Fluid Power World Magazine Articles

David Marlowe • Owner/CEO • DMAR Technical Training and DMAR Business Centers USA Approximately 80% of all hydraulic component failures are attributed to surface degradation caused by contamination and corrosion. Proper filter selection and sizing will provide years of reliable equipment operation and save money that is lost in fighting contamination-related failures. The cost of…

J. Eric Freimuth • Hydraulic Training Associates Accumulators are devices that store energy in the form of fluid under pressure. Because of their ability to store excess energy and release it when needed, accumulators help improve hydraulic efficiency. Industrial hydraulic accumulators are typically classified as hydro-pneumatic. They apply a force to a liquid by using…

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor Whether it’s profiles or rods and rolls, in many applications steelworks are requiring higher accuracies for the linearity of their products. For workpieces up to 30 m long and diameters up to 800 mm, MAE Maschinen-und Apparatebau Götzen designed a large-part straightening machine with more flexibility and better…

Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor With the barrage of information, we’re exposed to daily from television, newspaper, radio, magazines and online media, few hours in the day involve freedom from being reminded how important it is to be mindful of our energy consumption. Let’s face it, we’re not any less reliant on energy than we…

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor NFPA Chairman Jeff Stuart expressed earlier this year that the organization and its Board of Directors are increasing its focus on a set of clear, high-level objectives. These objectives, referred to as “ends” statements, describe the major ends or outcomes the NFPA wishes to achieve. Of the six…

Mike Santora • Associate Editor The challenge to find high caliber talent for the industrial distribution industry is greater than ever. That is a task the Industrial Careers Pathway (ICP), an alliance of trade associations like NAHAD and others, is working to overcome. To do this, ICP is advocating for more participation by distributors in…

This article was updated on March 16, 2016, with updated text and new images. What is a gauge? A gauge is any device designed to measure the intensity of a particular type of energy or quality. A light meter is a device that converts photon energy into electrical current so it can measure the intensity…

Michelle DiFrangia  •  Assistant Editor “Most education is theoretical; the practical application for what’s being taught never comes through.” — Larry Davis, President, Daman Products Davis’ quote applies to many industries besides fluid power. There needs to be a push toward hands-on project-based learning across all fields. “My experiences in college, what I remember, are…

David Marlowe  •  Owner/CEO  •  DMAR Technical Training and DMAR Business Centers USA When designing a hydraulic system, it is important to understand the difference between cavitation and aeration—and understand the damage they can create. As previously discussed in our April issue, it is critical to maintain proper fluid levels in the reservoir to ensure…

Paul J. Heney  •  Editorial Director You’ll likely notice that most issues of have a particular focus on students and fluid power education. While it’s common to see “students are our future” type statements in most any industry, I think we can all admit that getting kids—heck, even college engineering students—interested in hydraulics or pneumatics…

Whether you closely follow the stock market or only occasionally peek at your 401(k) balance, it’s been a rough ride over the last couple months. The Dow Industrials, S&P 500 and other major indices fell into “correction” territory—off more than 10% from highs of a couple months ago. Even worse is the beating fluid power…

Improper fluid levels in a hydraulic system can cause a number of difficult and sometimes even catastrophic failures. For example, having too much hydraulic fluid in the reservoir can cause the reservoir to overflow when a differential cylinder retracts. On the other hand, having too little fluid in the reservoir can introduce air into the…

Edited by: Michelle DiFrangia • Assistant Editor Proper component selection is critical to design a safe hydraulic system. Although couplings are a small component, they play a major role in hose assembly safety. A hose end coupling connects the hose with a port, adapter, another coupling, or attachment such as a quick disconnect. A mismatched…

David Marlowe • Owner/CEO • DMAR Technical Training and DMAR Business Centers USA The fluid level in a hydraulic and lube oil system reservoir is often overlooked—and taken for granted. Fluid flow is the action in the hydraulic system that transfers the energy to perform the work. In addition, the fluid flow cools system components,…

We are in the midst of another industrial revolution, but this one has us with our heads in the clouds and our hands ready to cut the wires. We all know fluid power is a multifaceted technology, but it is also a mature one. Changes are coming, however, as companies look to tie fluid power…

Shock Absorbers and dampers work to provide smooth deceleration of a given payload. A pneumatic or hydraulic shock absorber will use fluid or gas power for deceleration, and a spring to return the piston to its initial position. However, linear dampers typically do not. They facilitate the smooth closing of hinged doors, such as garage…

Hydraulic motors and pumps are used in outdoor environments that are often dusty and dirty. These environments can be damaging to shaft seals simply because grit will work its way in between the shaft and sealing area. Once started, this begins to abrade the elastomer, altering the shaft surface finish in the sealing area. Seal…

In manufacturing, bottlenecks in the production process decrease efficiency and ultimately cost money. A large U.S. manufacturer of cast steel and aluminum automotive wheels was experiencing a bottleneck at the de-flashing operation. In this highly automated operation, robots pick up freshly cast wheels and load them into a machining center where the flashing from the…

By David Marlowe • Owner/CEO • DMAR Technical Training and DMAR Business Centers USA Previously, I have written about the importance of knowing your hydraulic fluid’s viscosity and offered tips on keeping your oil contaminant-free. Now it’s time to discuss the heart of the hydraulic and lube oil system—the system reservoir. The typical reservoir is constructed…

While the basic design of iron and coke blast furnaces is centuries old, today’s steel makers are looking for ways to produce molten iron with increased production and efficiency. That’s why one of the world’s largest steel producers in China turned to Woodings Industrial, a manufacturer of metals industry equipment, to improve a key blast…

Written by: Steve Meyer, contributing editor Testing wind power turbines doesn’t just require megawatts of drivetrain power, it requires sophisticated hydraulic control systems and high performance actuators to simulate blade loads. Today’s wind turbines are rated at 4 megawatts with new wind farm projects being proposed using 6 megawatt and larger units. New wind turbines…