media, LLC 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114 Ph: 888.543.2447 • Fax: 888.543.2447

2011- 2018

FLUID POWER WORLD does not pass judgment on subjects of controversy nor enter into dispute with or between any individuals or organizations. FLUID POWER WORLD is also an independent forum for the expression of opinions relevant to industry issues. Letters to the editor and by-lined articles express the views of the author and not necessarily of the publisher or the publication. Every effort is made to provide accurate information; however, publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information. Non-commissioned articles and news releases cannot be acknowledged. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned nor will this organization assume responsibility for their care.

FLUID POWER WORLD does not endorse any products, programs or services of advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright© 2019 by WTWH Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates: U.S. and possessions: 1 year: $125; 2 years: $200; 3 years: $275; Canadian and foreign, 1 year: $195; only US funds are accepted. Single copies $15 each. Subscriptions are prepaid, and check or money orders only.

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To order a subscription please visit our web site at www.fluidpowerworld.com FLUID POWER WORLD (ISSN 2375-3641) is published seven times a year: in February, April, May, June, August, October, and December by WTWH Media, LLC; 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, Ohio 44114. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH & additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fluid Power World, 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

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Wind Energy Support GAT ROTARY JOINT & SERVO/PROPORTIONAL VALVE REMANUFACTURING

Process • THE UNIT IS FULLY DISASSEMBLED AND INSPECTED • UNIT IS “DYE” CHECKED FOR HIDDEN DAMAGE • SEAL RINGS ON SHAFT ARE INSPECTED FOR GROOVES

CAUSED BY THE SHAFT SEALS. IF THERE ARE GROOVES OR PITTING WE MAKE NEW SEAL RINGS

•

SHAFT IS MEASURED FOR ROUNDNESS AND WEAR SPOTS ON THE 4 “PLATED/COATED AREAS”.

•

THE SLEEVES ARE “BORE GAGED” TO CHECK FOR ROUNDNESS OR WEAR SPOTS. THE FIT BETWEEN THE SHAFT “OD” AND THE SLEEVE “ID” IS CRITICAL. IF THE SLEEVES ARE BAD WE MAKE NEW ONES.

•

ALL BEARINGS AND SEALS ARE REPLACED WITH NEW VITON COMPOUND

•

ALL UNITS ARE TESTED AT 2000 PSI FOR LEAKAGE BETWEEN PORTS

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4/15/19 1:46 PM

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

How to better the environment and the bottom line Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants a Green New Deal. President Trump wants more oil and coal. The fluid power industry, like most companies and consumers, is caught in between. Whether you’re a fervent environmentalist or believe climate change is all a hoax, however, the business merits of sustainability are important regardless of the tug-of-war in Washington, according to MIT engineering professor Yossi Sheffi. In his book, “Balancing green: When to embrace sustainability in a business (and when not to),” he offers a pragmatic take on how businesses of all sizes can satisfy the competing demands of profitability and sustainability.

One business rationale for embracing sustainability is simply reducing risk, he said. For instance, the rising influence of government regulations, lawsuits (including retroactive actions) and customer concerns about possible impacts create economic incentives for “good” environmental behavior.

Closer to home, manufacturers can opt to install energy-efficient lighting, improve HVAC equipment and controls, and move to more energy-efficient machines and processes. Such changes often produce sizeable savings with just modest upgrades.

Perhaps most important, engineering practices can markedly affect environmental impact across the full product life cycle. Design, by its very nature, involves compromises among competing objectives such as cost, features, performance, quality and manufacturability. Engineers should add sustainability to that list.

In the fluid power world, companies can reduce environmental impact by changing the products themselves. Redesigns can improve flow passages in pumps and valves that reduce losses. High-efficiency hydraulic fluids have proven to cut power consumption in excavators and injection-molding machines. Electronic controls and variable-speed drives better manage system flow and pressure. Cutting extraneous weight from castings can improve fuel efficiency in mobile equipment.

In terms of power density, moving to higher pressures usually means smaller components that weigh less and need less material — with no loss in performance. And look to lower user impact. Compressors are one example where power costs make up around 70% of total life costs.

Energy-efficient versions can generate huge savings, even though the sticker price might be higher.

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| courtesy of iStockphoto.com

Finally, design for recycling. That includes not only the materials of construction, but whether a product can be readily disassembled.

It also might mean changes in business relationships with distributors and customers, to ensure that recyclable products are, in fact, recycled.

Sustainability initiatives can have complex impacts on product attributes, use and disposal. Even sustainability involves trade-offs.

A bioplastic hose might reduce the carbon footprint, but if it fails quicker and can’t be recycled, than it might be worse in the end.

Many companies are starting to address the changing business landscape surrounding climate change, said Sheffi. While some do so because it is “the right thing to do,” most want to save money and take advantage of new green opportunities. That requires buyin from upper management to foster a corporate culture around sustainability and encourage employees to create or support environmental initiatives.

That mindset can also give companies a leg up on lessenlightened rivals in attracting the best and brightest personnel.

Surveys show that a reputation for social and environmental responsibility increases a company’s attractiveness to potential and existing employees, especially for millennials who are entering the workforce. Such companies attract a larger pool of applicants and thereby gain better employees, and offer a competitive advantage because superior employees create superior returns.

FPW

www.fluidpowerworldonline.com

4/16/19 1:05 PM

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

ESA announces NFPA Curriculum convention schedule Grant awarded to University of Missouri The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation has awarded a $25,000 Curriculum Grant to the University of Missouri for a project titled “Fluid Power Case Study Development.” The project will focus on developing three dynamical case studies to supplement the Fluid Power System Dynamics and Control mini-book.

The three case studies will include robotics, aircraft, and excavators. All three case studies will involve three components: system analysis, design, and control.

The Fluid Power System Dynamics and Control mini-book, written by William Durfee, Zongxuan Sun, and James Van de Ven in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, attempts to combine practical topics with more theoretical aspects of fluid power systems design. Several calculation examples exist in the book, such as power calculations, fluid bulk modulus estimates, and Reynolds number evaluations.

However, the mini-book does not have a case study where all of these things come together to build a system that is used in the real world.

The goals of the project are to develop three case studies that incorporate the existing text and to show students how to implement the equations in a broader scope. The direct impact will be to make the mini-book more applicable to the practicing engineer and the inquiring student. In a sense, it will provide the student with a capstone experience for learning.

Again for the second year, the Equipment Service Association in conjunction with the 2019 Fluid Power Technology Conference & Expo will be hosting its Annual Spring Convention at the Milwaukee School of Engineering on May 13-15.

The ESA is also celebrating its 60th anniversary at this year’s event.

This year’s ESA sponsored keynote speaker is Mark Thompson, Master Business Strategist. His keynote presentation at the 2019 Fluid Power Technology Conference will be, “The Five Pillars of Strategic Thinking.” Read more about Thompson’s keynote in our FPTC coverage beginning on page 56.

ESA Member Annual Convention events will include: • • •

May 13th – Optional pre-conference workshop/tour, ESA board meeting and optional Lakefront Brewery tour May 14th – Fluid Power Technology Conference & Expo and networking reception/dinner May 15th – Fluid Power Technology Conference, ESA Annual Meeting, banquet and silent auction

To register, visit www.2esa.org/2019-Spring-Conference.

FPW

FPW

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

Members Elect 2019-20 Board of Directors at Annual Business Meeting During NFPA’s 2019 Annual Business Meeting, held in conjunction with its March 5-7 Annual Conference in Laguna Beach, Calif., NFPA members elected the Board of Directors for the 2019-20 fiscal year. Although new Board terms don’t begin until the start of our new fiscal year on July 1, NFPA uses the opportunity for members to elect the Board during the Annual Business Meeting because many of NFPA’s Official Company Representatives (OCRs), who are eligible to vote, attend the Annual Conference. OCRs not in attendance were able to submit a proxy vote.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

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Board Chair, Jon Goreham of QCC, read the slate of 2019-20 Board candidates identified by NFPA’s Nominating Committee:

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Terms expiring June 30, 2020 Chair John Stenz, Chair & CEO, FORCE America, Inc. Vice Chair Ray Chambers, Chair, CEO & President, Muncie Power Products Treasurer Jeff Hand, President & CEO, ROSS Controls

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A motion was subsequently made, seconded, and carried by an affirmative vote of all voting members present to approve this slate as NFPA’s 2019-20 Board of Directors.

FPW

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www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/16/19 10:56 AM

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DESIGN NOTES

Edited by Mike Santora, Associate Editor

Overhung load adaptors help air boom applicators Agriculture continues to improve with new technology for more precise seeding and fertilizing operations. High-efficiency air seeders and fertilizer applicators designed and manufactured by the Salford Group use Zero-Max Overhung Load Adaptors. They handle high speed and provide impeller support for the hydraulic motor and the system’s blower chamber for seeding and fertilizing.

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DESIGN NOTES

Blower chamber provides seeding and fertilizing for the Salford Precision Disc Drill. It incorporates an Overhung Load Adaptor. The Overhung Load Adaptor with special mounting plate handles high speed and impeller support for operation of the hydraulic motor.

Salford air boom applicators (like the 9620 or 6700 designed for John Deere and CaseIH equipment) are engineered for high rate fertilizer application, but to meet the needs of today’s precision applicators, they also need to vary application rates, quickly and accurately.

The system’s blower fan must operate at a regulated high speed, according to the amount of fertilizer being applied. With a speed range up to 4,500 rpm, the Overhung Load Adaptor ensures that the hydraulic motor delivers smooth rotation to the impeller, so the blower consistently delivers the required air flow.

These Salford tools handle a variety of seeds and fertilizers in a range of application rates.

Other benefits include support for the impeller while extending motor bearing and seal lifetime. The Overhung Load Adaptor simplifies the construction of the blower mechanism as a proven solution while saving space. This configuration compares to previously using a coupling and a custom fabricated support device, which is timeconsuming and costly to produce and assemble. Also, the Overhung Load Adaptor

provides a contamination barrier by separating the hydraulic motor from the blower chamber.

The benefits are the hydraulic motor seals are protected, the hydraulic fluid is away from the blower chamber, and the Overhung Load Adaptor interfaces with and seals the blower chamber.

These latest model Salford fertilizer applicators incorporate the Model 200 Overhung Load Adaptor with a closed end keyseat for retaining the key when installed.

Pre-greased, they have metric input and output shafts with an adaptor plate included to facilitate motor mounting. The model 200 is one of over 1,300 designs offered by ZeroMax. These designs include custom inverted bearings and multiple lubrication ports that increase the Overhung Load Adaptor’s load capacity, bearing life, and smooth system performance.

Designed for either face or foot mounting, Overhung Load Adaptors are available in over 50 standard models. SAE mounts available include A, B, C, D, E, and F mounts with 2 or 4 bolt mounting flanges. They are also available www.fluidpowerworld.com

DESIGN NOTES 4-19_FPW_Vs5.indd 17

Standard OHLA is modified with a custom mounting plate.

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The Overhung Load Adaptor delivers smooth rotation to the impeller, so the blower delivers the required consistent air flow. The Overhung Load Adaptor provides support to the assembly and acts as a contamination barrier between the motor and blower chamber.

DESIGN NOTES

The Salford blower assembly incorporates an Overhung Load Adaptor that connects to the system’s hydraulic motor.

with many shaft variations including splined, threaded, tapered, and extended output shafts.

Manufactured to ISO 9001:2015 standards, these Overhung Load Adaptors are ruggedly built, with shafts machined from 130,000 psi stress-proof steel. All custom Overhung Load Adaptor designs include a detailed CAD approval drawing submitted before manufacture.

These Overhung Load Adaptors are also used in workboats, recycling systems, forestry shredders, road paving equipment, industrial conveyor drives, and many others where hydraulic systems require stability and shaft seal protection.

FPW

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DESIGN NOTES

Paul J. Heney • Editorial Director

Tensioner cylinders’ environment defines hazardous The tensioner cylinders used to support subsea production risers where they connect to the rig are the size of an 18-wheeler.

These components are in motion 24/7, and must accommodate 50-foot strokes during storms. With a cost of up to $100,000 to ferry one onshore for refitting and return it to the rig (not including lost production costs), it’s little wonder that rig operators insist every cylinder they install last at least 10 years.

That’s a tall order for the seals contained within the system — not only because of the wear requirements, but also due to the water glycol fluids used in offshore systems. The fluids are more environmentally friendly than oil-based HLP fluids, but they exhibit low lubricity properties, which is detrimental to many seal materials, including rubber.

Redundancy and wear-resistant materials

Successfully creating a sealing system that meets the requirements of an offshore tensioner cylinder involves deep experience with systems of this type, seals and wear rings composed of high-performance materials that are compatible with water glycol fluids, and inclusion of a secondary seal.

Key considerations for the primary seal include wear life, lubricity, and fluid compatibility. A highly wear-resistant seal material is essential to ensure the seal system is leak-free for as many years as possible.

However, the seal must also be able to move constantly within the water-based fluid system with as little friction as possible — and withstand the aggressive chemicals used to inhibit corrosion.

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Seals composed of rubber-based materials do not perform well in these types of systems. They are prone to compression set and chemical attack, and their friction rate is higher than polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or polyethelene (PE)-based seals. The primary seals in tensioner systems are typically composed of PTFE or PE variants and are the first line of defense against leakage.

