Ken Korane

Mobile and industrial hydraulics supplier Danfoss Power Solutions, Nordborg, Denmark, has launched its Aeroquip by Danfoss EC881 Dynamax hose. This two-wire braided hose reportedly offers higher reliability and extended service life versus similar products, reducing maintenance time, costs, and waste. EC881 hose is said to outperform standard EN 857 type 2SC hose specifications with a […]

Nearly 30 years ago, the late Bob Koski of Sun Hydraulics made a provocative presentation titled “Fluid Power Education – What went wrong?” He noted that every mechanical and electric engineer learns about electrical power actuation and motion control, but only about 5% of mechanical engineering graduates learn about fluid power actuation and control. The […]

Early in my engineering career, the fluid-power company where I was employed received a request from the U.S. Navy for seven hydraulic fittings made of the superalloy Inconel. Fulfilling the order would be a major headache. Purchasing a single bar of the exotic material, much of which would go unused, would be incredibly expensive. Add…

At last week’s 2022 Maha Fluid Power Conference at Purdue University, Chris Williamson of Danfoss presented Digital Fluid Power Systems: Challenges, Opportunities and “Critical Mass.” In his talk, he discussed some of the basics and offered his thoughts on the industry’s readiness for digital systems. Let’s start with the idea of critical mass, said Williamson.…

The 2022 Maha Fluid Power Conference was held last week at Purdue University. Katharina Schmitz, Director of the Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems (IFAS) at Germany’s RTWH Aachen University presented the opening keynote, “Sustainable Construction – New Challenges for Mobile Machinery.” Here are some of Dr. Schmitz’s key comments and takeaways that are…

Environmental regulations for road vehicles are becoming increasingly stringent, and one way to reduce CO2 emissions may be to eliminate mechanical V-belts or power take-offs from future commercial vehicles. Energy-efficient electrohydraulic systems, such as the latest Smart PowerPacks from Bucher Hydraulics, provide a viable alternative. Last year, the EU adopted a European Climate Law with […]

The world’s largest industrial technologies trade show returns to Hannover Messe May 30 to June 2. The Hannover Fair, considered by many to be the world’s foremost trade fair for industrial technology, will run May 30 to June 2 in Hannover, Germany. Its lead theme “Industrial Transformation” includes hydraulic and pneumatic technologies on display in…

Hydraulically powered unit is the first to cut rectangular tunnels in hard rock. Circular, full-face tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are well-engineered, proven pieces of equipment, and they’re considered the most efficient machines for mechanical excavation of tunnels in rock. But they are not often used in underground mining. That’s because mines generally require a flat […]

Mobile-equipment and controls manufacturers Ammann, Palfinger, Prinoth, Rosenbauer and TTControl, a unit of Hydac International, today announced their collaboration on application-oriented systems as part of the new Autonomous Operation Cluster (AOC). The multinational companies will jointly develop key technologies for autonomous operation elements for series production of mobile machinery functions and off-highway vehicles. The aim […]

Europe’s overreliance on imported natural gas from Russia has been a shocking wake-up call in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last year, the European Union imported more than 400 million cubic meters per day of natural gas — almost 40% of the EU’s total gas consumption — mainly for power generation and heating. Europe…

The new directional control valve type ROLV from HAWE Hydraulik is a directional valve and shut-off valve in one. With a CETOP 3 standard connection pattern it can be integrated directly into valve banks as a flexible control block. Connection blocks for direct pipeline installation are also available. In use, the machine designer and plant…

HANSA-FLEX has developed a hydraulic hose line series for high pressures and extreme applications up to 450 bar (6,527 psi). These hose products also perform reliably under highly dynamic loads such as encountered on hydraulic presses and hydrostatic drives. In addition, the premium hose line series is DNV-approved for use in the maritime sector and […]

