Fluid Power World April 2016

Electrohydraulic controls improve ship stability p.40

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Understanding proper air preparation p.48

Spotlight on offline filtration p.56

April 2016

Hydraulics define the evolution of construction machinery PAGE 32

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Few bright spots for 2016 from economist Sarah Hunter of Oxford Economics painted a less-than-rosy picture at the recent NFPA Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Here’s a recap of some of what she shared with the audience of fluid power manufacturers, distributors and users.

• Growth in the global economy has been barely greater than 2%, which is the slowest growth since 2009, when we had “an outright contraction.” Much of this, she feels, is due to financial stress from the system. And things are not going well in Japan, Europe, Brazil and Russia.

• On the positive side, households are enjoying the low oil prices. Spending is up for households, which will support growth and become a key positive driver again. Property prices are still going up and new houses are being built. Hunter said that if we see a decline in construction or property prices, we could go from an “amber alert” to a “red alert” status for the economy as a whole.

• Quite a few developed economies are already experimenting with what are deemed negative interest rates or negative policy rates. That seems to be the new circuit breaker, and the question is: Will that work?

• For the U.S., Hunter’s firm is calling it “a muffled whistle,” which she said means a weak end to 2015 and a not exactly positive start to 2016. Growth in Q4 of 2015 was less than 1% per annum on an annualized basis. For Q1 of 2016, they will hopefully see things squeaking up toward 2%, but there are downside risks, too, so it likely will be below that number.

• The headwinds for the U.S. are predominantly external, and from two main places. One is weaker global growth; there’s slow growth in China, which makes the news a lot, but it’s a widespread phenomenon. Other emerging markets are struggling, as well. The second is that the U.S. is also having to battle the strengthening of the dollar. The dollar is strengthening against pretty much every currency over the last year or so, and has moved by quite a lot in some cases. That is a challenge because it makes us more expensive compared to everyone else producing elsewhere in the world. This is particularly felt in industry and manufacturing.

• When you dig into the data, only 26% of the manufacturing sector is actually contracting at the moment. The problem is those areas are contracting by a lot and they’re able to pull down the average. It’s not a downturn like it was in 2009, where it was wholesale— everyone was struggling. It’s very targeted at the moment. Because of that, Hunter’s firm doesn’t expect to see a recession across the whole economy.

FPW

Paul J. Heney Editorial Director pheney@wtwhmedia.com

On Twitter @DW_Editor 2

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vol 3 no 3

April 2016

C ontents |

|

fluidpowerworld.com

F E AT U R E S MOBILE HYDRAULICS

Hydraulics define the evolution of construction machinery

32

Efficiency and controllability are key choices construction equipment manufacturers look for in modern hydraulic technologies.

MARINE HYDRAULICS Electrohydraulic controls improve ship stability

40 48

Even the roughest seas are no match for the power density, speed and accuracy of hydraulics.

PNEUMATICS

Why you need to understand proper air preparation

48

D E PA R T M E N T S

02 Editorial

Pneumatic products, systems, and machines require clean compressed air to operate efficiently and reliably.

FILTRATION

Offline filtration ensures cleanrunning, efficient machines

Portable filter carts and permanently mounted sytems are key tools for keeping your hydraulic fluid contaminant free. Here’s a rundown on how they work and a spotlight on several models.

08 Korane’s Outlook 10 Association Watch

56

14 Energy Efficiency 16 Design Notes 14

20 Research & Development

16

24 Fundamentals 28 Maintenance 30 Training 63 Product World 68 Ad Index

ON THE COVER

Modern construction machinery relies on electrohydraulic controls and hydraulic hybrid technology to improve efficiency and operations.

6

2015

revenue over $3 million

Image courtesy of Dana Holding Corp.

FLUID POWER WORLD

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

The looming crisis in hydraulic repair Quality, cost and overall value have always been important considerations when it comes to hydraulic repairs. But some industry experts say the influx of aftermarket replacement parts, mostly from China, have tilted the value scale to the low end—and equipment users are the ultimate losers.

As a bit of background, the majority of hydraulic repair shops in the U.S. are small, “mom-and-pop” shops that do everything from crimping hose to fixing pumps. They say the big hydraulic component manufacturers generally have viewed them with a laissez-faire attitude in terms of engineering support and availability and price of repair parts.

Hydraulics manufacturers counter that small shops rarely invest in the latest technology, test equipment and training to facilitate high-quality repairs.

Image courtesy of Engineering Technology Services

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Regardless of who’s at fault, economic strains in the slowgrowth U.S. market have smaller repair companies under pressure to cut costs. And as a result, it created a foothold for low-cost aftermarket parts.

“The Chinese presence in the hydraulic component replacement market is enormous compared to 10 or 15 years ago,” said Pat Dearmond, director of marketing and sales with hydraulic remanufacturer Engineering Technology Services.

“No doubt the aftermarket route can be cheaper,” he said. And unfocused, saturation marketing over the Internet makes anyone a customer.

“We worry that in the long run it takes a toll on quality,” he said. “At ETS, we remind customers of the pitfalls and dangers of reverse-engineered components.

Every aftermarket part is copied from an original OEM part and has widely varying degrees of dimensional tolerances. If they’re too high or too low the result is a pump or motor that fails or underperforms.” He has seen problems like porosity, impropersize bearings and out-of-spec material hardness, just to name a few. That leads to repaired units with poor life, compared to those rebuilt using OEM parts.

The insidious side of sub-par quality is that many end users don’t even know if a product like a Parker or Rexroth pump gets

repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts. But if it fails in short order, the original manufacturer often gets the blame.

The trend toward substandard repairs has some users foregoing rebuilds entirely. Though more expensive, when something breaks they simply replace it with a brand new unit. But it’s better than getting burned spending time and money on a repair that quickly fails, and having to do it all over again. Either way, though, it drives up costs.

Hydraulics OEMs seem to be coming around to the fact that substandard parts and repairs hurt their bottom line in terms of both brand reputation and market share lost to aftermarket suppliers. The question is, will fluid-power OEMs make the investments to ensure widespread availability of original parts, reasonable prices, component repair exchange, and 24-hr turnaround?

Or will they cede most of the market to offshore aftermarket manufacturers? If it’s not addressed in the next few years, it’s ultimately to the detriment of most hydraulics users.

FPW

www.fluidpowerworldonline.com

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

The NFPA has elected Tricia Fulton to be the Chair of the Board of Directors for the 2016–17 fiscal year.

Tricia Fulton to Chair NFPA Board of Directors The National Fluid Power Association has elected Tricia Fulton, the Chief Financial Officer at Sun Hydraulics, to be the Chair of the Board of Directors for the 2016–17 fiscal year. Fulton is the first woman to hold the position in the Association. The election took place during NFPA’s 2016 Annual Conference in San Antonio in early March. Her appointment will begin July 1.

Fulton has been involved with the association for a number of years. She became part of the NFPA Board of Directors in 2012 and was elected to the Executive Committee in 2014. During her time on the Board, she was involved in the Inclusiveness Strategic Task Force. The Task Force set recruiting strategy, particularly aimed at distributors, and also set strategy to increase engagement among existing members, particularly younger professionals.

Her other activities include chairing the Future Leaders Network from 2012–14, becoming the first Future Leaders Chair to have a voting seat on the Board, and chairing the Econ & Stats Committee from 2013–15. During her time on the Econ & Stats Committee, a number of committee initiatives broadened the scope of the data available to NFPA members, and increased engagement in the association’s market information services.

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FLUID POWER WORLD

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NFPA seeks commitments for Proposed Fluid Power and Applied Mechatronics Training and Education Center (FAMTEC) The funding application for FAMTEC is moving forward. If successful, funding through the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) will be awarded and launch a nationwide network of technical and community colleges that provide education and produce qualified candidates for the technical workforce needs of the fluid power industry. Twice before, the NFPA has given notice of its ongoing work in this area. As a result, 19 community colleges and 24 industry members have expressed interest in supporting this activity.