The secondary seal, which must perform in dry environments for years, is typically a PTFE-based seal, due to its inherent lubricity and ability to resist wear at high temperatures. Even though the cylinders operate at ambient temperatures, the seal friction when running dry can generate heat, and the seal material must be able to resist this.

In real-world environments, PTFE seals have performed very well when put to use as a secondary seal, ready to operate in an event of a primary seal leakage.

Early warning systems

Beyond the primary and secondary seals, a successful offshore hydraulic cylinder system must include robust filtration, an early warning system to alert operators to a leak, and high-performance wear rings to prevent rod deflection.

Although environmental seals with scraping elements are included in every tensioner cylinder, fluid cleanliness is essential for a long system life. Particles and sand can exist in a hydraulic system during the fabrication process. These must be filtered out to avoid damaging the primary seal. Operators with any questions regarding necessary filters or the degree of cleanliness required to avoid seal damage should consult with the seal manufacturer.

Early warning systems are in place on virtually every rig to prevent a catastrophic event. In the case of tensioner cylinders, this consists of an evacuation port with a sensor, either between the primary

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DESIGN NOTES

and secondary seals or downstream of the secondary seal. If the sealing system fails, fluid goes first into the port, which alerts the operator to the leak so the system can be shut down.

Millions of pounds of force are placed on tensioner cylinders as they work to hold the riser in place. That force creates side loads, which in turn can cause rod deflection.

To prevent that deflection and the resulting metal-to-metal contact, high quality wear rings should be used to keep the rod centralized in the bore. The wear rings are made from a water- and wear-resistant fabric/ resin composite for maximum load capability and minimal wear characteristics.

There are several crucial questions offshore operators should ask about potential seal systems for tensioner cylinders:

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1. What seal material is used for the primary and secondary seal? (Some old-school systems use stacks of seals to provide redundancy, but the seals are typically rubber-based and are thus prone to compression set, chemical attack, and high friction.)

2. Have the seal materials being used been tested to ensure they are compatible with the chemicals that will be used in the hydraulic fluid?

3. How long has the seal system lasted without leakage in real-world situations?

4. What level of filtration is required to ensure that seals within the hydraulic system are not damaged?

Seal selection for tensioner cylinders centers around three main criteria. First, the primary

seal must be highly wear resistant, able to perform well in low lubricity water glycol fluids, and compatible with the chemicals used in the fluid. Second, the secondary seal must be able to run dry for up to 10 years without degrading to provide redundancy should the primary system fail. Third, both seals should be proven to perform as specified in real-world situations to ensure the rig operator will not incur the high cost of bringing the cylinder onshore to refit the seal system.

FPW

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DESIGN NOTES

DESIGN NOTES

Mary Gannon • Editor

Cables and two hydraulic hoses can be safely guided with the E2 hydraulic chain.

This increases the service life and reduces maintenance intervals.

Hydraulic energy chain securely guides hydraulic hoses in small spaces igus has introduced a new E2 hydraulic chain that serves as an energy and media guide even for small installation spaces on support legs.

Strong, space-saving and easy-to-install, the igus e-chain guides two hydraulic hoses in addition to power and control cables. The E2 hydraulic chain is an ideal solution for special mechanical engineering, and its use significantly reduces the costs of maintenance and downtime.

Support legs on many construction machines, such as concrete pumps or mobile cranes, are characterized by a large variety of models and components. The safe guidance of hydraulic hoses is crucial, because they need to be reliable under high mechanical stress and strong weather conditions. The E2 hydraulic chain provides efficient protection to internal cables and prevents torsion and bending of the hoses through the predefined minimum bend radius.

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For a long time, igus has been using “extender crossbars” to create additional interior space for the guidance of hoses. For the E2/000 series and the E4.1 and E4.1L systems, extender crossbars, in addition to normal crossbars, can be used with high holding power to accommodate additional hoses with larger diameters.

The new chain provides energy and media guidance with one system. For the new E2 hydraulic chain, the concept was applied to the installation space-specific conditions of support legs on concrete pumps and mobile cranes. A one-piece, solid extender crossbar design and the heavy-duty pin/bore connection ensure high strength, even for large unsupported lengths. The extender crossbars are injection-molded directly on the side link and thus offer optimal hose guidance and stability.

It is also possible to place two hoses safely, one above the

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DESIGN NOTES

With a predefined minimum bend radius of 75 mm and total required installation hight of 255 mm, the E2 hydraulic chain can be integrated into almost any application, such as close to the base or on the side wall of support legs of mobile cranes or concrete pumps.

other. Since energy and hydraulics can be guided within a single hydraulic chain, the requirement for installation space is reduced.

The hydraulic chain has an external width of just 41.2 mm and an external height of 57.5 mm. The predefined minimum bend radius is 75 mm. The total required installation height for the chain is only 255 mm. Thus, the E2 hydraulic chain can be integrated into almost any application, such as close to the base or on the side wall of support legs, a concrete pump or a mobile crane.

Because hydraulic hoses are usually operated at extremely high pressure in dynamic applications, they are very maintenanceintensive. The E2 hydraulic chain meets this challenge in two ways: The extender crossbars and e-chain are made of tribologically optimized plastic. This reduces the abrasion and protects the hoses.

Its design also reduces wear to a minimum. Both the extender crossbars and the interior of the chain are designed to protect the hose. Rounded contours and wide and smooth contact surfaces keep abrasion and wear of the hydraulic hoses low.

The segmentation of the cable types also reduces the strain on the cables. Electrical and hydraulic guidance is completely separated by chambers. This follows the principle that cables and hoses with very different diameters should always be run separately. This is important because power or control cables have a maximum thickness of 5 mm, while the hydraulic hoses can be up to 20 mm.

Normally a clearance space of 20% is required, since hydraulic hoses expand transversely and lengthwise when pressurized.

Designed to the last detail, the E2 hydraulic chain can offer freedom from maintenance.

FPW

Running the cables separately from the two hydraulic hose compartments reduces the strain on the cables in the E2 carrier because hoses can be as thick as 20 mm while cables are only 5 mm thick.

igus Inc. igus.com www.fluidpowerworld.com

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FUNDAMENTALS

Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor

Hydraulic symbology 102: understanding basic fluid power schematics With the start of this series, I began writing Hydraulic symbology 101: Understanding basic fluid power schematics (find it and more symbology articles at fluidpowerworld.com). I covered basic constituent lines, shapes and their respective symbols. Due to space constraints, I left out some of the major components represented by symbols in hydraulics, so here I continue with Hydraulic Symbology 102.

I had previously discussed lines, squares, circles and diamonds, but I left out rectangles, ovals and oddities. Other than boundary lines, there are few rectangles in hydraulic symbology, especially if you consider a 4/3 valve symbol as three squares (which I do). As it turns out, cylinders use rectangles in three forms.

Cylinder

Cylinder with Adjustable Cushions

Ram

The basic differential cylinder is a wide rectangle partially bisected by a line being the rod, itself attached at one end to the piston. Although not always necessary, the ports are appointed by stubby lines. This first example is a differential cylinder, meaning its single-rod construction has a differential of both area and volume on either side of the piston. It will extend with more force than it retracts but will retract with more velocity than it extends.

The ram supplements an additional rectangle to the cylinder symbol, which depicts a large rectangular “rod” instead of the simple line. A ram, by definition, is single acting, so the rod side port is omitted. Replacing the second but adding a third rectangle to the mix is the choice of head and cap cushions. In the symbol shown, the diagonal arrow of adjustability is included to call out some type of needle valve to control cushion rate in the head and cap. The adjustment isn’t within the piston, as appears from the symbol. Hydraulic symbols are functional representations in their simplest forms, so get used to reading them with that in mind.

After rectangles comes the oval, which is often confused with an ellipse. The oval is oblong with two straight lines, where ellipses are stretched circles. In fluid power symbology, an oval represents 24

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an accumulator, or energy storage vessel. Most accumulators are energized with inert gas, such as nitrogen, and the symbol shows a partition separating the top and bottom of the oval. In this case, the top side also illustrates a hollow arrow — it’s telling us there is air involved, and in hydraulics it can also sometimes appear as a pneumatic pilot signal for a directional valve operator.

Accumulators don’t need gas to supply stored energy, of course, so we can add potential energy mechanically as well. A spring on the other side of oil in a piston accumulator compresses to store energy as air would, although a spring cannot compress as infinitely as gas. The jagged spring symbol is the exact one used in a directional or check valve. Turning the spring into a square signifies we now have a weighted accumulator, which is my favorite type. A weighted accumulator is the only one able to supply continuous and stable pressure as it depletes itself, contrary to the limited and varied pressure and flow available from the other two.

Accumulator

Spring Loaded Accumulator

Weighted Accumulator

The small circle is next in the hierarchy and portrays auxiliary components important to complete a hydraulic system. The check valve uses a small circle stuffed into a wedge to represent very accurately a chrome ball nested into a conical seat. In our image, it’s easy to imagine flow from the bottom port can lift the ball from its seat and continue to flow around the ball. Any flow from the top port will do nothing but force the ball harder into the seat, absolutely restricting flow.

Check Valve

Pressure Gauge

Indicator

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Next up are two common ways to identify pressure in a system; the pressure gauge and pressure indicator. The pressure gauge is logical, showing a needle within a circle, making it not hard to imagine the bottom-mount unit most common in our industry. Less intuitive is the simple pressure indicator, with is the same small circle but with a cross through the center. Pressure indicators are simple devices used to signal a chosen pressure has been reached, such as with the bypass indicator in a hydraulic filter assembly.

For the most part, the common shapes are now spoken for. This is where symbols take on unique depictions unable to be expressed with grade school geometry. A shut off valve is represented by two adjoining triangles. A simple “T” added to the shape highlights your handle, but this symbol has no way of telling us if it’s open or closed.

Ball Valve

Orifice

Logic Element

An orifice is a generic term to describe an area of fluid travel chocked down to restrict flow. The orifice can be blunt or knifeedged, fixed or variable, and in all honesty, can exist as a ball valve by my above definition. The orifice symbol is a line with two mirrored arcs aside it, appearing to push towards the path of flow, restricting it. A diagonal arrow added to the mix completes the symbol and now shows what we call a needle valve. Note, a flow control valve needs the addition of a reverse flow check, which this symbol does not have.

Finally, these last two symbols represent slip-in cartridge valves, also known as either DIN valves or logic elements. These are fascinating valves capable of so much … directional control, flow control, pressure control, they can do it all. They are 2/2 valves used in large manifolds and controlled by separate pilot valves mounted atop. The complexity possible with logic elements is dizzying, but basically it takes four of these valves just to control a cylinder. I show here both the DIN and ISO versions of the symbol, but explanation any deeper than this could take an entire textbook worth verbiage.

That my friends will come in Hydraulic Symbology 501.

FPW

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Edited by Paul J. Heney • Editorial Director

Pneumatic robotics meet artificial intelligence Whether it’s grabbing, holding or turning, touching,

Artificial intelligence

typing or pressing — in everyday life, we use our hands as a

The learning methods of machines are comparable to those of humans: either in a positive or a negative way — they require a feedback following their actions in order to classify and learn from them. BionicSoftHand uses the method of reinforcement learning.

matter of course for the most diverse tasks. In that regard, the human hand, with its unique combination of power, dexterity and fine motor skills, is a true miracle tool of nature. What could be more natural than equipping robots in collaborative workspaces with a gripper that is modeled after this model of nature, that solves various tasks by learning through artificial intelligence?

Festo highlighted two key nature-inspired concepts at its Hannover Messe booth this month. First up was its BionicSoftHand, a pneumatic robot hand. Combined with the BionicSoftArm, a pneumatic lightweight robot, these Future Concepts are suitable for human-robot collaboration.

The BionicSoftHand is pneumatically operated, so that it can interact safely and directly with people. Unlike the human hand, the BionicSoftHand has no bones. Its fingers consist of flexible bellows structures with air chambers. The bellows are enclosed in the fingers by a special 3D textile coat knitted from both elastic and high-strength threads. With the help of the textile, it is possible to determine exactly where the structure expands and generates power, and where it is prevented from expanding. This makes it light, flexible, adaptable and sensitive, yet capable of exerting strong forces.

Hall

This means: Instead of imitating a specific action, the hand is merely given a goal. It uses the trial and error method to achieve its goal. Based on received feedback, it gradually optimizes its actions until the task is finally solved successfully.

Specifically, the BionicSoftHand should rotate a 12-sided cube so that a previously defined side points upwards at the end. The necessary movement strategy is taught in a virtual environment with the aid of a digital twin, which is created with the help of data from a depth-sensing camera via computer vision and the algorithms of artificial intelligence.

Proportional piezo valves for precise control To keep the effort of tubing the BionicSoftHand as low as possible, the developers have specially designed a small, digitally controlled valve terminal, which is mounted directly on the hand. This means that the tubes for controlling the gripper fingers do not have to be pulled through the entire robot arm. Thus, the BionicSoftHand can be quickly and easily connected and operated with only one tube each for supply air and exhaust air. With the proportional piezo valves used, the movements of the fingers can be precisely controlled.

The strict separation between the manual work of the factory worker and the automated actions of the robot is being increasingly set aside. Their work ranges are overlapping and merging into a collaborative working space. In this way, human and machine will be able to simultaneously work together on the same workpiece or component in the future — without having to be shielded from each other for safety reasons.