Terzo Power Systems, headquartered in El Dorado Hills, California, designs and develops electrohydraulic pump systems for on- and off-highway mobile vehicles and industrial applications. The company has entered a partnership with Continental/Hydreco, leading manufacturers of mobile hydraulics, to build steering and electrohydraulic systems for global OEMs. Continental and Hydreco are both part of Duplomatic Motions […]

Parker Hannifin has introduced the newly developed proprietary ToughShield Plus zinc-nickel surface treatment for all tube fittings and adapters worldwide. With this new development, Parker is bringing the zinc-nickel plating technology to the next level for widely varying industrial, mobile and process markets. According to the company, the plating provides excellent resistance for increased corrosion […]

In our recent post, “Auxiliary hydraulics: How to match attachments and machines,” George Macintyre and Ted Polzer of CASE Construction Equipment explained the fundamentals of auxiliary hydraulics, and how to best fit machines like skid steers and CTLs with hydraulic attachments like grapples, backhoes or brooms. Here are 11 more practical tips for any user. […]

Skid steers and compact track loaders (CTLs) are two of the most useful pieces of mobile equipment, tackling jobs ranging from construction and landscaping to brush cutting and snow removal. Adding attachments to the machines makes them all that much more versatile. In a recent CASE LIVE presentation, “Understanding Auxiliary Hydraulics and Attachment Settings,” product […]

Vacuum technology is essential for safely handling food products without damage or waste. Justin Katz • Manager, Vacuum Automation Components Group • Schmalz Inc. • Raleigh, N.C. The world wastes about 1.4 billion tons of food every year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The United States alone annually discards nearly 40 […]

Up until now, mobile electrification efforts were a shot across the bow of the hydraulics industry. Doosan Bobcat just hit it broadside. At this year’s CES 2022 in Las Vegas, the company premiered a new all-electric Bobcat T7X compact track loader, said to be the first machine of its kind to be fully electric and […]

Machine manufacturers are increasingly looking for ways to improve the efficiency of fluid power systems, both for sustainability reasons and for the bottom line. At last month’s NFPA/FPIC quarterly meeting, Neal Gigliotti, Manager, Applications at Bosch Rexroth Corp. discussed some environmentally friendly techniques for advancing industrial machinery designs, and why they’re important. “Making hydraulics eco-friendly…

Machine manufacturers are often perceived to be the cause of high carbon emissions. Schroeder Industries, a supplier of advanced fluid conditioning systems for the hydraulics, fuels and process industries, is helping address climate change by embracing innovative technologies that support eco-friendly fluid power systems. They call this initiative Schroeder 2030. With Schroeder 2030, the company […]

Doosan Bobcat has introduced its new, all-electric Bobcat T7X compact track loader at the CES 2022 show in Las Vegas. The T7X is said to be the first machine of its kind to be fully electric and, according to company officials, offers the benefits of eliminating hydraulic systems, emissions and vibrations while providing cleaner, quieter […]

Given the heightened attention on climate change and growing regulatory attempts to rein in CO2 emissions, the push toward electrification of mobile equipment is gaining momentum. Mobile OEMs are in the infancy of a major transformation toward electric-powered systems, but success in large part hinges on more-efficient fluid power systems. Why does hydraulic efficiency matter? […]

Manufacturers of mobile machines must decide whether to control their pumps using pressure, torque or swivel angle — and always have to accept compromises as a result. The same applies to numerous other hardware parameters which, once defined, stay the same throughout a machine’s service life. According to Simon Dreher, an excavator industry specialist with […]

Mobile machines have to meet widely differing requirements. To get to a job site, they need good off-road capability. While they are working, however, high rigidity and stability are essential. Add to that are increasingly demanding safety and environmental regulations. Swing-axle cylinders are built to fulfill all these requirements. According to engineers at Bucher Hydraulics, […]

Manufacturers from all sectors have recognized that electric drives are an important building block for future viable, sustainable mobile machines. To support and encourage the electrification of off-highway equipment, Bosch Rexroth is now presenting the eLION product portfolio. The eLION family covers a wide range of components, including a full range of electric motor-generators, inverters […]