The NFPA is now entering a new phase in its planning process.

Binding commitments from interested community college and industry partners will be necessary so it can determine the most viable communities for the initial FAMTEC locations and engage the most committed stakeholders in the final planning and grant submission process.

This is a major new initiative for the NFPA but, if successful, it has the potential to improve the quality of the fluid power technical workforce in the U.S.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/13/16 5:13 PM

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

Fluid Power Innovation and Research Conference The next Fluid Power Innovation and Research Conference (FPIRC) will be held October 10–12, at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis in Minneapolis.

The NFPA and the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) invite both industry and academic researchers to submit a short abstract of their work for consideration as a presentation at the conference. Presentations should address fundamental or applied research or innovative development in fluid power or closely related fields.

FPIRC will be co-located and held in conjunction with the ASME Dynamic Systems and Controls Conference, October 12–14.

The IEOC event will take place August 15–17 at the Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, Ill. 2016 Industry and Economic Outlook Conference The Industry & Economic Outlook Conference (IEOC) is an economic event for everyone in the fluid power supply chain.

NFPA members and non-members alike are invited to attend. The event will take place August 15–17 at the Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, Ill. Focusing on the opportunities and threats associated with the economy as they relate specifically to the fluid power industry, the IEOC features industry experts that share the hard data

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Registration for the conference will open in May. FPW

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Ron Marshall • For the Compressed Air Challenge

Compressed air fail: Questionable weekend requirement An equipment parts fabricator was concerned with its high utility costs, so decided to bring in a compressed air auditor to study the compressed air system.

An industry downturn had reduced its production demand considerably, so plant management was looking to significantly reduce operating costs.

The plant compressor is a 75-hp load/unload controlled unit. A few years ago, a similar compressed air study was done—it showed 24 hour × 5 day per week operation. The new audit showed that the plant compressed air system was now operating on a 24/7 basis. In addition to this, there appeared to be a high-flow, short-duration event occurring every 10 minutes that kept the compressor loaded at a level higher than previous.

The auditor questioned why the system was running full time; the plant

14

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maintenance supervisor indicated that there was a special requirement in the boiler room. On investigation, it was found that the plant boiler required a small amount of air, less than 1 cfm for controls. A small 1-hp reciprocating compressor had previously been installed to supply this requirement, but had been removed due to failure. This removal required the 75 hp to run to replace it, and while doing so, all the plant leaks and transient demands had to be supplied too.

Calculations showed that running the compressor during the weekend consumed about $12,000 of electricity per year.

Purchase of a $500 compressor for boiler control duty could save this consumption.

Further to this, due to lower production, the main compressed air could be turned off at night, saving even more energy.

The transient demand was investigated and found to be a desiccant air dryer

installed on a laser. This dryer had not been maintained for years and had developed a large leak between towers, due to a valve failure. There were four desiccant air dryers running on a 24/7 basis in the plant even though the associated lasers operated only during daytime hours, sometimes being shut down for extended periods.

Plans are to purchase a small compressor and maintain the dryers. These will be turned off when not required.

Leakage studies are ongoing and likely to result in significant additional savings.

Management is pleased that these kinds of savings were identified.

Learn more about compressed air efficiency in our next Compressed Air Challenge seminar in your area.

FPW

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DESIGN NOTES

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Finn-Power crimpers open new opportunities

1

1. The FP175 is used when the operation requires crimping of very large hoses or reduction of

2

big pipes. It can also be used for connecting parts requiring extremely high forces.

Garrett Mine Supply recently changed its name to Garrett Industrial Supply. The company had decided the change was needed to reflect its product line and services to industries other than mining. “We started out with just mining products; today we serve paper manufacturing, timber industry, drilling industry, and repair shops with hose being a fairly large commodity,” said Jeremy Whitacre, director of operations.

16

2. With a crimping range of up to 320 mm, the FP120 is designed with soft and even die movement, using a twinpump hydraulic system that eliminates pressure shock dur-

Garrett’s corporate headquarters is located in Oakland, Md., but the company has three stores and a number of welding and repair shops. When the Morgantown location needed to replace an older model crimper, it chose the Finn-Power FP120 for the job.

ing crimping. The FP120 is also

FP120 The Finn-Power FP120 from Lillbacka is a high-speed, high-production model crimper with a crimping force of up to 280 tons. It can adjust and crimp to exact dimensions and can do so in 0.01 mm increments. The FP120 is designed with soft and even die movement, using a twin-

using semi-automatic function.

FLUID POWER WORLD

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operated by push button, pedal (optional), back stop device, or

www.fluidpowerworld.com

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Column level indicators for glycol-based solutions

pump hydraulic system that eliminates pressure shock during crimping. The FP120 is designed to handle large jobs with speed and efficiency. These models are full-scale production units. What distinguishes them are their larger die opening, strength and speed. These production units can also accommodate small and larger assemblies.

The large pass-through head design makes them suitable for crimping elbow assemblies, flange pieces and oddly-shaped parts.

In addition, the FP120 also has a versatile control system, flexible changeover from serial to single-piece production, and is operated by push button, pedal (optional), back stop device, or using semi-automatic function.

“We purchased the FP120 specifically for hydraulic hose,” said Whitacre. “At that time, we didn’t stock any of the other industrial hoses, and we only serviced the mining industry and MRO operations. That was what the crimper was designed for. When we are crimping hydraulic hose, we only have 0.006 in. in tolerance to crimp the diameter to.”

Efficiency leads to new industries “One of the best features of the FP120 for production crimping is the switch in the backstop that will automatically crimp the hoses,” continued Whitacre. “You just adjust the cycle. If you need to move metal half an inch, there is no need to let the machine fully cycle between each crimp. You can set the cycle parameters so when you crimp it with the switch in the backstop, you are minimizing the travel times for the dies. So you are making the process faster.” But the FP120 also had other uses for Garrett.

Since 2011, there has been a dramatic decline in the coal mining market. “As the coal mining business declined, we entered the oil and gas industry and soon realized that our crimping capabilities were not what they needed to be to service that industry. Our machines weren’t big enough.”

In late 2011, Garrett purchased a larger FP175 crimper that the company uses on all its industrial hose from 2 to 12 in. www.fluidpowerworld.com

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• For Glycol-based Solutions – Pyrex®* glass transparent tube available

The FP175 is used when the operation requires crimping of very large hoses or reduction of big pipes. It can be also be used for connecting parts requiring extremely high forces.

The FP175 has a crimping range of up to 320 mm, a variety of larger die sets available, horizontal construction available upon request and an included foot pedal.

“Each crimp is the same. When it crimps to a certain tolerance, it’s always spot on.

It is critical that these hoses are crimped correctly. A failure could be catastrophic, not only in injury, but also environmental cleanup,” said Whitacre.

• Maximum Visibility Even from the sides • Safe – Transparent polycarbonate front protection, removable for cleaning • High-Temp Use Stainless hardware available for service to 130°C

New capabilities...new opportunities Whitacre also explained that the FP175 gave them new capabilities. “When coal started declining in 2011, we were still learning the oil and gas market. Today, there are a many other industries that we can now service, such as construction companies.”

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DESIGN NOTES

Wireless control and hydraulics work together to help crane soar Tiffin Loader Crane’s primary focus is providing lifting, loading and handling solutions for material handling problems. The previous system of wired controls for calibrating and testing truck and rail weighing scales led to high shock loading and reduced component life. In addition, it made it difficult to perform fine movements. Proactively seeking wireless solutions in an industry that does not typically use them, Tiffin installed a customengineered system to better operate its trolley and winch functions.