The BionicSoftArm is a compact further development of Festo’s BionicMotionRobot, whose range of applications has been significantly expanded. This is made possible by its modular design: It can be combined with up to seven pneumatic bellows segments and rotary drives. This guarantees maximum flexibility

The BionicSoftHand should rotate a 12-sided cube so that a previously defined side points upwards at the end.

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The pneumatic lightweight robot BionicSoftArm is flexible from the start and is suitable for direct human-robot collaboration.

SFW

SFP+a

in terms of reach and mobility, which enables it to work around obstacles even in the tightest of spaces if necessary. At the same time, it is completely flexible and can work safely with people. Direct humanrobot collaboration is possible with the BionicSoftArm, as well as its use in classic SCARA applications, such as pick-and-place tasks.

Flexible application possibilities The modular robot arm can be used for a wide variety of applications, depending on the design and mounted gripper. Thanks to its flexible kinematics, the BionicSoftArm can interact directly and safely with humans. At the same time, the kinematics make it easier for it to adapt to different tasks at various locations in production environments: the elimination of costly safety devices such as cages and light barriers shortens conversion times and thus enables flexible use — completely in accordance with adaptive and economical production

BionicFinWave: Underwater robot with unique fin drive Nature teaches us how optimal drive systems for certain swimming movements should look like. To move forward, the marine planarian and sepia create a continuous wave with their fins, which advances along their entire length.

For its BionicFinWave, the bionics team was inspired by this undulating fin movement.

The undulation pushes the water backwards, creating a forward thrust. This principle allows the BionicFinWave to maneuver forwards or backwards through an acrylic tube system.

Its two side fins are completely cast out of silicone and do not require struts or other supporting elements. The two fins are www.fluidpowerworld.com

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attached to the left and right of nine small lever arms, which in turn are powered by two servomotors. Two adjacent crankshafts transmit the force to the levers so that the two fins can be moved individually to generate different shaft patterns. They are particularly suitable for slow and precise locomotion and whirl up less water than, for example, a screw drive. A cardan joint is located between each lever segment to ensure that the crankshafts are flexible. For this purpose, the crankshafts including the joints and the connecting rod are made of plastic in one piece using the 3D printing process.

Intelligent interaction of a wide variety of components The remaining elements in the BionicFinWave’s body are also 3D-printed, which enables its complex geometries in the first place. With their cavities, they act as flotation units. At the same time, the entire control and regulation technology are watertight, safely installed and synchronized in a very tight space.

New impulses and approaches for industry With the bionic technology carrier, Festo’s Bionic Learning Network once again provides an impulse for future work with autonomous robots and new drivetrain technologies in liquid media. It would be conceivable to further develop concepts such as the BionicFinWave for tasks such as inspections, measurement series or data collections — for example for water and wastewater technology or other areas of the process industry.

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Ron Marshall • Contributing Editor

Cheap source of trouble

A

A power generation plant on a small island was having trouble. Its instrument air was supposed to be dry, but there were many times where water was pouring out of drains and collecting in low spots in piping. This left their engineers scratching their heads in puzzlement — the water issue was getting so bad that system outages were actually occurring.

The plant hired an expert to come in to have a look and recommend a solution to their problems. On first impression, the expert was struck by the high temperatures in which the compressed air system was operating. Outdoor temperatures were 80° F, but with a building full of diesel generators, the temperature rise in the building was nearly 20°. This was not a good place to operate refrigerated dryers.

On inspection it was found that the high temperatures had knocked out the air dryer (Figure 1). Operators were dismayed to learn the red light on the front panel was actually an alarm — they had assumed this was a power indicator. Due to high temperatures, the compressor discharge was quite hot, and the undried compressed air cooled in plant instrument air piping, some of which passed under floor, forming low spots where water and compressor lubricant would collect. The water would build up until, finally reaching a critical point, the whole mess would percolate up through the system, contaminating important control and measurement devices. Add to this a failed drain on the compressor’s wet receiver tank, and the situation lead to a failure that actually caused electrical system outages.

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Operators assumed the light on this dryer meant that the power was on, but it actually indicated an alarm.

When performing maintenance checks, it is important to ensure air dryers are working in conditions that are within the maximum operating range for temperature. If not, corrections need to be made to the ventilation. Operators should also become familiar with the dryer manual so they can recognize proper or improper operation.

And remember: all condensate drains need to be manually checked to ensure proper operation. These are usually $50 drains — quite inexpensive — but they can cause problems worth many thousands of dollars.

FPW

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/15/19 9:09 AM

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DISTRIBUTOR UPDATE

Mary C. Gannon • Editor

NAHAD revamps its Hose Safety Institute training options

N

NAHAD has always been a leader in promoting hose safety in the industry. Its Hose Safety Institute Handbook has been used for years as a key resource in educating and on-boarding new staff in hose basics. So, it was no surprise at NAHAD’s Annual Meeting in Las Vegas this month that the organization announced it has revamped its Hose Safety Institute (HSI) training options.

First and foremost, the association has taken its paper Handbook and put that content into a digital platform, which allows users to sign on and take courses and assessments online. Called the NAHAD Academy, it makes training more readily available to members.

At the conclusion of the business meeting Molly Alton Mullis, EVP of NAHAD, said, “One element that is very important to everyone in this room is hose safety and the Hose Safety Institute. I want your customers and your end users to ask to work with Hose Safety Institute Members. So, the board and staff has spent a lot of time this past year looking at that program, figuring out how we can enhance it, how to better market it and how to propose more value to your customers.”

Secondly, the new NAHAD Academy offers online training for everything from HR to supply chain to basic office skills. “We want to help train your workforce so they can produce a better bottom line for you,” Mullins said.

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And thirdly, NAHAD is also beginning to offer regional hands-on training opportunities, the first being this fall in Cleveland on September 10-11. It will be held onsite at Hose Master’s and Summers Rubber’s facilities. Designed for fabrication and sales personnel, it will include short seminars and hands-on activities where they will see HSI best practices demonstrated from beginning to end.

Online training and assessments Joanna Truitt, Director of Training and Hose Safety Institute, said the NAHAD Academy has given the organization the opportunity to take the curriculum and content from Hose Safety Institute and actually create a series of online courses to make it more readily available to all NAHAD members.

“We want all of our NAHAD members to be HSI certified.

We took that huge handbook of 300+ pages and we divided

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it into logical course curriculum,” Truitt said. “We actually have now created a program that makes it much easier to learn and retain the information that’s being shared.”

The Hose Safety Institute certification series includes three courses. It starts with hose basics, which covers the first chapters in the handbook and is extremely interactive. It clearly outlines all of the learning objectives and has its own assessment.

In the past, after the hose basics chapters, a member would take a 200-question assessment. “You used to have to study the handbook, then go online and take a 200-question test. We took that test and we said, ‘Alright, we’re going to parse out all the questions based on learning objectives,’ and all of those questions then were incorporated into either the course or the assessment for that particular course,” Truitt said.

“We instituted what I call the 20/80 Rule. 20% of the assessment questions that relate to hose basics actually are built in as knowledge checks in the course itself, and the other 80% are part of the hose basics assessment that you take after you’ve completed the hose basics course.”

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Truitt said that the courses are designed to be highly interactive, so the learner is regularly asked to interact with content in one manner or another. “Whether it’s to move a feature from one block to the next, or to identify the anatomy of the hose properly and move a title into the respective spot or to complete an equation, the learner is continually engaged with the content,” Truitt said. “Those knowledge checks and that engagement, as well as that shorter period of time and concentration on specific topics, really should promote learning.”

Each course is designed to be about an hour long. After successfully passing the assessment for hose basics, participants move onto a hose specific course. They include: • Composite and corrugated metal, a one-course block that’s probably around 60 to 70 minutes.

• Hydraulic and industrial, which is divided into parts 1, 2 and 3.

Those courses will take about 3 hours to finish.

• Post-fabrication, which covers the last four chapters of the handbook, and really focuses on testing, cleaning, labeling, shipping, and storage.

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DISTRIBUTOR UPDATE

Assessments are included in all three of those hose-specific courses. When all three assessments have been successfully completed, then that individual receives a certificate from NAHAD and is HSI certified. This certification is good for three years.

“We are having conversations now with our standards committee. We’re going to have a conversation about creating a continuing education requirement. It really doesn’t make sense for one of our members to continually have to take this course every three years, because this is a primer. This hose basics and the hose safety certification is perfect for onboarding and sales people and fabricators,” Truitt said. “For those that are HSI certified, we really want them to continue their education. We’re actually going to be moving the fabrication guides, which were version 2.0, onto the LMS probably within the next 6 to 8 months.”

The association plans to give a certain number of continuing education hours for attending conferences like the annual meeting or attending a regional training event. In addition, members will earn such credits for attending programs such as Gates University or ContiTech’s STAR Distributor Network program.

“The objective is all about education and continued advancement in their career and learning,” Truitt said.

The next goal will be to continue to add additional content and online programs to the NAHAD Academy, Truitt said. The objective by next year is to create an end-user course for NAHAD/ HSI members to share with their customers. This would expand upon the hose basics, focusing on things like STAMPED, post fabrication, visual inspections, crimping, bend radius, testing, cleaning, storing, etc.

“We plan to do this with the idea that if the end users begin to understand what’s important related to hose safety, and we give them the tools to do their own visual inspections, that they’ll really see the value of working with a NAHAD partner,” Truitt said.

“Again, they’ll understand that the NAHAD partner has gone that extra step to ensure that their hoses are properly fabricated with safety in mind for the end user.”

FPW

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Servohydraulics keeps railway testing on track Accurate load tests rely on compact, quiet and efficient servo-axes.

Andreas Schnurrenberger Global Sales Manager Industrial Systems Bucher Hydraulics | Neuheim, Switzerland

Using energy more efficiently and reducing total operating costs are worthy and ambitious goals. But substantial improvements can seldom be achieved by simply changing components. Innovative hydraulic systems increasingly require new design approaches, often with software, control systems and networking to Industry 4.0 levels, to succeed in today’s ever-changing markets.

Conventional hydraulics remains the standard in numerous applications. In particular, throttling control systems are still frequently used despite their high losses. Due to their operating principle—using throttling to control the supply of energy—they offer enormous potential for improving energy efficiency. Often, the better solution is based on the concept, “Pump control—Power on demand,” where only as much pressure and flow is generated to meet a drive’s immediate needs.

Instead of a central power unit that involves long pipe runs, the drives are now arranged in a decentralized fashion, right at the actuators. Pipeline losses, installation space, as well as installation time and costs are therefore significantly reduced.

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Nencki’s new Evolution test stand is designed for the final inspection and quality control of new, overhauled and repaired railway bogies. An innovative hydraulic system applies extremely precise loads to a bogie to simulate different vehicle weights, forces and load distribution.

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Both for new projects and for enhancing existing machines, the changeover from inefficient throttling control to a servohydraulic pump-control system can substantially reduce energy consumption, result in sizeable cost savings, and offer a comprehensively intelligent system architecture that is Industry 4.0-compatible.

Implementing these quiet, compact, self-contained axes, however, requires expertise in various disciplines. Based on their extensive experience and combined know-how, Bucher Hydraulics together with controls supplier Jetter AG, Ludwigsburg, Germany, have developed a cross-technology system that offers new and obvious benefits for the user.

Bogie testing One example of an innovation of this type is the direct servohydraulic drive for two double-rod cylinders. Engineers from Bucher Hydraulics have incorporated this power-on-demand concept in a bogie test rig

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for the Railway Engineering Div. of Nencki AG, Langenthal, Switzerland, an important supplier to railway markets worldwide.

A bogie, more commonly called a railroad truck in North America, is the structure underneath a railway vehicle (such as a boxcar or passenger coach) that contains the wheels, axles, suspension and other components. Bogies—typically two per car—support and guide the vehicle body, provide stability, and minimize transmission of impact loads and vibrations due to irregularities in the track.

Nencki’s newest offering, the Evolution bogie test stand, was designed for the final inspection and quality control of new, overhauled and repaired bogies. The test rig operates according to DIN Standard 250437 and is based on long-standing experience developing, together with its customers, more than 100 previous testing machines.

Accurate tests and adjustments of wheel loads and bogie geometry are vital to optimize travel comfort and minimize the wear and operating costs of rail and rolling stock. An exact check is also imperative to avoid derailing accidents. For example, it is critical for wheel loads to be adjusted correctly to withstand lateral forces in curves or under strong side winds.

Key to success is an innovative hydraulic system that applies extremely precise loads to a bogie. The rig’s hydraulic load cylinders simulate different vehicle weights and forces for the fully automatic testing of wheel loads and load distribution. It also ensures high stability for accurate measurements of axle distances and parallelism, wheel concentricity and diameter, deflection and other parameters. The data are logged, are permanently traceable and can be

A bogie test rig is a typical application for linear-drive technology involving control of force, displacement and speed, and which requires high power density and robustness.

Conventional hydraulics in the form of throttling control is still often used for this purpose, but servohydraulic axes offer substantial energy, cost and space savings.

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transferred to a higher-level system. The test rig also automatically calculates the shim plates needed to correct for differences in wheel loads, by adjusting the secondary spring height.

