Engineering Basics

By Ron Marshall Improving the efficiency of your air compressor system doesn’t always require a large investment. Small, cost-effective changes can lead to significant energy savings, reduced operational costs, and a longer system lifespan. Here are five practical and low-cost strategies to boost the efficiency of your air compressor.   Fix leaks Air leaks are […]

Compressed air systems naturally generate condensate as moisture in the air condenses during compression and cooling. If this condensate is not properly managed, it can accumulate in the system, particularly in uninsulated outdoor pipes. During winter, when temperatures drop below freezing, this condensate can turn into ice, leading to significant operational and safety issues. Freezing […]

By Ron Marshall The short answer is “as cool as possible, but not below freezing.” The practical answer is uncomfortably cool, in the range of 50° to 60° F. Keeping the temperature low reduces the amount of condensed moisture in the discharge air and makes things easier for the air dryer. Compressors generate significant heat […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor As the last article in the series on laboratory-based hydraulic oil analyses, we thought we’d provide a single article to recap the tests in one convenient location. For the past six months we’ve discussed just as many topics important to your predictive maintenance program. Each one of these parameters is […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Hydraulics is a venerable technology as mature as any competing force transfer system outside of straight mechanical conveyance. Most recent hydraulic advancements aren’t from any fundamental changes in the pump, valves and actuators used in hydraulic systems but rather from the implementation of increasingly advanced electronic technology. Early fluid power […]

When working with desiccant-style compressed air dryers, there are several factors to consider, to ensure optimal performance and efficiency. Desiccant dryers rely on two towers filled with desiccant material that alternately dry the air and regenerate, to maintain continuous operation. The regenerative purge is essential to removing the moisture collected by the desiccant, but it […]

Preparing an industrial compressed air system for cold winter conditions is essential to ensure reliable operation, prevent equipment failures, and avoid costly downtime. Cold weather introduces unique challenges, such as moisture buildup, freezing, and increased system stress — all of which must be addressed to keep the system running efficiently. Proactive preparation can safeguard your […]

When performing leakage detection on your compressed air system with your ultrasonic leak detector (if you don’t have one, good grief, run out and get one!), you will run across various leaks in piping and equipment. Many of these are small, so roughly less than $100 value per year. But quite often, you will find […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Pascal’s Law, a fundamental principle of fluid power, explains how pressure in an enclosed fluid is uniformly transmitted to move and support loads. Sometimes, we fluid power professionals can’t see the forest for the trees. We take for granted the first-day education we experienced in college or university that provided…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor There are three ways to plumb a hydraulic system — rigid systems, flexible systems or a combination of the two. Rigid systems include pipe and various forms of tube, while flexible systems are assembled using only hydraulic hose. Most machines today are created using a combination of fixed plumbing, where […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor From selecting the right fluid to keeping machines clear of snow, regular cold weather hydraulic preparation and maintenance will ensure smooth and consistent machine operation from start-up. As I sit here writing this article about cold weather hydraulic maintenance, the temperature in my Canadian city hovers around 77°F (25°C). Usually,…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Although a hydraulic machine could run off highly crude forms of hydrocarbons, without a complement of additives, the performance and longevity of your hydraulic machine would suffer. Welcome to Part Seven of the Hydraulic Oil Analysis series, where we dig deep into the various additives that are always or usually […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor When I sat in my first fluid power class 18 years ago, I remember learning about built-in contamination and how the reservoir was the biggest offender. The welds and their slag were the biggest problems, the teacher stated, but a close second was the debris from pipe threading machines. Looking […]

I never thought I’d be writing this article, even if you asked me a year ago. Mobile hydraulic machines are often high-powered beasts with insatiable power demands that traditionally disqualified battery power. However, the proliferation of electric passenger vehicles has funnelled investment dollars into battery technology, which has trickled down into other industries. By removing […]

By Donald Krause, Industry Consultant, Ohio Fabricators Company Exploring the basics of spin-on filters: design and functionality Spin-on filters have cemented their position as a cornerstone of liquid filtration and tank breather applications, thanks to their unique design and operational efficiencies. These filters consist of a self-contained housing and filter element assembly, which facilitates straightforward […]

In this blog post, we will discuss the fifth of five industrial compressor capacity control modes. A very efficient method of controlling a compressor at part load using variable speed mode. With this type of compressor, an electronic drive is fitted to a specially designed compressor with air end components matched to the intended speed […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor During everyone’s basic training in fluid power, we talk about “spring-centered” this and “spring-retract” that. Springs are used in nearly every component in hydraulics; valves, pumps and cylinders. So prolific in hydraulic components that it’s clear we’re taking springs for granted. Ground compression springs are used in most pressure valves…

In this blog post, we will discuss the third of five industrial compressor capacity control modes. A moderately efficient method of controlling a compressor at part load uses load/unload mode with adequately sized storage receiver capacity. With this mode, a pressure switch, or electronic control, is used to provide load and unload signals to the […]

In this blog post, we will discuss the second of five industrial compressor capacity control modes. The least efficient method of controlling a compressor at part load is using modulating mode by way of pneumatically controlled inlet valve control. With this mode, a pneumatic system detects the compressor discharge pressure and compares it to a […]

In this blog post, we will discuss the first of five industrial compressor capacity control modes. The simplest method of controlling a compressor is Start/Stop mode using pressure switch control. This control simply turns on the compressor to run at full load when the pressure hits a lower pressure level — and turns off the […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor This is part 6 in this series on hydraulic oil analysis, and if you’ve missed any of the previous issues, you can find them here — part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5. I’ve covered everything from viscosity to water saturation already, and we’re not done […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor One of the few disadvantages of hydraulics is the mass added to components capable of withstanding thousands of pounds of pressure. Of course, the raison d’ệtre of hydraulics is the transfer of pressurized fluid to achieve work. But do high-pressure components have to be high mass, especially on mobile machines? […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor In part 5 of this series covering hydraulic oil analysis, we move on to discuss acidity. As it pertains to hydraulic oil, we need to know the total amount of acidic substances found within the sample. Most commonly referred to as the Total Acid Number, or TAN for short, the […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor If your hydraulic cylinder is moving slowly and you’re reading this article, your cause is not likely a lazy operator. Your situation is obviously one where an expected performance isn’t being met, or there was a sudden and dramatic slowdown of your cylinder velocity. Diagnosing the cause of a cylinder…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Hydraulic hoses come in many sizes and designs, and the expression of each design is a result of the purpose of that hose. Generally, there are three common locations where a hose is used in a hydraulic system: suction lines, working lines and return lines. Each location has its own […]