Magnetek and S. G. Morris created a system solution that offers an integrated package of wireless control and hydraulics, allowing for smoother and easier operations. Enhancing equipment performance and simplifying adjustment capabilities were the goals of the new system install on the industrial scale certifying equipment. Scale test and calibration equipment determines the amount of loaded cargo and ensures the load is within road or rail limits. Several turnkey packages are available including enclosed Class 8 Truck van bodies or knuckle-boom

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Here, Tiffin’s test carts calibrate railroad and heavy capacity truck scales.

flatbed configurations. Precision weights, which are carried by a mobile transporter in the truck body, are dispatched with trolley and winch systems that raise and lower the carrier and weights to and from the ground; 3,000 to 6,000 and 8,000 lb test carts calibrate the railroad and heavy capacity truck scales.

A receiver output energizes the blocking valve, which can impede movement, to allow hydraulics to enable the trolley and winch control valves. An external limit switch is used to break the command signal to the winch coil at the proper time.

This prevents the winch function from lifting a load too far and damaging itself. If the e-stop button on the Flex Pro is used, the blocking valve signal is interrupted and inhibits oil from entering the hydraulic control valves.

The Flex Pro/MHR wireless radio control system operates the trolley function that transfers the scale carrier and testing weights in and out of the truck trailer. The wireless transmitter allows the operator to run the trolley further from the drop zone than the previous system, integrating a safer design. A Flex

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In this image we see the trolley and winch systems raise and lower the carrier and weights to and from the ground.

Pro radio remote control incorporates proportional technology and offers precise management and smooth movement of all functions. The MHR controller is easily adjustable, which allows it to be modified to operate correctly with existing valves. Adjustments were made on-site and there were no problems with startup and operation processes. A plug-and-play installation detected and replaced the previous system. The new controls produced smoother tracking and lifting motions for the trolley and winch as well as softer acceleration and deceleration movements for the truck ramp. Steadier movements decreased the risk of dropped loads and potential damage to equipment.

The system improvement included simpler adjustment and training periods, which diminished the necessary on-site repairs.

Tiffin was trained to modify the system without using a computer, which allowed the company to save time and money.

Sourcing for Tiffin was eased by S. G. Morris’ integration of a complete hydraulic system, including Magnetek’s wireless controls.

Learn ONLINE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, with interactive industrial training from CD Industrial Group Inc.

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Ken Korane • Contributing Editor

Converting pneumatic exhaust into hard cash Pneumatic systems are notoriously inefficient. Granted, in recent years researchers and manufacturers alike have made great strides in increasing energy efficiency in fluid-power systems to improve sustainability and save money. Such innovations range from no-leak systems and high-flow valves to low-friction cylinder seals and variable-speed compressor drives.

But such advances are often incremental at best. Now, researchers at Vanderbilt University hope to double the efficiency of common pneumatic actuators by recovering and reusing energy that is currently wasted.

In a project termed Pneumatic Exhaust Gas Recovery, sponsored by the NFPA, graduate student Tyler Gibson detailed the research in a recent webcast hosted by the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power. The primary goal of this research is to develop a way to retrofit current pneumatic systems and improve their efficiency, and keep costs lower than electric alternatives.

The motivation of this research is quite simple, said Gibson. Pneumatic equipment consumes roughly 0.5 Quads (0.5 quadrillion BTUs) of energy annually in the U.S. and that correlates to $10B worth of energy per year. But the average efficiency of industrial pneumatic systems is only about 15%, so billions of dollars are wasted annually due to inefficiency.

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Raising efficiency from 15 to 30% would correlate to $1.5B in annual savings, according to a 2012 Dept. of Energy report. Thus, there is enormous room for improvement with significant resulting benefits.

Researchers are exploring several methods to boost pneumatic efficiency. The main effort to date involves exhaust gas recovery, with work headed by graduate PhD candidate Joshua Cummins and undergraduate Christopher Nash. Pressurized air exiting a pneumatic cylinder—which typically vents to atmosphere—is instead routed to an accumulator where it is efficiently captured as strain energy,

Strain-energy accumulator with quick-disconnect fitting Image courtesy of Joshua Cummins and Eric Barth, presented during the CCEFP Webcast 17 June 2015. NSF Grant EEC0540834.

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and then reused as necessary in other pneumatic processes.

In essence, a strain-energy accumulator (SEA) is a rubber accumulator housed in a rigid cylindrical container.

The SEA attaches to the exhaust port of a pneumatic system and inflates like a balloon to store the still-pressurized exhaust gas.

In a basic two-cylinder system, highpressure plant air would power the first cylinder, and its exhaust would flow to the SEA. The stored gas would then be ported as needed to a second cylinder to do more work. And, in fact, SEAs have been used to power secondary pneumatic systems at pressures lower than the primary actuators, said Gibson. In theory, another accumulator and a third cylinder could be powered by the second, and so on.

In addition, electrically controlled valves can meter flow from the accumulator so the secondary process uses only the required gas, and not completely exhaust each cycle. The rest would be saved for another actuation. (View a circuit at enfieldtech.com.)

Maximum energy efficiency would theoretically increase 33% using exhaust gas recovery. But even a 20% increase would result in significant savings in pneumatic power, said Gibson.

Such a system does create backpressure in the primary cylinder, explained Eric Barth, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt and the project advisor. But pneumatic automation systems run at either too high a pressure, or are locally regulated down to a lower pressure to save energy. “Our

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system is an alternative to either of these where the system would be running on the correct differential pressure between the supply and the ‘backpressure’ of the accumulator. Tests have shown that our system can save more energy than the regulator method,” he said.

And an SEA does not affect the speed or force of the first cylinder. In a twocylinder arrangement, the system can be sized for a wide range of operating pressures that depend on the specific process. Barth envisions many practical industrial applications. “Nearly any system with multiple pneumatic actuators could be retrofitted with this technology to save energy,” he said.

In one recent application, researchers at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign demonstrated a pneumatic

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Deceleration & Vibration Technology: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Expect more than Automation Control!

Motion Control Custom control of hand forces Vibration Control Isolate unwanted vibrations

Pneumatic exhaust gas recovery demonstrator Image courtesy of Joshua Cummins and Eric Barth, presented during the CCEFP Webcast 17 June 2015. NSF Grant EEC-0540834.

powered ankle-foot orthosis with an SEA that reportedly increased device efficiency by 25%. Further testing on various industrial systems is forthcoming, said Gibson.

A second, alternative approach to the SEA method is to dynamically convert exhaust to usable energy, although those efforts are mainly theoretical at this point, said Gibson. One proposed device is a pneumatic boost converter, which would convert low-pressure, high-flow exhaust energy into high-pressure, low-flow air that can be directly fed back into the supply line.

It is analogous to an electrical dc-todc boost converter, but instead of using an inductor, switch and diode that boosts voltage by storing energy in the inductor, the pneumatic equivalent would use an inertia (possibly a small piston), valve and check valve. They’re currently modeling the concept in Simulink and hope to draw conclusions soon. www.fluidpowerworld.com

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A related idea being pursued is a dynamic Pneumatic Elastomeric Accumulator (dPEA). A dPEA combines a boost converter and an accumulator, using the latter as an energy-storage element. It’s analogous to an electrical Ćuk converter. Researchers plan to build and test systems and validate models.

If successful, they’ll install such converters on real-world equipment to gage actual improvements in pneumatic efficiency.

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FUNDAMENTALS

Ken Korane • Contributing Editor

How do you select a vacuum cup?

When it comes to gripping and moving anything from cola cans to car fenders, vacuum cups on end-of-arm tooling are incredibly versatile devices in many automated handling systems. They come in countless types, sizes, constructions and materials to suit widely varying applications. Here are some general engineering considerations for choosing the right one for a particular task.