According to Hans Borer, technical director at Nencki, cooperation with Bucher Hydraulics was essential. “We needed a reliable partner with experience in hybrid technology, who knew how to combine the implementation of the highly energyefficient servodrives with hydraulics. Bucher Hydraulics identified what we needed to happen after the components were delivered, highlighted opportunities and, in close cooperation with us, developed a professional, state-of-the-art solution. We also consider it important that this new system is capable of being enhanced and optimized to meet future requirements in the areas of efficiency and costs.”

Servohydraulic axis The bogie test rig is a typical application of linear drive technology involving control of force, displacement and speed. Previous Nencki designs relied on a conventional throttling-control hydraulic system, consisting of a power unit with an electric-motor/pump assembly, cylinders and proportional valves.

The new, self-contained servohydraulic axis forms one module in a building-block system. It includes an application-specific cylinder, variable speed QXM 4-quadrant internal gear pump/motor, equalizing tank, valve block (with safety functions), and a precharge and filling unit. Other critical components include a servomotor with a standard Jetter servo controller, a subsystem controller with application-optimized motion-control software, pressure and temperature sensors, and a stroke-measurement system.

While the detailed design is driven by the particular requirements of this application, it is based on proven

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Bucher Hydraulics designed the self-contained servohydraulic drive that mounts directly on the test rig structure. Position and force are controlled by means of displacement and force sensors together with application-optimized software on the subsystem controller, which communicates with a higher level industrial computer via fieldbus.

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Bucher Hydraulics and Jetter components. This makes it possible to achieve high-performance yet economical solutions, even for moderatesize production quantities. In addition to use in test rigs, other suitable applications include forming machines, simulators, oscillating axes, packing machines and conveyor systems, lifting devices, and cutting machines for the food sector.

Benchmark technical data for the modular servo-axis include nominal force output up to 1,000 kN; stroke length up to 1,500 mm; working speed up to 100 mm/sec and rapid-traverse speed up to 400 mm/sec; and drive power up to 30 kW. Positioning accuracy depends on the measuring system and the required working speed. Ambient operating temperature is from 0° to 40° C. Notable benefits Servohydraulic axes combine the advantages of an electrical servodrive with those of a robust, high power density and efficient hydraulic drive.

At the same time, the system is overload-proof and precise. By switching to servohydraulic axes, users can reduce energy consumption by up to 70%. Conventional throttling control systems have two significant drawbacks. The system’s intrinsic throttling losses have a negative impact in themselves, and the need to remove the resulting heat can increase system complexity and cost. Typical power units, together with cooling equipment, can therefore reach a considerable size.

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Hans Borer noted that bogie test rig’s previous power unit had a 250 liter volume. “Thanks to the new axis, just 30 liters of oil is required for the hydraulic components today. In addition, the unit had to be freely accessible from all sides, and its footprint has now been eliminated,” he said.

For large installations in other markets, benefits can be even greater. For example, in six-axis hexapod flight simulators, the power unit for a conventional hydraulic system can easily fill a separate room. In applications of this type, Bucher Hydraulics has substantially lowered energy demand and reduced oil requirements by about 90%, because only the actual pendulum volume must be supplied with oil.

Reducing energy demand, oil volume, and floor-space requirements are by no means the only advantages over a conventional hydraulic system. Rather, it is an overall consideration of the system, including noise levels, installation and commissioning work, operating costs, user know-how required, as well as operating safety and the system’s degree of future-proofing.

Summarizing the benefits of the Bucher Hydraulics smart system architecture, Borer said, “We are seeing better energy efficiency and optimized life-cycle cost. Acoustically, the new system is in a different league from the unpleasant sound of the old hydraulic or ball-screw drives.” There are additional technical improvements, he

Comparison of annual energy demand, traditional hydraulics versus servohydraulic axes

MWh

(Based on 8,000 hours per year)

A servohydraulic drive system for a flight simulator clearly shows the advantages. Compared with conventional throttling control, the direct, servohydraulic 4-quadrant drive for six differential cylinders delivers energy savings of up to 70%, and it permits downsizing the oil tank by 90%.

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continued. “We can run up to the specified loads with greater accuracy and keep them within the resolution range of the load cells. The quality of the control is similar to the position or force control of an electromechanical servodrive, but without the frictional losses.”

These features make servohydraulic axes suitable not only for test rigs, such as in the Nencki installation, but also for presses where long life is a very important factor; for injectionmolding machines, where the bulk of the product manufacturing cost consists of energy costs, which means that Total Cost of Ownership plays a prominent role; and in lifting systems which need precision movement under large loads and with the lowest possible level of jerks and oscillations.

Servohydraulic axes are an integral part of the bogie test rig. They eliminate the central hydraulic power unit and long hydraulic lines to the cylinders, and reduce overall space requirements.

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integration into the overall plant concept, provides new and significant advantages. Unlike electromechanical servodrives, servohydraulic actuators offer the advantages of a hydraulic drive. For example, while a classic worm-gear transmission with inherent frictional losses has a maximum efficiency of 50% in the bogie test rig, the servohydraulic transmission usually achieves an efficiency of around 80%.

Another plus is that the servohydraulic axis acts essentially like an electromechanical drive, even though a hydraulic transmission behaves fundamentally differently from a mechanical one. The plug-and-play system from Bucher Hydraulics includes a subsystem controller and software (firmware) developed specifically for the application, and with hydraulic characteristics already programmed in.

The subsystem controller communicates via fieldbus with the industrial computer operated by the customer, who can retain the familiar user interface and database. The firmware ensures that target values for the cylinder (position, speed and force) are controlled by the servo pump unit. Installation and operation therefore require no special hydraulic expertise. “For our part, we input an acceleration ramp and a set point for the bogie test rig. The Bucher system takes care of everything else,” said Borer.

Thanks to microcontrollers and associated sensors, the system’s distributed intelligence offers the opportunity to exercise complete control of all characteristics via fieldbus. This is the precondition for preventive maintenance planning. The fact that the entire system now speaks the same language via fieldbus also enables successful integration into Industry 4.0 concepts, so that machines or even entire factories can be networked globally.

The clever combination and respective advantages of different technologies thus makes the difference that allows systems designed by Bucher Hydraulics and implemented using their proven components to be referred to as “smart.” Hans Borer summarized, “The important thing is know-how in the fields of electromechanical drives, industrial hydraulics, automation technology, and the combination of these disciplines. Bucher Hydraulics proved this knowhow in our project, just as they demonstrated their flexibility regarding new ideas.”

FPW

Bucher Hydraulics | www.bucherhydraulics.com Jetter Automation | www.jetter.de

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect with thousands of engineering design professionals online.

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Hydraulics

and steel production go hand-in-hand Hydraulics are used profusely in steel production because they offer the power density, precision and most importantly, imperviousness to heat required in this harsh environment.

Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor

Perhaps more than any other industry in North America, the steel industry experiences the slacks of the economic tide, albeit at a more glacial pace. The complex global economy shifts the production of steel into and out of nations and the trades they support. What changes more slowly is the method of manufacture, because creating steel from its fundamental elements still requires unique applications of fluid power.

Steelmaking is an industry forever powered by hydraulics. So severe are the applications, no other method of actuation makes sense — the heat, the force and the danger are all extreme and only something capable with fluid under pressure. So prolific are hydraulics in steel mills, that a plant can have hundreds of power units. A coke oven itself needs hundreds of cylinders to process coal, and the ambient heat in the process at the doors, cars and pushers is intense, to say the least.

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Coke oven doors in steel mills use hundreds of hydraulic cylinders to process the coal.

They open and close doors and push material through the ovens. | Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Steelmaking is an

industry forever powered by hydraulics. So severe are the applications, no other method of actuation makes sense — the heat, the force and the danger are all extreme and only something capable with fluid under pressure.

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Dealing with high heat From the blast furnace to the processing plant, fluid power is uniquely applied to achieve the demanding tasks. The process of making new steel starts the conversion of coal to a more efficient fuel source; coke. Immense heat under low oxygen conditions turns coal into coke, a cleaner fuel source that burns hot with little smoke. Coke ovens are large, multi-storey buildings where cylinders and motors must open and close oven doors, and then push and transfer material.

The coke pusher car, for example, must eject the fresh coke embers onto the hot car as it stations the coal for the next batch. The coke oven doors depend on their opening by a door extractor actuated by hydraulic cylinders. You can imagine the extreme ambient heat by such an application, so these actuators are not your run of the mill (no pun intended) cylinders.

Hydraulic systems for high heat conditions must not only be reliable in the face of tremendous heat but also not contribute to the inherent danger. Conventional hydraulic oil is flammable, so any leaks or failures from the cylinders or other components near the

oven presents the possibility of ignition, given the presence of scorching coke. A pinhole leak in a hydraulic hose can be turned into a flamethrower, so needless to say, mineral oil makes a poor bedfellow with the steel industry.

To prevent the dangers of incendiary oil, steel mills use fire-resistant hydraulic fluids.

Water glycol fluids commonly find their home in mills for their inherent safety and excellent properties as a hydraulic fluid. Water glycol provides good lubrication and anti-wear properties, and is readily available by most hydraulic fluid manufacturers. Also relevant in steel mills are water in oil emulsions, which combine the properties of both constituents to create a stable fluid resistant to flame. Both fluids carry a caveat — traditional sealing technologies are inappropriate for water-based fluids.

Glycols (also classified as HFC fluids) require suitable sealing technology capable of both high heat and water resistance. Synthetic rubber-like Buna Nitrile works well with glycol, but not at high temperature. Conversely, FKM (Viton) has excellent heat resistance but poor compatibility with water. Specialty formulated

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as cooling channels, linear transducers, exotic materials or custom mounts provide unlimited configurability.

Mill-type hydraulic cylinders are the workhorse of the steel industry. They are usually rated to 5,000 psi and feature a flanged construction. | Cylinder Services

seals such as PTFE or perfluoroelastomer work best here, capable of withstanding the effects of high heat and water exposure.

The same goes for water in oil emulsion (classified as HFB), which has similar seal compatibility.

Heavy-duty motions require the power of hydraulics After coke production comes mixing with iron ore in the blast furnace, itself a massive contraption with extreme motion control requirements satisfied with hydraulics. The coke burns hot, melting the ore and creating pig iron, which is poured from the tap hole and transported to the blast or arc furnace. In the furnace, the iron is exposed to jets of pure oxygen, starting the conversion to steel. A brew of additives combines with the batch here, forming any of the hundreds of steel alloys available, before the molten steel is transported eventually to the continuous caster where giant, red-hot slabs of steel are formed.

The continuous caster can make rectangular slabs or large diameter bars, but the majority of North American steel output takes the form of slabs. The slabs are carried off to the hot strip mill, a magical place where hydraulics are as saturated in the plant as electronic components are on a circuit board. Just as with the iron making process, the conditions are intense, hot and dangerous.

Through many stages of preparation and myriad roughing and finishing stands, the slabs transform from a scale-covered nineinches-thick to semi-finished sheet metal.

The hot strip mill houses an automated process quarterbacked by technicians in climate-controlled rooms, and the automation is heavy. You can imagine the force needed to squeeze giant slabs of hot metal, and you wouldn’t be disappointed to assume that force is created by hydraulic cylinders. Few industries have a cylinder named after them, but this is the exception.

The mill type cylinder is the workhorse of the steel industry. They’re stout and overbuilt to handle not just the force required to squeeze metal, but to be reliable and easy to maintain. They are the diesel engine of a Kenworth compared to the EcoBoost V6 of an F-150 — that is the NFPA tie-rod cylinder. Many mill cylinders are rated for 5,000 psi, and use heavy-duty flanged construction at both the head and cap. This construction not only allows a sturdy method of attaching the barrel to the caps, but it also permits the cylinder to be repaired from either end often right at the machine.

As you would imagine, a mill type cylinder requires a significant resistance to heat and the capacity to operate via water-based fluids. Bring in your PTFE seals, which are well suited to the job. Mill cylinders are not governed by the same standard dimensions as NFPA cylinders are, so they’re more unique from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some use flanges welded to the barrel and subsequently screwed to the head and cap, while others use grooved barrels with retainer flanges and eschew welding altogether. Because of the custom nature of the mill cylinder, features such www.fluidpowerworld.com

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Finishing relies on hydraulic precision After slabs are turned into coiled sheets, they must be processed into finished product for automotive, appliance or construction material manufacturers can use. A ¼-in. thick sheet of bare steel makes a poor fender for your Honda Civic, so the sheets must be cold rolled to finished thickness, then pickled to remove contamination and finally galvanized to reduce the rate of rusting if you live in the salt belt as I do. The treatment process — which requires uncoiling, processing through many rolls and then recoiling — is as hydraulic intensive as you would assume.

A subframe for your car seat takes only small strips of steel to produce, so the automotive manufacturer has no use for steel nearly six-feet wide. To get the strips of steel most appropriate for finishing, the coils of full-width steel are sent to the slitting line to be sheared into various smaller widths. It is here you will find one of the more unique applications of fluid power; the hydraulic nut. Slitter tooling consists of male and female knives accurately spaced with tight tolerances using computer software and a series of shims and spacers. These knife gaps are so precise and require consistent application of force to ensure quality slitting with little scrap.

The hydraulic nut is a single-acting annular cylinder capable of hundreds of tons of force.

Amtec Hydraclamp, a world leader in hydraulic clamping, manufacturers grease-activated nuts over 20 in. in diameter and capable of over 200 tons of clamping force while interfacing with a 15 in. ID machine thread. The key to this extreme force is the 10,000-psi pressure exerted by the grease pump.

So precise is the machining and sealing technology, these nuts can hold the tooling on the arbour for over a month before re-pressurization.

After slitting, finished metal is recoiled and shipped out, and so ends the process of turning coal and iron into finished metal. It’s hard not to sense the scope of the enormity of the steel industry and its effect on the world economy. Just an observation of unique fluid power applications is mind-boggling into and of itself. If you ever get the chance to tour a steel mill, take advantage; the experience is humbling.

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focus on efficiency, sustainability The latest air compressors hitting the market benefit from variable-speed drives, oil-free operation and IoT capabilities.

Ken Korane • Contributing Editor

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Compressed-air was a key fluid power technology on display at this month’s Hannover and bauma trade fairs in Germany. Between the two shows, scores of exhibitors displayed hundreds of new and upgraded products.

One area of emphasis centered on sustainability, including compressors with integrated variablespeed drives that yield higher efficiency and significant energy savings, oil-free units that generate “clean” compressed air and, for mobileequipment markets, electrification.

That dovetails with a focus on designs with more-sophisticated controls to take advantage of IoT and Industry 4.0 capabilities. Such systems can continuously optimize production processes and ensure smarter use of equipment, again resulting in higher energy efficiency. And with remote monitoring capabilities, the systems can reliably predict faults and failures as part of proactive maintenance programs.

Sticker price seemed not to be the overriding concern. Users of industrial compressed-air equipment are increasingly aware that the purchase price of a compressor accounts for, on average, less than one-third of the total lifecycle cost. Energy costs make up most of the rest. That’s why the latest innovations in compressed-air technology can reduce operating expense by a sizeable margin.

Here are several examples.

Atlas Copco’s E-air portable compressors are powered by lithium-ion batteries and energy-efficient electric motors.

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Mobile electric power One important challenge for the industry is finding energy-efficient solutions that cut back on CO2 emissions and provide alternatives to fossil fuels as an energy source. Atlas Copco, Stockholm, Sweden, unveiled its latest generation of clean compressors at bauma 2019 — new sustainable mobile air equipment powered by lithium-ion batteries and energy-efficient electric motors.

Atlas Copco’s range of “clean-drive” E-air electric-powered portable compressors offers an alternative to diesel-driven units in urban construction areas. They eliminate the need for refueling, raise efficiency and lower noise levels on a working site. In areas where electric or battery-powered units are impractical, such as in remote locations without access to the grid, alternative versions integrate advanced fixed- and variable-speed drives with Stage V compliant diesel engines.

In addition, Atlas Copco planned to showcase the new IP67-rated Smart Air Xc4004 compressor controller on all its large and specialty air compressors with flows from 20 to 128 m3/min (700 to 4,500 cfm) and pressures up to 345 bar (5,000 psi). According to company officials, the advanced controller increases operating effectiveness and features an intuitive, easy-to-use interface.

The unit supports a new AirXpert 2.0 pneumatic regulation system and is said to significantly increase system efficiency. The Xc4004 controller lets operators manage functions like eco-mode, dynamic flow boost, multi-pressure/flow settings and emergency stop, and can boost fuel efficiency through auto load/unload and start/stop capabilities. A 7-inch display allows a simultaneous view of several parameters, including pressure and flow. Additionally, topstructured alarm settings monitor and protect the equipment.

The Xc4004 controller’s auto-diagnostic function constantly checks key areas such as engine conditions and spots potential faults, to actively increase uptime. Operators can monitor no less than 15 key parameters. Quick access to historical trends lets users perform operational analysis and assist with scheduling preventive maintenance, and as a result improves uptime and efficiency, protects the investment and drastically decreases operating costs.

A secondary point-of-use controller unit is also available and gives users the option to remotely operate their portable compressors via hard-wired or RRC radio connections, for instance in drill-rig applications.

Smart air Kaeser Compressors, Coburg, Germany, displayed the entire scope of its compressed-air products and systems at Hannover. That ranged from energy-saving rotary-screw compressors equipped with synchronous reluctance motors to portable units with variable-speed drives. But the overriding theme was the combination of highly efficient units that deliver flow on demand that were coupled with “intelligent” engineering systems.

The company’s new Sigma Smart Air technology demonstrated that compressed-air systems can operate in the age of Industry 4.0.

Sigma Smart Air offers a combination of remote diagnostics and databased, predictive maintenance while ensuring efficient air delivery.

In traditional compressed-air systems, maintenance is either reactive or performed at established intervals, said company officials.

In that case, there is always the risk that service will be performed too early or too late — both of which can be costly. In the Sigma Smart Air concept, real-time operating and energy data — such as discharge temperature, pressure dew point and differential pressures — for the compressed-air station are networked to and controlled by the Sigma Air Manager 4.0 master controller.

The Sigma Air Manager 4.0 handles tasks such as variable adjustment of compressed-air generation through continuous realtime monitoring and optimization. The system analyzes all operating data on an ongoing basis, simulates alternative actions and calculates the perfect compressor combinations which, according to Kaeser, results in unprecedented energy efficiency.

It also ensures maximum availability through remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance and avoidance of critical conditions. Users can monitor the operating health of a compressed air station anytime, from anywhere. This means potential faults can be detected in advance and appropriate maintenance measures automatically initiated. Ultimately, operators benefit from significantly lower production costs, as well as dramatically enhanced compressed-air availability. Further, service can be scheduled at ideal times, which saves money. And to allay cyber-security concerns, compressor performance data is only transmitted via the closed Sigma Network.

Third-party access to the data is not possible.

Kaeser Compressor’s new Sigma Smart Air system combines remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance with highly efficient air delivery.

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The Smart Air Xc4004 compressor controller from Atlas Copco has auto-diagnostic capabilities and can monitor no less than 15 key parameters.

In addition, Sigma Smart Air monitors key parameters such as service costs, reserves and specific power and enables sophisticated energy and life-cycle management of the compressed air station throughout its entire operating life.

Twin drives The new Ultima water-cooled, oil-free compressor from CompAir, a unit of Milwaukee-based Gardner Denver, reportedly provides exceptional performance and efficiency. Part of the PureAir range, Ultima is available in models with drive motors sized from 75 to 160 kW, working pressures from 4 to 10 bar, and flows from 6.7 to 23.3 m3/min.

In contrast to the performance offered by traditional motors and drive systems, CompAir has developed the powerful and compact U-Drive unit, a variable-speed, permanent-magnet synchronous motor capable of speeds up to 22,000 rpm.

Company engineers said “U-Drive is a true, next-generation motor and one of the mostadvanced compressor drives available today, and ideal for a pioneering product such as Ultima.”

What sets the Ultima apart is the U-Drive uses two motors simultaneously,

each powered by its own inverter. Forgoing the traditional single motor and gearbox design, Ultima runs each dry screw air end directly for enhanced performance and lower friction. An intelligent “digital gearbox” links the two U-Drive units, adjusting their speeds continuously. The ability to run both air ends at different rates, depending on demand, means Ultima can precisely match the delivery ratio for optimum efficiency.

Ultima’s unique design uses 20% fewer parts than a standard oil-free compressor, making it 37% smaller than comparable units. And it operates quietly — a 160 kW compressor runs at a mere 69 dB(A). As a result, Ultima can be installed at the point of use rather than in a compressor room.

IoT capabilities permit proactive real-time remote monitoring.

Finally, conventional units convert around 94% of compressor energy to heat energy that is easily wasted. To conserve resources, Ultima offers up to 12% better heat recovery than a standard two-stage oil-free compressor. A closed-loop watercooling system extracts heat from all major components and pipes the water out of the machine to be used elsewhere, making Ultima a high-efficiency water heater as well. www.fluidpowerworld.com

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The CompAir Ultima uses two motors simultaneously, each with its own inverter, to individually power each screw.

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Boge Compressor’s airtelligence provis 3 master controller handles an unlimited number of compressors and accessories.

Air intelligence Boge Compressor’s airtelligence provis 2.0 master controller provides intelligent control of all connected compressors. Based on actual air demand, it automatically selects the ideal combination of compressors, optimizes load and idle run cycles and avoids inefficient compressor operation. An air-logic module links individual status values and manages the compressed-air system.

Previously, up to 16 compressors and up to 24 peripheral accessories such as dryers, filters, and valves could be connected. Now, the company’s new higher-level airtelligence provis 3 allows compressors, accessories and compressed air networks to work even more efficiently in unlimited numbers. Based on actual compressed-air consumption, it automatically selects the best compressor combination, optimizes loaded and empty run times, and avoids energy-intensive overcompression.

Units can be configured individually and fitted with a 15.6-in. display with intuitive touch-gesture operation, or ported to a desktop PC, tablet or smart phone. Visualization data can include network pressure, volume flow, pressure dew point, capacity utilization, efficiency of each compressed-air station and electric power consumption, as well as status of the overall system, individual compressors and accessories. It can also display trends such as pressure and compressor performance history.

With airtelligence provis 2.0, Boge already has one of the most innovative controls on the market, according to officials at the Bielefeld, Germany, company. The new higher-level airtelligence provis 3 focuses on maximum energy efficiency, ease of maintenance and customer flexibility. And with integrated Boge analytics and an open data format with OPC UA, it provides a convenient and intelligent solution to optimally meet the high demands of Industry 4.0.

Plug-and-play compressor The Nautilus X16 from Vert Rotors, Edinburgh, U.K., is a portable, 20-bar air compressor. The plug-and-play unit, with wheels and a handle much like roll-behind luggage, is designed as a 21st century alternative to traditional, noisy piston compressors.

The Nautilus is a single-stage, micro rotary-screw compressor. Somewhat similar to traditional twin-screw devices, it uses a pair of conical rotors to generate pressure. Vert’s innovation is to place one rotor inside the other, instead of side by side. As air travels along

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the rotors, internal volume shrinks and raises pressure. Air discharges with pressure ratios of up to 22:1.

It reportedly has double the efficiency of an equivalent scroll compressor and, at around 65 dB(A), runs significantly quieter than a typical piston compressor. It also produces lower vibration, beneficial for sensitive applications. Because the unit can deploy quickly, often in minutes, it can help maintain uptime in critical processes. A traditional compressor might require the installation of a new airline certified for safety — which could be time consuming and costly.

If operation at 300 psi pressure is not required, a manual regulator lets users set the pressure as needed. Air delivery at working pressure is 16 lpm. The system weighs 34 kg and requires 110 or 240 Vac power.

Contactless technology Tamturbo Touch-Free compressors are direct-drive, high-speed turbo compressors that produce oil-free air for industrial customers.

Pressure range is from 3 to 9 bar with capacity from 9.0 to 56.0 m3/min. The design is based around proprietary active magnetic bearings that provide friction-free rotation with zero drag and no metal-to-metal contact, so components won’t wear and break down or require lubrication.

The five-axis active bearings rely on real-time measurement and feedback control to hold rotor position with micrometer accuracy, precisely maintain design clearances and eliminate vibration. Built-in safeguards also prevent damage in the event of a power failure, as energy stored in the rotation and in capacitors keeps the bearings energized until the motor stops.

Variable-speed drives control motor speed based on actual air demand to deliver constant pressure. These permanent-magnet motors rotate at speeds up to 35,000 rpm. The VSD and optional diffuser control provide industry-leading capacity turndown range of up to 63% — with excellent idling performance. This ensures the compressor matches air requirements with the best efficiency on the market, according to officials at the Tampere, Finland, company.

Other traditional oil-free screw and centrifugal compressors rely on energy-robbing gears, mechanical bearings, and seals and oil filters that generate friction and lower efficiency. Further, efficiency of an “oil-free” screw deteriorates as Teflon-coatings and other components wear in operation. This reportedly increases energy consumption by 10 to 15% and demands costly overhauls every few years. The direct-driven turbo compressors require no machine maintenance to critical components. In terms of life-cycle cost, Touch-Free compressors provide significant savings in energy consumption and service.

The Nautilus compressor made by Vert Rotors has wheels and a handle, much like roll-behind luggage.

Smart-phone interface New PE-VE units made by Bauer Compressors, Munich, Germany, are designed for tough industry conditions and are available with a wide range of compressor options, such as for virtually all uses www.fluidpowerworld.com

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Tamturbo’s Touch-Free compressors rely on active magnetic bearings to provide friction-free rotation with zero drag.

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involving breathing air or nitrogen. The compressors are rated for pressures from 90 to 420 bar and free air delivery up to 620 lpm — or as much as 750 lpm with booster models. Super Silent versions feature a sophisticated soundproofed design that minimizes noise emissions.

The PE-VE’s high-pressure compressor blocks are designed for reliability in continuous industrial use for at least 30,000 operating hours. For example, plasma-nitrided and plateau-honed cylinders with high surface hardness provide long service lives combined with low energy consumption and reliable lubrication of cylinder surfaces, and ultra-low-wear piston rings in the final stage minimize running costs.

Of special note is the newly developed B-App interface that lets users control and monitor compressor systems from a smartphone. The units also have a B-Drain automatic condensate drain system, which ensures that oil/water condensate produced during compression is extracted energy-efficiently, quietly and with minimal pressure losses.