Construction. Suction cups are available in various geometries, such as simple, circular types for general-purpose handling; extradeep cups for round or highly curved surfaces; and oval shapes for picking up long and narrow products. These cups often include molded-in structural details like exterior reinforcing ribs for added strength or interior nubs for better contact with a mating part.

Shape. Suction cups come in two general shapes, flat and bellows. Flat vacuum cups are best for handling workpieces with flat or slightly curved surfaces, such as metal and glass plates, plastic sheets and wooden boards. Properly designed, they have good rigidity and stability to handle high shear forces and can withstand forces and accelerations from fast automated-handling movements.

Bellows suction cups, on the other hand, have one or more accordion-like convolutions. This lets them compensate for varying workpiece heights and handle parts with uneven surfaces. Evacuating the bellows also creates a lifting action that can be useful to lightly grip fragile parts, like electronic parts or even chocolate candy. Bellows versions are typically used for handling curved parts like car body panels, pipes and tubes, injected molded plastic parts, and non-rigid packaged goods or shrink-wrapped products.

Interior volume. A corollary to cup shape is its interior volume. That’s important because this is the volume that must be evacuated to create a vacuum—and the holding force—to actually grip and pick up a workpiece. Flat cups have a relatively small inner volume and, thus, evacuate quickly and can grip in a short time. The total inner volume of all the cups in a system, as well as that of tubing and connectors, must be added to determine the total volume of the gripper system. From there, engineers can calculate the evacuation time based on vacuum flow capacity and, ultimately, how quickly the system can pick up a part. Finally, also consider how long it takes to supply air to the cup, to purge the vacuum and release the workpiece.

The B75P suction cup from Piab is an example of a bellows cup.

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This SAXM suction pad from Schmalz is an example of a flat vacuum cup.

Here, it handles sheet-metal parts.

FUNDAMENTALS

Materials. Vacuum cup suppliers offer a wide variety of options to suit specific application requirements. Typical examples include nitrile rubber (NBR) that’s economical, offers excellent oil resistance and is a first choice for general-purpose applications; silicone for food-grade applications; natural rubber for handling wood; polyurethane for excellent wear resistance and high strength; and fluoroelastomers for high chemical and weathering resistance.

Other common materials include options like PVC and EPDM, as well as proprietary formulations from specialty chemical manufacturers. Some come in anti-static versions for handling electronics.

Environment. Depending on the application and setting, suction cups might need to tolerate rough or porous surfaces or withstand ozone, oils, washdown solvents or steam. Operating and workpiece temperatures can be a concern, too. Some silicone products, for example, offer a temperature operating range from around −20 to 350° F (−30 to 180° C) and fluoroelastomers to nearly 400° F (200° C).

Of course, in addition to selecting the type of suction cup, engineers need to determine the holding force based on parameters like cup size, vacuum level, ambient air pressure, leakage rates, product weight, workpiece surface coefficient of friction, and the magnitude and direction of loads and accelerations. We’ll address those next month.

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Edited by: Paul J. Heney • Editorial Director

Image: istockphoto.com

MAINTENANCE

What heat means to your hydraulic system Heat in a hydraulic system can be confusing because of our limited capacity to relate to the temperatures involved. Just because you can’t hold your hand on it, it doesn’t mean it’s classified as hot, and to put it in perspective, hydraulic oil viscosity is specified at 100° F.

As temperature rises, oxidation rate accelerates and lubricity deteriorates. Of primary importance to a hydraulic system is ensuring oil is within its optimal viscosity range, and depending on the fluid chosen, this could mean a temperature range anywhere between 100 and 140° F. Although choosing oil with higher viscosity will prevent it from thinning out “as the heat gets hot,” it can’t prevent oxidation or other issues such as varnish. It’s best to keep your oil cool, relatively speaking.

A well designed, efficient hydraulic system will not require a hydraulic cooler. If your system uses a load-sensing variable displacement piston pump, unless heat is being added through the environment, there is little need for an externally

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plumbed cooler. These systems will waste minimal energy in providing your machine with the right amount of pressure and flow required at that moment. However, because of the cost and complexity of a load-sensing system, these systems are sadly rare. Using an extra-large reservoir may reduce your requirement for a cooler, but because of size and space limitations (especially on mobile machinery), giant tanks are rarely an option.

A cooler is any device that can take the heat generated by or added to a hydraulic system, and dissipate it to the environment. The two primary types are liquid-to-air and liquid-to-liquid. A basic liquid-to-air cooler is simply a radiator; essentially a spot heater with no fan, but conducts heat from the oil to its atmospheric surroundings. By adding the convection effect of forced-air, a fan blowing across the cooler increases its cooling capacity exponentially.

Forced-air coolers are the most common style, as they come in a wide range of sizes, and are

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available in dc voltage for mobile machinery, or high-voltage for industrial environments.

The quality of the heat exchanger itself can vary vastly as well, ranging from the tubeand-fin type you see on the transmission oil cooler of a pickup truck to the high-flow welded aluminum types you find on a Spring Cup car.

If you want to ramp up the cooling power in a smaller space, the most efficient cooler is the liquid-to-liquid. Water is vastly more efficient at transferring heat, so any cooler that allows oil heat to conduct to coolant heat will provide maximum cooling effectiveness. The downside, of course, is that you need continuous coolant or water flow. If you’re a steel mill sucking in tons of river water every second, you probably don’t mind. But if you’re a small machine shop, you probably don’t want to hook a garden

hose up to your cooler just to keep your machine’s draw bar cylinder cool on a hot day, so liquidto-liquid is just not an option.

And just as with forced-air coolers, the quality of a liquid-to-liquid cooler varies significantly. The basic shelland-tube cooler is still highly efficient, because of the thermal conductivity of water, but you have to throw a lot more water at them to get them to perform well. The most efficient coolers are the brazed plate type, which are extremely effective at transferring heat.

Regardless of your method in oil cooling, what is important is to keep it within a reasonable window of viscosity while preventing the damage that occurs at high temperature.

FPW

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UPDATED

3/27/2015 4:00 PM

Industrial hydraulic oil coolers, like this BOL series, help dissipate system heat into the environment. The BOL series is available for air-to-oil or water-to-oil cooling in brazed aluminum plate and bar or brazed plate construction, respectively.

Image courtesy of Thermal Transfer Products, an API Heat Transfer Co.

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TRAINING

The basics of hydraulic circuitry

Images courtesy of Eaton Corp.

David Marlowe • Owner/CEO • DMAR Technical Training and DMAR Business Centers USA

To date, we have discussed everything up to the discharge side of the hydraulic pump. In the last article we discussed the importance of a thoroughly thought-out, planned and executed proactive maintenance program and the benefits of maintaining the system instead of just operating it. Now, we will explore hydraulic circuitry by breaking the typical fluid power system into three general sections.

• Section 1: The transfer of mechanical energy into fluid velocity/fluid power • Section 2: The regulation of fluid power through the use of various valves • Section 3: The conversion of fluid power to mechanical energy by the use of an actuator

Section 1 • Power source: engine, electric motor, air motor • Pump: vane, gear, rotary screw or piston To understand how work is accomplished, one must first understand that it is nothing more than a transfer of electrical energy (electric motor) to mechanical energy (motor shaft to pump shaft) to fluid power (potential energy) to the cylinder/motor where the potential is converted 30

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to kinetic energy which provides work (Force × Movement = Work).

Energy being defined as: “the ability to do work” Work is defined as: Force × Distance In both dynamic and positive displacement pumps, the same action is accomplished by converting the mechanical energy to velocity into the fluid being pumped.

Positive displacement pumps, such as the gear, vane, rotary screw and piston types, are used almost entirely in industrial fluid power systems—where pressure is more important than volume.

Section 2 • Pressure control valve: relief valve, pressure reducing or bypass valves • Flow control valves: needle, non compensated or compensated valves • Directional control valves: 2-way, 3-way, 4-way or 5-way valves Fluid power is only present in a system when the fluid is in motion and has a higher pressure than atmospheric. The amount of fluid power flowing in a pipe is directly proportional to its gauge pressure (measured in psi) and the rate of its flow (measured in gpm).