To maximize efficiency and economy in operation, the compressors are equipped with energy-saving three-phase motors with IE3 energy efficiency rating as standard.

The Sirius NanoLoc from Haug Sauer features a magnetic coupling drive that ensures virtually no leakage.

Hermetic high pressure Haug Sauer Compressors, St. Gallen, Switzerland, debuted the Sirius NanoLoc, which produces oil-free compressed air up to 450 bar. With its combination of a high final pressure, hermetic gas-tightness and a wear-free drive via magnetic coupling the system, it is unique in its class and can compress nearly all gases, said company officials.

A magnetic coupling drive permits a hermetically sealed piston compressor, with gas-tight performance at standstill and in operation. There is no wear of the sealing element and no frictional energy loss. The design achieves a permanent leak rate less than 0.001 mbar-l/s.

The NanoLoc design is considered especially suitable for high pressures (>101 bar) because sealing is without piston rings, and there are no frictional losses in the cylinders due to friction-free sealing. Thus, there is lower power consumption and significantly longer service life versus piston compressors with packing rings.

Haug oil-free and gas-tight compressors are considered environmental friendly because there is no oil disposal or gas leakage which can contaminate the environment.

Motors are rated from 11 to 30 kW, speed ranges from 970 to 1,450 rpm, and maximum flow rate is approximately 60 Nm3/h. Applications range from bottling of industrial gases to power-to-gas storage of wind and solar energy.

New PE-VE units made by Bauer Compressors let users control and monitor compressor systems from a smartphone.

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hts

50 years

of offshore expertise

OTC returns to NRG Park, Houston, May 6-9, bringing close to 100 fluid power manufacturers together for offshore updates.

A

As it continues through its 50th anniversary, OTC

2019 will be offering a variety of special events to highlight how the organization has grown and will continue to grow over the next 50 years. The event once again returns to NRG Park, Houston, May 6-9.

It kicks off with an opening general session on Monday, May 6, under the theme “OTC’s Golden Anniversary Opening Session: The Next 50 Years of Offshore Developments.” Several key industry executives will explore how companies are preparing for the world of digitalization, automation, and machine learning and will discuss their vision for the future of offshore E&P operations.

Monday through Wednesday, OTC will feature a new program called the “Around the World Series.” Global industry leaders will discuss new licensing and business opportunities, as well as recently introduced technologies. Principals from Australia, Norway, Mexico, France, United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Ghana, and Guyana will be on hand to present what’s new in their markets.

The Offshore Technology Conference showcases leadingedge technology for offshore drilling, exploration, production, and environmental protection. It is designed to bring together engineers, technicians, executives, operators, scientists, and managers from more than 100 countries and all fields in the offshore energy sector.

Offshore oil and gas exploration is a major market for fluid power technologies, as the safety and power density of hydraulics is critical in those harsh environments. This year, close to 70 fluid power manufacturers will be scattered throughout the exhibit halls (see a complete exhibitor list to follow).

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The 2018 edition of the event saw more than 2,000 exhibitors representing more than 40 countries and 23 international pavilions.

Last year, more than 60,000 people attended OTC. There were more than 350 technical presentations, 22 topical breakfast and luncheons, and 11 panel sessions. This year’s expanded technical sessions will include marine renewables and will run the gamut from deep water exploration updates to the use of robotics and AI in offshore applications.

In addition, 18 technologies will receive the 2019 Spotlight on New Technology Award — a program for OTC exhibitors — which showcases the latest and most advanced hardware and software technologies that are leading the industry into the future. Winning technologies were selected based on whether or not they were new, innovative, proven and offer broad interest and significant impact to the industry. The awards will be presented May 6 at 4 p.m.

“Each Spotlight on New Technology Award submission is reviewed and rated by several subject matter experts, providing a sound and fair scale” said OTC 2019 Board of Directors Chairman Wafik Beydoun. “This year more than 450 ratings were submitted, and the best of some incredible submissions were chosen. They are proof that the highway of the future in offshore development is being paved by innovations.”

Visit 2019.otcnet.org for more details and to register.

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OTC 2019 Fluid Power Exhibitors Accumulators Inc.............................6510 Alfagomma S.P.A. ........................... 3653 AMETEK ............................................ 461 API Heat Transfer ........................... 2779 Ashcroft Inc. ................................... 2705 Bal Seal Engineering Inc. ................ 4615 Bonfiglioli USA .............................. 11133 Bosch Rexroth Corp. ...................... 1205 Brennan Industries ......................... 7111 BuTech ............................................ 4021 BVA Hydraulics ............................... 5325 CEJN North America ....................... 5005 Continental ContiTech .................... 3669 Dana Inc........................................ 12027 Danfoss Drives .................................. 521 Dinamic Oil North America ............ 3145 Dixon Valve and Coupling Co. ........ 4623 DK-Lok ............................................ 2767 Doering Co. .................................... 9053 Donaldson Co. Inc. ......................... 6222 Douce Hydro SAS France ............... 2115 Dynex/Rivett Inc. .............................. 601 Eaton .............................................. 4838 Emerson ......................................... 2261 Enerpac .......................................... 3575 ERIKS North America ...................... 2872 Evonik Corp. ................................... 7063 Famic Technologies Inc. ................... 770 Faster Inc......................................... 8142 Festo ............................................... 3625 Flaretite .......................................... 7235 Fluorten, S.r.l. ................................. 7314 Freudenberg Sealing Technologies .4551

Gates Corp. .................................... 3975 Gleason Reel .................................. 3161 GP:50 NY Ltd .................................. 1605 Haskel ............................................. 4021 HAWE Hydraulik ............................. 4301 HBC-radiomatic, Inc. ...................... 3815 Hengli America Corp. ................... 12006 Houghton International ................. 3418 Hunger Hydraulics CC Ltd .............. 7447 HYDAC Technology Corp. ............... 2579 Hydradyne LLC ............................... 3001 Hydraquip, Inc. ................................. 521 Hydraulics International Inc. .......... 2005 Hydro Leduc ................................... 2015 igus ................................................. 3933 IMI Precision Engineering .............. 1339 Innovative Fluid Power .................. 5305 Innovative Hydraulics LLC .............. 6332 Kocsis Technologies Inc. ................. 5112 Kracht ............................................. 1322 Kuriyama of America ...................... 3653 Lee Company, The .......................... 2755 Luohe Letone Hydraulics Technology .4361 Magnetek ....................................... 4309 Maradyne Corp. ............................. 5345 Maxpro Technologies ..................... 2273 MFP Seals (A Division of Martin Fluid Power) ....................... 3079 Midwest Hose & Specialty Inc. ........ 451 MOOG Inc. ..................................... 1249 Motion Industries .......................... 6723 MTS Sensors ................................... 6557 Norman Filter Company ................ 6325

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NOSHOK, Inc. ................................. 3004 NRP-Jones, LLC ............................... 1315 OP USA INC. ................................... 3251 PacSeal Hydraulics Inc. ................... 2673 Panolin ........................................... 1422 Parker Hannifin Corp. ..................... 3639 PH Hydraulics & Engineeering Pte Ltd..771 Pneumatic and Hydraulic Co. ......... 3775 Precision Associates Inc. ................ 8870 Rota Engineering Ltd. ..................... 1439 Rotor Clip Co. ............................... 10738 SC Hydraulic Engineering Corp. ....... 365 Seals Eastern Inc. ........................... 3170 Servi Fluid Power Inc. ..................... 7249 Smalley............................................ 1608 Specialty Fluid Components Mfg. .. 8761 SPIR STAR, Ltd ................................. 2001 SPX FLOW ......................................... 409 Staubli ............................................ 3201 Stauff Corp. .................................... 8735 Stucchi USA .................................... 5079 SunSource ...................................... 2109 Trelleborg ....................................... 3239 Tube-Mac Piping Technologies Ltd. .4179 Versa Products Co. Inc. .................. 2669 WAGO Corp. ..................................... 549 Wandfluh of America ....................... 521 Wichita Clutch ................................ 4075 Wilkes and McLean, Ltd ................. 7363 Winters Instruments......................... 379 Womack Machine Supply Co.......... 4314 WPT Power ..................................... 4605

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Bigger and better in

Milwaukee

With its return to Milwaukee for the fourth year, the Fluid Power Technology Conference continues to grow.

The expanded three-day program includes technical presentations geared towards OEM design engineers and after-market professionals in the maintenance, service and repair sectors; IFPS certification testing; networking; and opportunities to meet with current MSOE students. This year’s event runs May 13-15 at the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Kern Center.

On May 13, pre-conference workshops will be presented by Tom Wanke, CFPAI, of MSOE and Tom Blansett, CFPAI, of the International Fluid Power Society, with full-day sessions

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titled “Fluid Power Basics 101” and “Advanced Hydraulics Mashup.” In addition, the IFPS will be offering its certification tests, including: • • • •

Specialist – Electronic Controls Specialist (ECS) Hydraulic Specialist (HS) Pneumatic Specialist (PS) Mechanic and Technician tests (MHM, MHT, IHM, IHT, PM, PT) both written and job performance

Candidates should register at ifps.org/ certifications-offered. There, they should select the certification they are interested in.

Once a certification is selected, the candidates should use zip code 53202 and test date May 13, 2019 when selecting Test Location & Date on the Test Application.

Individuals who register for IFPS certification tests will also receive 25% off their registration for the Fluid Power Technology Conference.

HUSCO International will provide a tour of its facility Monday evening. Registration is required.

The following two days will be packed with more than 20 technical presentations led by industry experts, Canada’s preeminent fluid power trainer Carl Dyke, Fluid Power World’s own Josh Cosford, and experts from the manufacturers themselves. New this year will be presentations dedicated to compressed air efficiency for plant maintenance personnel, presented by Joe Ghislain, Principal, GOE (Ghislain Operational Efficiency) LLC.

Register at fluidpowertechconference.com.

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Keynote: the evolution of advanced automation

The Fluid Power Technology Conference returns to MSOE’s Kern Center May 13-15.

Tuesday, May 15

Registration opens at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

This day’s agenda includes:

8:00-9:00 – Optional tours of MSOE’s Grohmann Museum and Fluid Power Institute Lab / Rapid Prototyping Center. Registration is required.

9:00-10:00 — Opening Keynote: Robotics solutions for small-to-medium manufacturers, by Dan Kara, VP Robotics at WTWH Media. A large percentage of small-to-medium manufacturers have missed out on many of the benefits of robotic industrial automation such as increased productivity, improved quality and enhanced competitiveness. Rapid change, however, is underway. Both traditional industrial robotics companies, as well as a number of new vendors, are providing products and services specifically designed to satisfy the requirements and support the culture of the sizable and underserved small-to-medium manufacturer market.

In this session, attendees will learn about these new products and services. Real world case studies will be presented to illustrate salient points.

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The growth in plant floor automation and integrated communications is at a pivotal junction; new technology is available and adoption is underway, said Donna Ritson, President of DDR Communications, regarding her keynote Dona presentation at this Ritson year’s FPTC.

With a deeper focus on pneumatics and best practices in industrial manufacturing this year, the FPTC welcomes Ritson, who will open day two of the conference at 8:30 a.m.

Her presentation, “The evolution of advanced automation” will higlight the advancements in automation and the influence of technological breakthroughs that are impacting the industry for years to come. The presentation will review the role of pneumatics in automation, the reasons driving embedded intelligence, and the growth of smart machines on the plant floor.

“It’s not a matter of if CPG companies will adopt automation, but a matter of when,” said Ritson. “The Evolution of Advanced Automation presentation reports that most CPGs are automating in order to achieve greater operational efficiencies for their plants and remain competitive in the marketplace.”

Ritson has indicated that some companies are further along in automating their operations than others. Findings in the report indicate that only 1 in 5 companies have fully integrated production lines.

“Look at it as a marathon,” she said. “The companies that are going to get to fully industry 4.0 automation are your leaders in the industry. And everyone else is going to be spread out across the path. Everyone has crossed the starting line, and they understand that they’re in the race and need to keep going . . . most CPG companies are in the process and on the path to automation.”

Ritson will cover these six trends driving plant floor automation: • • • • • •

Lack of skilled labor, labor shortages Global increase in product demand Rising demand for flexible manufacturing Producing products with consistent quality Overall operating cost reductions Smart machine technology and robotics

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10:00-10:30 — Exhibition Opening/Networking Break

Keynote: Strategic thinking with Mark Thompson

10:30-11:00 — Breakout 1: Solutions for multiple hydraulic connections: Ready, set, connect! How hydraulic multi-connectors can work for you, by Ryan Kay, Sales Manager, CEJN

During the post-lunch keynote on Tuesday, Mark Thompson, partner with Decision Processes International will teach attendees how to stop wasting time on strategic planning and start planning strategically to achieve competitive advantage and results.

“A Wall Street Journal survey just listed strategic thinking as the # 1 skill that executives need to have. Further the survey revealed that only 3 out 10 executives are strategic thinkers. This results in the development of benign strategies and the lack of effective execution,” Thompson said.

Thompson will teach attendees how to move above strategic planning to generate new insights.

“The participants learn how to begin to think strategically. Through a series of examples, they will see how completely different companies applied strategic thinking,” he said. “This allows them to begin to think differently about their organizations than they ever had before and to achieve greatly improved financial performance.”

“Pause to validate your strategy prior to criticizing tactics and execution. Think strategically for the generation and application of insights on a continual basis to produce competitive advantage,” Thompson concluded. “Strategic Planning is the channeling of those insights into goals and objectives to execute the strategy. Unfortunately, companies spend their time day to day working on applying old insights.”

10:30-11:00 — Breakout 2: Development of an innovative diaphragm accumulator design and assembly process, by Thomas Fröhlich, Leader of Global Accumulator Marketing & Sales for Freudenberg Sealing Technologies 11:00-11:30 — Breakout 1: A new kind of iron: Solution strengthened ductile iron, by Jason Parr, Product Manager, Dura-Bar 11:00-11:30 — Breakout 2: Torque and tightening: The importance of properly installing hydraulic adapters, tubes and hoses, by Dave Murray, Western US Sales Manager and Chris Restorick, Eastern Regional Sales Manager for Tompkins Industries 1:00-2:00 — Keynote: The five pillars of strategic thinking, by Mark L. Thompson. Stop wasting your time on Strategic Planning and Start Thinking Strategically to achieve Competitive Advantage for Exponential Results.

Sponsored By ESA. See sidebar for more details.

2:00-2:45 — Breakout 1: Learning pumps and pump controls with LunchBox Sessions Simulations, by Carl Dyke, founder of CD Industrial Group 2:00-2:45 — Breakout 2: Compressed air efficiencies, by Joe Ghislain, Joe Ghislain, Principal, GOE (Ghislain Operational Efficiency) LLC. 2:45-3:15 — Exhibition/Networking Break 3:15-3:45 — Breakout 1: How cosimulation ensures product reliability and efficiency, by Denis Lenoble, Product Manager for Automation Studio at Famic Technologies 3:15-3:45 — Breakout 2: Put your cylinder on stage: Introducing today’s telescopic cylinder, by Tony Casassa, Application Engineer, Aggressive Hydraulics 3:45-4:30 — Mobile Hydraulics Panel: A panel of mobile machine manufacturers will be represented by Gary Dostal, Manager, Mechanical Engineering, Komatsu Mining Corp.; Gary Kassen, Engineering Director for Hydraulics and Pneumatics, CNH Industrial; and Gregory Downs, CFPE, CFPS, Senior Principal Engineer, Zoomlion Heavy Industry NA Inc. They will be talking about the hydraulics versus electrics debate, what’s on the horizon for mobile hydraulics technology, and what OEMs want to see from hydraulic manufacturers. See sidebar for more details.

4:30-5:30 — Exhibition/Networking Reception

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Panel: The future of mobile hydraulics

Wednesday, May 16

Mobile hydraulics is often the elephant in

Wednesday morning begins with registration starting at 7:30 a.m. The agenda includes the following:

the room when people talk about fluid power.

This portion of the industry is one that’s fast moving, innovative and gets people’s attention. Even little kids dream of someday driving a backhoe or a huge hydraulic dump truck. But what’s new in the field today, and how will mobile hydraulics change in the coming decade?

That will be the focus of our exciting panel at this year’s Fluid Power Technology Conference in Milwaukee. The Future of Mobile Hydraulics has three incredible speakers from top mobile equipment manufacturers:

8:30-9:30 — Opening Keynote: The Evolution of Advanced Automation, by Donna Ritson, President of DDR Communications. Attendees will learn about the advancements in automation and the influence of technological breakthroughs that are impacting the industry for years to come. The presentation will review the role of pneumatics in automation, the reasons driving embedded intelligence, and the growth of smart machines on the plant floor. See sidebar for more details.

9:30-10:00 — Breakout 1: Sponsored session, by Michael H. Eisinger, CFPS, Sales Manager/Hydraulics - Key Accounts, Dynamatic US LLC and 9:30-10:00 — Breakout 2: Telematics for off-highway machines, by Eric Ringholm, Division Manager – Electronics, HYDAC

• •

10:00-10:30 — Breakout 1: Automating hydraulic cylinders — 5 things to consider,

by Douglas Lacina, Commercial Director and Peter Frymark, Engineering Team Leader, Milwaukee Cylinder

•

Gary Dostal, Komatsu Mining Corp.

Greg Downs, Zoomlion Heavy Industry NA Inc. Gary Kassen, CNH Industrial

Editorial Director Paul Heney will moderate this dynamic panel discussion, where they’ll talk about how the hydraulics versus electrics debate has been playing out the last few years, what’s on the horizon for mobile hydraulics technology, and what OEMs want to see from hydraulic component manufacturers in the next couple of years.

Will linear actuators ever have a place on mobile machines? Or will system pressures continue to rise, keeping hydraulics in the driver’s seat? We’ll also explore how far along the integration of the Internet of Things is in mobile machinery, and what that means for hydraulic systems.

10:00-10:30 — Breakout 2: Model based design to accelerate innovation, by Céline Cabana, Technical Account Manager, FD-Groups America 10:30-11:30 — Exhibition/Networking Break 11:30-12:00 — Breakout 1: Worst to best practices in hydraulic fluid contamination control, by Carl Dyke, Founder of CD Industrial Group 11:30-12:00 — Breakout 2: Tips on eliminating compressed air waste, by Joe Ghislain, Joe Ghislain, Principal, GOE (Ghislain Operational Efficiency) LLC. 12:00-1:00 — Exhibition/Luncheon 1:00-1:30 — Breakout 1: Hydraulic fluid conditioning system optimization through Helgesen design technology and the hydraulic reservoir, by Todd Gruszynski, Business Development Manager, Helgesen 1:00-1:30 — Breakout 2: Making configuration and CAD easy for everyone, by Bill Terrill, Territory Manager, Fabco-Air Inc. 1:30-2:00 — Breakout 1: Breakout 2: Follow the heat, by Josh Cosford, General Manager, Higginson Equipment 1:30-2:00 — Breakout 2: Sponsored session by Delta Computer 2:00-2:45 — Closing Session: Hydraulic system schematic reading skills with live schematics - Carl Dyke

To register and for the latest schedule updates, visit fluidpowertechconference.com.

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Special thanks to all sponsors, including the following:

Host University:

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Platinum sponsors:

ESA Fabco-Air Hydac Technology Corp.

Gold sponsors:

Aggressive Hydraulics CEJN Delta Computer Systems Dura-Bar Dynamatic Technologies

Famic Technologies Inc. Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies Grimstad Milwaukee Cylinder OEM Controls Thomas Magnete USA LLC Tompkins Industries Inc. WIKA

Exhibitors:

FD Groups America Inc. Helgesen IC Fluid Power Inc. MTS Sensors

NitroSteel, a division of Premier Thermal Solutions R&J Cylinder and Machine Techniques Surfaces USA Inc. Webtec

Media and industry association sponsors: Canadian Fluid Power Society ESA Fluid Power World International Fluid Power Society Milwaukee School of Engineering The Robot Report

Proven to Hold Up in the Most Extreme Environments Manifolds and Assemblies • • • •

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1/31/2019 1:21:33 PM 4/16/19 12:05 PM

Long Lead Times?

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Fabco Air 2-19_FPW.indd 61

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Now you can configure Fabco-Air products anywhere.

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The Fabco-Air configurator is the most comprehensive, user-friendly, and dynamic program in the industry.

It generates everything you need from one location.

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4/15/19 1:53 PM

PRODUCT WORLD

NITRA miniature solenoid valves and manifolds AutomationDirect automationdirect.com NITRA GVP series pneumatic miniature solenoid valves are a suitable choice for many automation applications with low flow requirements. These two- and three-port valves are typically used for on/off flow control or with single-acting cylinders.

GVP series 12 or 24 Vdc solenoid valves are available in

10 and 15 mm valve widths and in 2-way or 3-way normally closed configurations. Latching solenoid valves are available in 3-way normally closed configuration. Latching solenoid valves

TubeFin cooler for hydraulic, transmission and fuel systems

power consumption and reducing heat. Simply reverse polarity momentarily to close the valve.

Used with GVP series valves, NITRA GM-3 series compact,

precision machined manifolds are available in single to 6

AKG www.akg-america.com

stations for 10-mm manifolds and in single to 4 stations for 15-mm manifolds. Anodized aluminum construction is used

AKG’s coolers are adapted to on- and off-highway vehicles including construction, generators, logistics vehicles, and specialty trucks. They are suitable for oil cooling in hydraulic, transmission, and fuel systems.

will stay open after being momentarily energized thus saving

LightWeight Coolers for oil and fuel cooling in engine cooling

for corrosion resistance. Also, newly available are compact and miniature manual air valves, general purpose shuttle and bleed valve fittings, brass air jet nozzle kits, and non-metallic pneumatic manifolds.

assemblies can also act as a small standalone radiator or remote oil cooler. Their construction is unique among cooler types. The entire aluminum cooler brazes as one single unit with no welding. This reduction in manufacturing steps enables reliable quality and delivery of a cost-effective solution for small coolers.

The LightWeight Cooler includes the same core components of

AKG’s Bar-Plate Coolers, with specially designed tanks and tubes that handle the pressure of heavy equipment cooling with less aluminum weight. The result is a lightweight and robust extruded tank design which allows for a variety of port styles and mounting configurations with little-to-no tooling.

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For further information about products on these pages visit the Fluid Power World website @ www.fluidpowerworld.com

New filter line Atos atos.com Atos has introduced a new line of hydraulic filters that round out its product portfolio.

The filters ensure recommended fluid cleanliness levels in systems using the company’s proportional electrohydraulics.

Products include the FSS suction, FRS return, FPS pressure, and FPH high-pressure filters.

The FPH in-line pressure filters, for example, have threaded or SAE flanged ports and offer maximum flow up to 340 lpm and a working pressure up to 420 bar. The high-efficiency microfiber filter element has a filtration rating of 4.5-7-12 µm (beta/ISO 16889). They come with or without an electrical differential clogging indicator with optional LED signal.

4 • 2019

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PRODUCT WORLD

Torsionally rigid curved-tooth flange coupling

ProXT hydraulic hoses and new couplings

KTR ktr.com

Gates gates.com BoWex FLE-PAC is a torsionally rigid curved-tooth flange

The PRO series line of professional-grade hydraulic hoses and

coupling. Its hub is made of steel, and the flange

couplings offers performance specifically tailored to hydraulic

toothing of carbon fiber reinforced nylon. This material combination provides the coupling with high dimensional stability even with

applications across multiple end markets.

With the addition of the new ProXT hoses, the Gates Pro

series line is now global and meets the vast majority of global

temperatures up to 130 °C allowing for long and

industry hose specifications demanded by replacement and

maintenance-free permanent operation from

first-fit users. These ProXT hoses will be available in seven sizes

optimized coefficients of friction in the tooth

ranging from ¼ to 1-in. and meet SAE 100R2/R16, ISO 11237

combination.

R16 and EN 857 2SC industry performance standards.

Years of experience with applications at

Gates PRO series couplings are qualified for use with the

customer sites and extensive test series in the

full line of PRO series hoses, including ProXT, to ensure end-

KTR test field in Rheine enabled the company

to-end system performance. The matched PRO Series coupling

to determine potential allowing for an increase

line covers all popular terminations with corresponding crimp

of torques of up to 25%. The low wear of

specifications published online.

contacts and the good dimensional accuracy of the coupling were decisive for the torque increase.

The increased coupling torques result in a wider performance range with drives up to 800 kW.

Particle monitor for real-time analysis Stauff stauff.com

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The redesigned Stauff LPM-II-plus particle

industrial systems operating to pressures of

monitor is an optical particle counter with

420 bar. The LPM-II-plus can be used as a

high-performance LEDs that automatically

stand-alone unit with internal memory for

detects the degree of contamination of

4,000 measurements, networked to a PC or

hydraulic fluids and determines particle sizes

PLC system control, or operated in parallel

in compliance with ISO 4406, NAS 1638,

by a remote display unit. Depending on the

AS 4059E and ISO 11218 standards. It is for

model, the LPM-II-plus is also available with a

continuous measurement or analysis in

water-in-oil sensor and temperature sensor.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/16/19 8:40 AM

For further information about products on these pages visit the Fluid Power World website @ www.fluidpowerworld.com

XD Series joystick with single axis operation

Air prep units save space, enhance safety

APEM apem.com

IMI Norgren imi-precision.com This air preparation equipment for industrial applications, the Excelon Plus modular filter/regulator/lubricator (FRL), provides performance and enhanced safety in a unit that is 20% smaller and 35% lighter.

Safety elements of the new Excelon Plus include padlock

features on both the shut-off valve and regulator to prevent tampering, and a double safety lock on the bowl to prevent it from being removed when in use. A rotating shut-off valve isolates the system from air as needed. A Quikclamp design speeds installation and simplifies removal.

The Excelon Plus filter extracts more than 96% of water

from compressed air. For easier maintenance, a new filter assembly allows the filter element and bowl to be removed together for faster, cleaner service. This system also reduces the clearance required for maintenance to just one inch, freeing up valuable machine real estate.