Various valves are used to regulate maximum pressure and flow rate. Pressure control valves include the relief valve (safety), pressure reducing and bypass valves. Flow control valves regulate the flow by restricting the flow such as the needle or flow control valve.

In a system using a cylinder, the flow must be directed to either side of the piston to allow the piston to extend or retract the cylinder rod. This action can only be accomplished by reversing the flow to each side of the piston. Here, a directional control valve—which is 2-way, 3-way or 4-way—is used.

Section 3 • Mechanical power outlet: hydraulic motor, cylinder or rotary actuators Because fluid power is not often used in its fluid state, it must be converted into mechanical energy to accomplish work either in a linear or rotary motion.

Fluid from the pump is converted into motion to complete the work. Cylinders are the most common choice, as they are used in linear applications. In rotary applications, users most often use hydraulic motors, which are available in gear, vane and piston styles, as well as the less commonly used gerotor or gerolor (orbital or roller star). The least common component is the rotary actuator, which is specifically used in high-torque, heavy-duty motion applications.

The simplest hydraulic system A simple jacking system (bottle jack) is a hydraulic system that creates a high force (100 tons) at a very slow speed. The primary function of the bottle jack is to multiply and transmit force.

A one-piece unit, the jacking system consists of a reservoir, hand pump, ram and valving—all contained in a common enclosure (housing).

Although the bottle jack is a basic hydraulic system design, it transfers energy from the energy source to the work piece just like the more advanced hydraulic systems.

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Mobile machinery can use different types of drive technology to increase fuel efficiency, such as the Spicer PowerBoost hydraulic hybrid system.

Image courtesy of Dana Holding Corp.

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Hydraulics define the evolution of construction machinery Josh Cosford Contributing Editor

Efficiency and controllability are key choices construction equipment manufacturers look for in modern hydraulic technologies.

I

f you asked

my 20-year-old self to describe the typical day on a construction site, I’d probably have described the stereotypical scene: five guys standing around watching a sixth dig a ditch. Even if there was ever any truth to that statement, I have a hard time believing the mammoth construction industry could survive if it didn’t keep pace with the rest of the exponentially advancing modern world.

A critical piece of the construction puzzle is the machinery used to make the work faster, safer and more efficient. Excavators, loaders, graders and dump trucks are common at every construction site, and some of these machines rely on hydraulics for every part of their operation, including the drive wheels in most cases. Although the case for hydraulics in off-highway machinery is strong even without the influence of technology, construction companies want to do the job faster and more efficiently.

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MOBILE HYDRAULICS

Electronic controls, including joysticks, controllers and displays, help encourage safe and reliable operation of mobile machinery. These JS1-H joysticks from Danfoss are designed for heavy-duty mobile machinery.

Although my knowledge of fluid power is decent, I’m no construction industry expert. To help me with this specialty, I’ve employed the help of Wouter Leusden. Leusden started his career as an electrical engineer, but soon found himself incapable of solving non-electrical related issues. He took the opportunity to study mechanical engineering, and soon found a job as a service engineer on board vessels equipped with hydraulic driven cargo pumps, where his experience guided his fluid power career.

At Bosch Rexroth, Leusden specialized in safety of machinery and European Guidelines, and part of his extensive training was product driven. Next to designing the safety related control systems, he had the opportunity to present his knowledge at trade fairs, and also trained customers as well as colleagues in machine safety.

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development of supplier related equipment for Wärtsilä during his previous employment at Denison Hydraulics and Parker Hannifin.

I asked Leusden what he feels are the current popular trends in hydraulic technology for construction equipment. “Currently, there is a very strong development of control by wire instead of the conservative direct control,” he said. “The reason for this is electronics are easier to implement, and manufacturing costs are decreasing with the amount of products becoming available.

“Manufacturers of construction equipment are also focusing on cutting costs during manufacturing of their machinery, and a great part in which costs can be reduced is the assembly of machinery components.

In addition, manufacturers of construction equipment components have realized being able to offer plug-and-play solutions greatly enhances selling opportunities. Nowadays, suppliers offer electronic solutions for issues that could not have been dealt with hydraulically, such as with hitch control (EHR electrohydraulic hitch control),” Leusden

continued. EHR provides benefits to tractors, such as improved highway performance when the tractor is hitched to an implement, and reduces soil compaction on sensitive fields.

The advantage of power density

The mobile hydraulic industry prides itself in using high-pressure systems to take advantage of the power density of hydraulics, which is the primary reason construction machinery relies exclusively on hydraulic actuators. I asked Leusden what the current standard for construction machinery hydraulic pressure is, and where he sees it going in the future.

“Power density is directly related to effort of equipment manufacturers to minimize space and weight and at the same time be able to increase the power capacity,” he said. “Component suppliers are able to offer pumps that can handle higher pressures while being able to save on weight and dimensions. The current standard rises up to 450 bar nominal pressure for closed circuit pumps.

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MOBILE HYDRAULICS

Hydraulic hybrid technology, like Dana Corp.’s Spicer PowerBoost system, encourages machine energy efficiency, particularly in machines like front loaders. In turn, this advanced solution provides lower costs by reducing fuel consumption considerably. This is done by capturing otherwise wasted energy and putting it to work in the vehicle.

“In addition, component suppliers are developing products based on the market requirements instead of equipment suppliers designing according to what suppliers can offer,” Leusden continued. “Power density is not the only positive development, as electrohydraulic dynamics are becoming more important. The realization of stable, dynamically efficient electrohydraulic control systems will provide users more precise cultivation and smoother operation, increasing safety while providing less wear and tear of auxiliary equipment.”

Electronic controls

The industrial hydraulic machine market has long been integrated with advanced electronics in the control of fluid power, which was a natural evolution since industrial hydraulics have long been electrically operated. I asked him if construction machinery has adopted electronic control in the same way industrial hydraulics has, and if there is any potential for electric pump control, such as with a servomotor and fixed pump combination.

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“In fact, due to the low cost of electronic controls on pumps in particular, manufacturers of pumps are able to offer pump controls that normally are taken care of by separate valves, thus eliminating the need of extra equipment, and also saving on customer costs,” Leusden said. “This knowledge is directly derived from the experience component manufacturers have gained from the industrial solutions.

“An important part of these developments is the implementation of safetyrelated control systems, which are already commonly used in industrial (hydraulic) controls. Equipment on mobile platforms is regarded as ‘machines’ according to the definition of the European Machinery Directive 2006/42 EC. To reduce risks (and liability of manufacturers), safety-related control systems are becoming part of mobile machinery as well. The European Directive on Machinery forces manufactures to look at the state of the art. With electrical/ hydraulic safety related components available on the market specifically designed to protect personnel and also bystanders from

risks, mobile machinery equipment manufacturers are able to combine electronic controls with a certain level of reliability.

“This reliability is established by the manufacturer of the components by means of test and/or simulation of faults,” he continued. “In addition, performance history of components is used to determine the reliability as well. Often, these components perform the tasks (process and safety) without the use of additional equipment.

A simple example is an electronic joystick connected to a controller that activates a hydraulic valve. When an operator lets go of the joystick due to a safety breech in the surrounding area of the construction machine, the controller will de-energize the power to the hydraulic valve safely and the valve will return to a safe, de-energized position creating a safe stop of the machine.

“The reliability of the complete loop—joystick, controller and valve—can be evaluated with the safety standard ISO 13849. The reliability of the components in the loop is then calculated and a so-called Performance Level (PL) is derived. The height of the Performance Level (a to e) is to match the required Performance Level (PLr) set during the obligatory risk assess-

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MOBILE HYDRAULICS

ment. If all is done well, the manufacturer of the construction equipment has done everything in his power to manufacture a safe machine corresponding to the environment in which it is to be used. Included in the manufacturer’s evaluation is also the reasonably foreseen misuse of the machinery. The risk assessment can be done also with the use of a standard, ISO 12100.

Needless to say, these two standards make a strong duo.

“The cherry on the cake is that these two standards are also harmonized under the European Machinery Directive, which actually means that the use of these standards gives the manufacturer of the equipment a presumption of conformity according to the Machinery Directive requirements,” Leusden concluded.

Hybrid technology on the rise Because construction machinery are mostly wheeled vehicles, I posit that some form

Dana Corp. has tested its Spicer PowerBoost hydraulic hybrid technology on a variety of machines, including a Manitou MLT960 Eco-Booster 6-ton telehandler machine. Results showed a reduced fuel consumption averaging 15% across a range of duty cycles when compared with the standard MTL960 configuration. of hybrid technology would be beneficial to the construction industry, especially because of the rapid stop/start cycles of equipment such as front-end loaders. I asked Leusden if he agrees with my

assumption that there is a future in hybridization in the construction industry, either with hydro-pneumatic accumulators, or perhaps electric hybridization, to which he responded:

Bosch Rexroth uses its advanced hydraulics solutions, including its EHR electrohydraulic hitch control to assist with space and energy consumption of modern continuously variable transmissions (CVT).

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“The future is here already! Bosch Rexroth, for example, can deliver hydraulic drive solutions with CVT (continuously variable transmissions) specifically developed for energy savings. Another type of energy saving principle is the use of the flywheel with which suppliers are not only able to save on fuel consumption, but also able to meet the regulatory requirements such as TIER 4 final and Euro Stage IV.”

In this application, the flywheel is spun up to speed by absorbing inertial energy from the machine, such as has been used on F1 cars.

Other examples of hybridization have already been developed in garbage trucks.

They use a combination of a central pump/ motor and hydro-pneumatic accumulators.

The accumulator(s) will provide extra energy to the pump/motor—which is attached to

the transmission—during acceleration.

During braking, the fluid then pumps back into the accumulator(s), storing energy that would typically just be lost as heat from the vehicles brakes. This type of hybrid system can be seen on front-end loaders as well.

Finally, I gave Leusden the chance to peer into his crystal ball, and tell me what he sees coming in the next 20 years of construction equipment technology.

“Hydraulics in the construction industry will continue to be more safe, more reliable and especially more fuel efficient,” he predicted. “Main drivers for this are the regulatory requirements on safety, fuel consumption and total cost of ownership.

The latter point will trigger (if not already present) suppliers of parts and equipment to develop components that last longer, need less service and are more robust.

With technology evolving, suppliers also will develop tools to troubleshoot the equipment from distance through the Internet. With being able to monitor or even control equipment remotely, security of data and control will follow suit.”

So it’s clear hydraulically driven construction machinery will not only stay current, but also lead some other industries in the use of electronics and other technologies. So much depends economically and environmentally, that obsolescence is just not an option.

FPW

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Electrohydraulic controls improve ship stability Even the roughest seas are no match for the power density, speed and accuracy of hydraulics.

Richard Meyerhoefer Image: istockphoto.com

Regional Applications Specialist Delta Computer Systems

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For more than a century, large ships have used stabilizing fins to smooth out their ride through rolling seas.

The force that fins produce is related to the angle of the fin and the speed of the vessel through the water (Figure 1).

Fin systems are typically moved by hydraulics (Figure 2) and require active control. They are designed to use the speed of the sea water (while the ship is under way) to generate stabilizing force. This same force must be overcome by the hydraulics if the fin is to change direction.

The traditional way of controlling these devices is to use rotating distributors, small electric motors that produce sinusoidal electric drive to operate variable-delivery hydraulic pumps. The pumps connect to cylinders, which move the fins in a cyclic motion. More recently, PLCs have been employed to drive proportional hydraulic valves.

Typically, the fin controls have been designed and supplied by the manufacturer of the fin, but one control system integrator, Pinfabb SRL of Genoa, Italy, has made a business of retrofitting new fin control systems to improve the performance of older fins’ controls. Pinfabb was the first company in the world to implement digital stabilizer control technology back in 1994, and today is the only company producing stabilizer controls that reduce ships’ energy consumption by saving fuel.

Problems with controlling stabilizer fins Controlling the fins can be a difficult task, due to the following factors: • Though the two fins that are typically used on a ship are controlled independently—with two different hydraulic power units—their motion must be synchronized to keep the ship stabilized. Otherwise, the comfort on board could deteriorate, and safety could be compromised as well.

• The stabilizer fins are large and heavy pieces of equipment (6 to 15 tons each, depending on ship size), but to stabilize the ship as it rolls in the sea, they need to move very accurately and quickly—up to 15 to 20° per second.

• The stabilizing fins are typically not balanced. If the hydraulic unit that operates a fin is switched off, the fin will fall to the maximum downward angle. This is an important factor to consider in calibrating the fin position for the controller.

• Finally, consider the fact that the fins must be able to be extended outside the ship during navigation in rolling seas, but stowed so as not to create drag at other times.

If there is a problem with a fin that makes it unable to retract, the ship will be unable to dock at the next port and the smooth sailing of the vessel may otherwise be affected.

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Figure 1. The force that stabilizer fins apply to act against the rolling effect of the sea is related to the fin angle and increases as the speed of the vessel increases.

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Finding a motion controller These stabilization control issues are well understood by Pinfabb’s experienced engineering team. The company has been upgrading open-loop fin controls with closed-loop electronic controllers for years, and began looking for a better control system that offered higher performance and more precise operation.

The Pinfabb engineers first tried using PLCs to control variable speed hydraulic pumps, but found that this method couldn’t move the fins fast enough—or with adequate precision to meet their energy-saving design goals.

Then Pinfabb CTO Matt Fabbricotti tried some board-level computers as controllers for the hydraulics, but he wasn’t fully satisfied by these. Fabbricotti looked for a reliable controller with some special capabilities for electrohydraulic controls. Discussions with his local hydraulics distributor brought him to the RMC-75E from Delta Computer Systems.

As the Delta controller can control two motion axes simultaneously, only one motion controller unit was required to handle the positioning of both fins.

Fabbricotti installed the controller directly on one of his customers’ ships and was quickly able to get it working.

“This was the moment when I decided

Figure 2. A view of the hydraulic plant inside the ship (within the red oval).

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to implement the RMC-75E motion controller on all our products,” he said.

“Its ease of use, reliability and the easy way that the motion of the axes can be plotted and adjusted using Delta’s software, together with the large amount of control settings that are supported by the controller, made me fall in love with this product.”

In the Pinfabb system, the RMC75E can get its position feedback for the stabilizing fins from different sources.

Because the system the company installs is a retrofit to whatever fin controls were previously in place, the sensors that are used can vary depending on what type of mechanical connection to the fins the Pinfabb designers can achieve.

Often, position information comes from potentiometers connected with the rotational movement (up and down) of the fin, but sometimes rotary encoders and linear transducers are used.

The role of the PC The motion controller (Figure 3) connects to an industrial PC that evaluates the data regarding the ship motion. The Pinfabb PC uses this data to optimize the fin angle in a way that permits the ship to lose less energy as it travels compared to using traditional fin control. The PC computes the most optimum angle of attack that the fins must have, and then sends motion instructions to the RMC through Ethernet. In turn, the motion controller rotates the fin by activating a proportional valve that operates a cylinder, called the tilting cylinder, which moves the fin up and down, changing its angle. In some cases (depending on the manufacturer of the fin system), rotation is done using a hydraulic vane motor, which is mounted inside the fin and acts like a bi-directional rotating piston.