Excelon Plus regulators have a large, flush mounted,

integrated pressure gauge that is easy The new configuration options for the XD series joystick include

to read and less vulnerable

single axis operation, higher operating torques, and dual Hall

to damage. Lubricators are

effect rollers. The XD series is now more suitable for use across

available in Micro-fog and oil

a greater variety of vehicle applications. Single axis joysticks

fog to meet various

are widely used in scissor and boom lift applications. Higher

design and tool

operating torques are common requirements for construction

specifications.

applications including hydraulic excavators and mining vehicles. Both single axis operation and higher operating torques can be specified from the XD series configuration guide.

The XD series may now also be specified with dual HR

series Hall effect thumbwheels. Using proven non-contacting technology, the HR series provides precise linear voltage outputs for over five million lifecycles. In combination with the primary X and Y joystick axis, the XD series can provide up to 4-axis of proportional control. Common applications include telehandler and articulated loaders.

www.fluidpowerworldonline.com

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PRODUCT WORLD

Hydraulic flow monitoring device Webtec webtec.com The FlowHUB ViscoCorrect is a hydraulic flow monitoring device with integral

Anaconda hydraulic hose for hydrostatic drives Manuli Hydraulics manuli-hydraulics.com

temperature measurement and large digital display, now for use on oils, water, and water-based fluids.

Suitable for condition monitoring, test stands, and closed-loop

control applications in both fluid power and lubrication systems, FlowHUB ViscoCorrect can measure and display flow and temperature readings, as well as switch and transmit flow values. Having all this capability as part of a single device provides system designers with several important advantages; alarms and shut-offs can be triggered, and real-time values transmitted to a PLC using just one unit, instead of up to six discreet hydraulic components which might have been required conventionally.

As a result, both costs and wiring

Hydrostatic drives are a widely used method of power

requirements can be reduced

transmission, due to their fast response times and ease

significantly.

of speed regulation. Anaconda is the first hose by Manuli Hydraulics which has been purpose designed to meet the specific challenges presented by hydrostatic drive systems.

Digital Pressure Gauge

AP60 Series

PAT

ENT

Hydrostatic drives often require short lengths of hose

in tight routing conditions, such as the undercarriages of construction and mining vehicles. This configuration can prove problematic, as shorter lengths of hose tend to

ED

require a much higher bending force than longer lengths of the same hose, making them difficult to install in compact environments.

• 0 ~ 1.0 MPa (0 ~ 145 PSI) pressure range

Anaconda has been designed to alleviate this

complication with a reduced bending force to suit difficult

• Pressure unit on display

undercarriage applications. It also has a very low minimum

• Four pressure unit conversions: MPa, kgf/ cm2, bar, PSI

bend radius which exceeds the standard requirements, making routing easier and reducing the risk of kinks even in these constricted conditions.

• Accurate readout and wide viewing angle • Replaceable CR2032 battery last up to 3 years • IP65 dust and splash proof enclosure NEW AVAILABLE OPTION:

• Vacuum type

Email: sales@adsens.net

• Back light

www.adsens.net

• 1/4” port (BSPT, NPT & BSPP)

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18310 Bedford Cir., Industry, CA 91744-5971 USA TEL: 626-854-2773 FAX: 626-854-8183

5/24/13 11:01 AM

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For further information about products on these pages visit the Fluid Power World website @ www.fluidpowerworld.com

New filter element series Argo-Hytos argo-hytos.com The new EXAPOR MAX 3 filter element generation improves the standards that have been set to date in the areas of pressure loss, dirt holding capacity, and flow fatigue resistance. In doing so, the power density of a filter element significantly further increased. As a result, it will now be possible to switch far more frequently to smaller filter elements in the same application, saving costs and installation space. The new series will be available in the finenesses of 5, 10 and 16 µm.

The absolute dirt holding capacity and thus the service life could be further increased.

This is due to a significantly improved specific dirt holding capacity from approximately 14 mg/ cm² to >16 mg/cm², an increase of 15%.

Features: • Increase of the service life in the customer application • Reduction of pressure loss by up to 20% • Better flow change resistance • New optical appearance • Individual customer labeling

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QUALITY HYDRAULIC HOSE & ACCESSORIES

PRODUCT WORLD

Vacuum lifters Piab piab.com Vaculex – Piab’s semi-automated lifters are designed to take

Kuriyama Hydraulic Connections Catalog • Includes new Alfabiotech extra flexible and bio oil resistant hydraulic hoses. • New Flexor TR4XF extra flexible SAE 100 R4 oil return hose.

the strain off workers. Allowing work in space-restricted areas, the lifters provide solutions where ceiling height, and narrow and confined areas with limited available working space may be an issue. Low headroom solutions and carbon fiber arms are examples of innovative answers to challenging environments. ATEX approved

Quick Release Couplings

models are available, as are stainless steel tools/ attachments where needed.

The Vaculex vacuum-

operated lifters also allow for THE ASSOCIATION FOR HOSE AND ACCESSORIES DISTRIBUTION

EDITION 1017

Kuriyama Hydraulic Quick Couplers Catalog • For fast and easy connections of hydraulic hoses. • Made from high strength carbon steel with chrome-III zinc plating. • Ideal for agricultural machinery and industrial equipment.

efficiency improvements, elevating the productivity of a plant by enabling a good flow in handling procedures, and guaranteeing high quality of products through damage limitation. Often, staff requirements can be reduced.

Electronic proportional flow control C.Matic www.cmatic.it Piranhaflex™ Non-Conductive Hydraulic Hoses • Series PF267NC has improved flexural rigidity offering increased flexibility for medium pressure hydraulic oil and lubrication lines.

• Series PFLT364 for medium pressure Hydraulic lines for fork trucks in cold storage applications.

• New P400 Portable Service hose crimper.

The electronic flow control valve from C.Matic includes a circuit board, dc motor, tiny gearbox, and a needle valve. The PCB reads an electric input signal, processes it, and directs the servoactuator to move the needle valve inside an orifice. The unit ensures linear flow rate changes that are proportional to electrical inputs. One version has a built-in non-return valve that regulates air flow in one direction and permits free passage in the opposite direction. The valve self-compensates for hysteresis and

Phone: (847) 755-0360 | Fax: (847) 885-0996 360 E. State Parkway • Schaumburg, IL 60173 sales@kuriyama.com

www.kuriyama.com

Product World_4-19_vs4.indd 68

has a resolution of 0.05% f.s. and repeatability of ±0.025% f.s. Maximum flow at 6 bar (and 1 bar differential) ranges from 425 to 1,300 Nl/min.

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DOWNTIME IS NOT AN OPTION Our hydraulic clamping nuts are made with precision and can hold 10,000 PSI for weeks, keeping your machines running quality steel for longer.

Amtec Hydraclamp products are designed with technical engineering and quality control at the forefront, to help you solve your operating challenges and improve productivity, quality, safety, and profitability. THAT’S THE AMTEC ADVANTAGE.

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Higginson Equipment 04-19_FPW.indd 69

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COMPONENT FOCUS

Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor

How do you determine pressure drop through fittings?

In a recent fluid power webinar, I was presenting on Selecting & Sizing the Proper Fitting and I was asked a viewer question I had no good answer to. Near the latter portion of the webinar, I had been discussing pressure drop through fittings. Ensuring a healthy, unimpeded path for hydraulic fluid to flow saves critical energy for useful work, rather than just pushing molecules. The excessive use of tees, elbows and adapters creates pressure drop, so such fittings should be avoided, if possible.

I had explained the factors for pressure drop through a fitting; diameter, flow rate, radius of bend, surface finish and Reynolds Number. Of course, most of you know there is a direct relationship between conduit diameter, flow rate and pressure drop. The higher the flow rate or smaller the fitting, the higher the pressure drop. It should be noted that pressure drop increases exponentially as diameter decreases … that’s how much fitting size affects energy loss.

Less considered, bend radius is how tightly fluid is forced to change direction in a tube, hose or fitting. In the image, two 90° elbows are compared. One fitting’s internals smoothly transition its radius with little drama, ensuring flow is closer to laminar, which prevents excessive backpressure. The other forged and machined elbow fitting more severely alters the fluid path, which creates backpressure as oil loses energy changing direction.

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Picture, if you will, the extreme waterslide at your local amusement park … you know, the one with the trap door and fifty-foot plummet?

The slide door opens and drops you straight down for ten feet before your posterior contacts the slide to start changing your direction from vertical to horizontal, and with surprising ease and speed, your plummet is managed safely. Now imagine the trap door opens, and you fall twenty feet and land with a thud. In front of you is a dark tunnel. However, you’ve lost all forward momentum, and not until more bodies are dropped to force you down the tunnel, your energy is lost.

My example is extreme, but important nonetheless. It takes energy to turn a 90° corner, and the concept isn’t lost in fluid power.

The combination of the bend radius and the smoothness of the walls of the conduit contribute to the Reynolds Number, which is just a dimensionless description dependant on other things like viscosity. The Reynolds Number is defined using the following, which I don’t expect you to calculate or memorize, but have a look at the factors:

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4/16/19 3:51 PM

COMPONENT FOCUS

where DH is the hydraulic diameter of the pipe (the

inside diameter if the pipe is circular) (m), Q is the volumetric flow rate (m3/sec), A is the pipe’s cross-sectional area (m2), u is the mean velocity of the fluid (m/sec), μ (mu) is the dynamic viscosity of the fluid, ν (nu) is the kinematic viscosity, and ρ is the density of the fluid (kg/m3).

I’m only showing you the equation to point out its complication for everyday use in understanding pressure drop through the fittings you choose for your hydraulic system. There must be a better way, and it’s where the viewer I spoke about earlier comes into the picture. They had asked me if manufacturers publish pressure drop for the fittings they sell – and I couldn’t answer that question. I had certainly never seen such pressure drop numbers published in any catalog, but I said I’d research it.

After extensive research, I came up with … nothing. Well, almost nothing if it weren’t for Gates. Gates has a calculator on their website that allows you to spell out parameters including flow rate, hose diameter and length, fluid properties and then the number of fittings and adapters. It lets you choose between elbows, adaptors and tees, or even straight couplings. In two tests, I chose ½ in. hose, 12 gpm and standard hydraulic fluid properties. One test had no fittings and the other about a dozen tees and elbows. The second test results in an added 200 psi of pressure drop through my system.

So not the fitting-by-fitting list of pressure drops which would make it easy and obvious which to choose, it’s a great tool to benchmark your current system and see where you could stand to improve efficiency. Even by playing around with the calculator, you can gauge how dramatic fittings, elbows and tees reduce energy by way of backpressure. There are fluid dynamics modeling software packages available, especially for existing CAD programs, but these are expensive to buy and license. If you want a simple and repeatable way to estimate pressure drop through fittings, the Gates Fluid Flow Pressure Calculator is fantastic.

It used to skew and chatter.

Now it runs like a Swiss watch.

This press applies up to 3000 tons to form composite automobile panels. Delta’s RMC does multi-axis control of position and pressure to keep every moving part in perfect synchronization.

Look to Delta RMC motion controllers and graphical RMCTools software to make complex motion design easier, smoother, and more precise.

Call 1-360-254-8688 or visit deltamotion.com Find case studies like this about Wuxi LANLI Machine Tool Co., Jiangsu, China, and many others. Watch training videos to see how Delta motion can make everything work in perfect, precise harmony.

Delta RMC Motion Controller Family

FPW

1 to 32 axes

4 • 2019

FLUID POWER WORLD

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AD INDEX

Adaptall....................................... 25

Hunger Hydraulics....................... 18

Adsens Technology..................... 66

HYDAC Technology Corporation... 7

Anchor Fluid Power..................... 21

J.W. Winco, Inc............................ 37

AutomationDirect......................... 1

Kawasaki Precision Machinery.... 14

AutomationDirect..................Insert

Kuriyama..................................... 68

Brennan Industries...................... 19

Kurt Hydraulics.............................. 3

Daman Products......................... 67

Main Manufacturing..................... 8

Delta Computer Systems............ 71

Milwaukee Cylinder.................... 13

DMIC........................................... BC

MP Filtri USA Inc......................... 41

Doering Co.................................. 60

O+P SrL.......................................... 4

Dura-Bar...................................... 31

RYCO Hydraulics.......................... 39

Elesa U.S.A. Corp......................... 27

Servo Kinetics, Inc......................... 9

Fabco-Air, Inc............................... 61

Smalley Steel Ring...................... IBC

Flow Ezy Filters............................ 40

Spartan Scientific........................ 50

FluiDyne Fluid Power.................. 63

Stauff Corporation........................ 5

FPTC............................................ 33

Super Swivels................................ 2

Gefran......................................... 32

Texcel Rubber.............................. 15

GRH Power.................................. 11

Tompkins Industries, Inc......... IFC,8

HAWE Hydraulik.......................... 53

Veljan Hydrair.............................. 29

LEADERSHIP TEAM Co-Founder, VP Sales Mike Emich 508.446.1823 memich@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_memic Co-Founder, Managing Partner Scott McCafferty 310.279.3844 smccafferty@wtwhmedia.com @SMMcCafferty EVP Marshall Matheson 805.895.3609 mmatheson@wtwhmedia.com @mmatheson

FOLLOW US ON

Follow the whole team on twitter @FluidPowerWorld

Higginson Equipment.................. 69

fluidpowerworld.com pneumatictips.com mobilehydraulictips.com sealingandcontaminationtips.com hoseassemblytips.com

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4/16/19 9:14 AM

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