Pinfabb’s industrial PC (which contains an Intel i7 processor, 16 GB RAM and 128-GB solid-state disk) is also connected to hydraulic pressure and fluid level sensors, which it uses

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Figure 3. The Pinfabb ship stabilizer control panel, showing the RMC75E motion controller at right. Also shown from the left are the 24-Vdc power supply (used to power the RMC75 and the proportional valves), an Ethernet switch (used to connect the RMC75 and the automation panels with the industrial PC), and a 12Vdc and 5-Vdc power supply (used to power the fin angle feedback and acceleration sensors). Above the RMC is the angular acceleration sensor that is used to monitor the ship’s movement.

to monitor the plant and inform the operators of any alarms or malfunctions. The PC also manages the rigging in and out of the fins. When the fins are not used by the crew, they are kept inside two pockets made in the hull, so that they do not affect the hydrodynamic performance of the vessel. When the stabilizing fins are needed, the PC issues the command to rotate them into position. Precise angular positioning of the fins by the RMC75 at 0° is critically important to support the retraction operation, as the hole in the hull leaves a clearance of just 6° (±3°) for the fin as it is stowed.

Compensating for problems with aging hydraulics The mark of a good retrofit is to leave as much of the underlying mechanical structure intact as possible. This can save a lot of cost versus buying and installing new mechanical components. To enable such cost savings, the RMC controller’s closed-loop control algorithms can compensate for hydraulic systems that show signs of wear. For example, the older fin hydraulics that Pinfabb’s new controls must operate are typically more challenging to control than newer hydraulic components in maintaining the fin at the zero angle. Additionally, there could be some oil leakage from inside an older fin piston that could affect the positioning of the fin.

“With RMC, we were able to control fins that have some serious problems (like leakages) without the owner needing to spend money restoring the mechanical side,” said Fabricotti.

“The RMC is fast and can be really well adjusted to optimize the piston movements.”

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Figure 4. The Pinfabb PC displays fin angles and how well the stabilizer system is working on a screen on the ship’s bridge and in the ship’s engine control room.

The RMC75E controller is programmed and the motion is tuned using Delta’s software package called RMCTools.

“Programming the RMC is very easy and intuitive,” said Fabricotti. “We used Delta’s Plot Manager software to produce motion plots that show us how the fins are moving and how we could make them move better.”

Energy savings and reliability While providing a smoother ride for passengers and cargo, the use of stabilizers also reduces the ship cruise speed, which costs energy. In particular, the ship can be slowed and energy can be wasted when the

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fins are set at too great an angle or when they are moved at the wrong times. The key to minimizing the energy penalty is operating the stabilizing fins precisely and smoothly in all conditions and at all speeds.

The Pinfabb team has measured the energy required to propel a ship using conventional fin controls, and with the new closed-loop electrohydraulic motion controller in place. The results show that the energy required to move the ship at a given speed is significantly less with the system incorporating the RMC75E.

“And, just as important, the new control system has proven to be highly reliable,” said Fabbricotti. “We work in an

environment that is very stressful, so it is important for us and for our customers to have confidence in the motion controller used.”

FPW

Delta Computer Systems deltamotion.com

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Why you need to understand proper air preparation Pneumatic products, systems, and machines require clean compressed air to operate efficiently and reliably.

Michael Guelker

Product Manager Pneumatic Actuators and Air Supply Products Festo

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Particles, water and oils in compressed air reduce the service life and functionality of components and systems. They also impair productivity and energy efficiency. Being aware of how to achieve proper compressed air quality—and the filters needed to achieve the recommended air quality for common industrial applications—is critical to a well-run plant.

Air preparation There are three variables to air preparation: compressed air purity, compressed air quantity (flow) and air pressure. Depending on the system requirements, coordinating these three variables ensures a high compressed air quality and forms the basis for selecting the proper service unit components.

The required compressed air purity increases both the running performance and the efficiency of pneumatic systems and can ensure compliance with legal specifications in industries such as the food and beverage industry. The flow quantity is largely determined by flow cross sections and the design dimensions of the machine.

In general, provided the design is the same, larger components have higher flow rates.

Optimized operating pressure increases the efficiency, minimizes wear and reduces power consumption. To coordinate the compressed air purity, compressed air quantity, and pressure for the specifications of a system, the correct individual components must be selected. These components include on/off valves, pressure build-up valves, pressure regulators, water separators, filters and drying units.

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For example, the purity class for standard pneumatics at Festo is 7.4.4

7.

4.

4

7 = The class for solid particles 4 = The class for water 4 = The class or oil ISO 85731.2010

Solid particles

Water

Max. number of particles per m3 Class 0.1 — 0.5 µm 0.5 — 1 µm 1 — 5 µm

Vapor Mass concentration pressure dew point ∘C mg/m3

Oil Liquid

Total oil content (liquid, aerosol and vapor)

g/m3

mg/m3

0

Stricter requirements than Class 1, defined by the device user

1

≤ 20,000

≤ 400

≤ 10

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≤ −70

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≤ 400,000

≤ 6,000

≤ 100

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≤ 90,000

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> 10

Why filtering is necessary Atmospheric air contains dust and dirt particles, not to mention considerable amounts of moisture in the form of humidity. The air produced by a compressor will be hot, wet and dirty. So the first step is to filter out these contaminants, starting with removing the moisture. This is typically achieved with a refrigerated dryer next to the compressor, which simply cools the air to just above freezing (~3˚ C) and removes the liquid that condenses.

If the contaminanats are not filtered out, trouble-free operation of the system components, like valves and cylinders, cannot be guaranteed in the long term. Poorly-prepared compressed air can cause seals to swell and wear prematurely, and contaminate control valves. As a result, the right compressed air preparation is essential for reducing machine downtime and idle periods, and for reducing maintenance and energy costs.

To help everyone communicate in the same language regarding air quality, international standard ISO 8573 was established in 2010 with definitions 50

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for compressed air quality. The air quality is defined with Class ratings for three types of contaminants: solid particles, water condensate content, and oil content. The Classes range from 1 to 9, with the lower numbers representing higher air purity. It specifies the maximum permissible levels of contamination and particle sizes for the respective quality classes. The Air Quality Class will help you identify what type of filter, or combination of filters, is needed.

Best Practices—filtration for common applications Following are some common applications with the corresponding Air Quality Class, and the type of filtration.

Standard automation components such as valves and cylinders • Quality Class 7.4.4—40 µm filter Proportional valves, compact valves, pneumatic tools • Quality Class 6.4.4—5 µm filter Primary packaging, reduction of odors and oil vapors • Quality Class 1.4.1—5, 1 and 0.01 µm, and active carbon filters Semiconductor industry, pharmaceutical products • Quality Class 1.3.1—5, 1 and 0.01 µm, and active carbon filters, membrane dryer The required Air Quality Class or level of filtration is often defined by standard industry guidelines or best practices. Most manufacturers of air preparation equipment can provide reference documentation that define the air quality requirements for different applications and industries. Once you have identified the ideal air purity class for the application, then choose the filters and dryers that are most appropriate. The following provides filter and dryer guidelines.

Filter types and when to use them There are different types of filter components for removing contaminants such as solid particles, liquid water and water vapor, and oil vapors, as well as odorants and even bacteria

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This air preparation assembly contains a filter, multiple manifold pressure regulators, manual and electrical on/off valve, and a pressure sensor. It provides air to multiple valve terminals, which control various different actuators that move and clamp wood while the sawing process is performed.

and viruses. For most automation applications, the focus is to remove solid particles and water.

Water separators remove condensate, either with a centrifugal design or a coalescing principle.

• A centrifugal separator causes rotary motion in the air, forcing particles to accelerate in a radial outward movement. Once they reach the outside, they drain into the bowl. Centrifugal separators are effective for removing water droplets and dust and dirt particles greater than 5 µm. No maintenance is required for this process.

• A coalescing separator flows the air from the inside to the outside of the filter element.

These filter cartridges must be replaced regularly.

Filters are used to remove particles, condensate and oil.

• Coarse/particulate filters have a pore size of 5 to 40 µm. The air flows past a centrifugal separator and then through the filter element.

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The filter elements are often a sintered material, like polyethylene or bronze.

• Fine and micro filters remove particles smaller than 1 µm, 0.01 µm. The air flows through the filter cartridges from the inside to the outside. Solid particles get stuck in the filter cartridge, clogging it up. Fluid particles, such as condensate or oil, coalesce or attach to larger droplets, which flow off and are caught in the filter bowl. It is important to cascade your filters to avoid premature clogging of the filter element. For example, if 1-µm filtration is needed, we recommend a 5-µm filter upstream so that the 1-µm filter does not become clogged with larger particles.

• Activated carbon filters bond hydrocarbon residue, odorants and oil vapors. They are used to remove odors, in applications such as food packaging and handling pharmaceutical products.

• Sterile filters ensure that the air is free of germs.

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Dryers are used to remove water vapors beyond the capability of the fine and micro coalescing filters, and are classified according to the pressure dew point that can be achieved. The pressure dew point defines the temperature to which compressed air can be cooled without the water in it condensing. If the temperature is below the pressure dew point, condensate will form. Even if the temperature is subsequently increased, this condensate will remain and can lead to corrosion of components.

• Refrigeration dryers are commonly located downstream from the plant’s air compressor.

The air is cooled to just above freezing in a cooling unit, and the condensate that falls off is drained away. The pressure dew point achieved is around 3° C. To avoid condensation, it is recommended that the pressure dew point needs to be 10° C below the ambient temperature. A refrigeration dryer is sufficient for systems whose operating temperature never drops below 13° C. • Membrane dryers lower the pressure dew point, for example by 20° C. The air flows longitudinally through a bundle of parallel, hollow fibers. During this process, water vapor diffuses because of a partial pressure drop from the inside of the fibers to the outside.

The vapor is drained out using purge air. Due to the purge air, the maintenance-free membrane dryer has a certain amount of constant bleed/air consumption.

• Adsorption dryers are used when pressure dew points of −40 to −70° C are required. The dryers use molecular forces to bond gas or vapor molecules to a drying agent, such as desiccant beads. Since the drying agent is regenerative, two chambers are required; while drying takes place in one, in the other, the drying agent has time for cold or warm regeneration. In devices with cold regeneration, some of the dried air is used to dry the adhesion agent. When warm regeneration is used, the water evaporates as heat is applied.

The drying agent must be replaced periodically, for example after 8,000 hours of service.

There are a few different types of drains available for filter units: • Manual-condensate—is drained manually by twisting the drain plug. These require a regular maintenance schedule, for example once per shift.

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Fluid Power Technology

2016

Conference Presented by

Expert Presenters

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What’s In The Conference?

Introduction to hydraulics part I

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Introduction to hydraulics part II

Advanced troubleshooting & motion control

Electro-hydraulic components and systems

System modeling and simulation

How to maintain & troubleshoot hydraulic systems

Advanced mobile with load sense hydraulics

Fluid power circuit basics

Filtration and contamination

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• Semi-automatic/normally open—opens as soon as the compressed air is shut off.

• Fully-automatic/normally open—opens as soon as the compressed air is shut off or a specified level is reached in the bowl.

• Fully-automatic/normally closed—opens as soon as the compressed air is switched on and a specified level is reached in the bowl.

• Electric drains—are available that can be opened/closed remotely with an electrical

signal.

between a filter’s supply and output pressure, which indicate when the filter is becoming clogged. These can be electrical sensors that send a signal to a PLC, which can then alert the operator. They can also be visual indicators on the filter unit itself, where the indicator may show a green color when the filter element is clean and a red color when the filter element is clogging up and needs to be replaced.

Most pnuematics companies offer completely assembled and tested air preparation assemblies, which makes ordering and installation of air quality systems fast and easy. Idenfity the required filtration or classes required and work with a trusted supplier to ensure higher air quailty and achieve lowest total cost of ownership.

When to replace a filter element To maintain efficient operation of filters, the filter elements need to be replaced periodically. How frequently this needs to be done depends on variables like the quality of the supply air and the hours of operation of the machine. You can identify a preventive maintenance schedule—for example, to replace filter elements every six months. A more reliable method is to use differential pressure sensors, which measure the pressure drop

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FPW

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Portable filter carts and permanently mounted systems are key tools for keeping your hydraulic fluid contaminant free. Here’s a rundown on how they work and a spotlight on several models.

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Offline filtration ensures clean-running,

efficient machines

Mary C. Gannon • Managing Editor Without a doubt, clean hydraulic fluid is the ultimate lifeblood of a hydraulic system. Contamination can reduce efficiency and possibly destroy machinery. That’s why many companies invest in offline filtration systems, commonly referred to as filter carts or kidney loop systems, for the external filtration of hydraulic fluids. Although traditionally used only when filtration was required occasionally—or before introducing new fluids into a system— they are now becoming a crucial part of reliability programs. aftermarket add-on, said Tony Grythe, EVP, MP Filtri, offline filtration is needed to ensure target cleanliness. Don Krause, general manager, FlowEzy Filters, added that the portability of the

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Their function is simple: they clean fluid and prevent contamination. Offline filtration supplements online filters, such as return line and pressure line filters, in conditioning and cleaning a reservoir.

However, filtration does not always work the way it is supposed to. If inadequately sized or left off completely, filtration can quickly fail, allowing dirt particulates and water into the system. If there isn’t room for online filters as an

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filter cart is what makes it so valuable to plants or machines that have improper filters.

“The beauty of a filter cart is that it is portable. You can clean one machine and then wheel it to the next machine, and so on,” Krause said. “Using portable filtration units to clean process fluids is a very economical way to go. Sure, you can keep changing filters in the system as needed, but then you would have to shut down the system to do that. If you are using a filter cart, you don’t necessarily have to shut the system down. All you have to do is keep recycling the fluid in the system to meet the cleanliness level you desire.”

Grythe added that offline filtration is becoming a stable part of most reliability and preventative and predictive maintenance programs.

Here, personnel monitor systems and trend data to identify potential problems. Permanently mounted systems improve reservoir cleanliness while portable filters quickly react to a potential contamination-related issue.

“Currently, filter carts are being used on a regular basis to maintain optimal fluid cleanliness, rather than in the past when the filter cart might have only been brought out when a problem was identified,” Grythe said. “At that point, it may have already been too late to prevent a catastrophic failure if contaminants had made their way into sensitive components of the system. Filter carts remain a key tool in both identifying as well as resolving fluid issues before a major system issue occurs.”

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Filter cart with ICM The GRF502 series filter cart with inline contamination monitoring is suited for oil transfer from bulk drums to tank as well as reservoir clean up. The suction side features a 90-µm wire mesh element while the discharge side features a 10-µm absolute rated (ßx ≥ 1,000) high-capacity cartridge element.

Choice of 3, 6, 10 and 25 µm elements are also available. It comes with a 1-hp, 115-Vac, 1-phase TEFC motor with motor start/stop, cord and plug. A rugged 5-gpm gear pump features an integral relief valve. Wire reinforced clear suction and discharge hose comes with stainless steel wands up to 25 ft.

The frame is a steel, two-wheel cart with pneumatic tires for easy transport. Mounted inline contamination monitoring (ICM) unit measures fluid cleanliness. Water and temperature sensor is optional.

MP Filtri mpfiltri.com

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Portable or permanent?

The portable filter cart is probably one of the most commonly used offline filtration systems, said Krause. These devices work simply by drawing the fluid out of the reservoir and running it through the filters on the filter cart and then introducing it back into the machine in a different location in the reservoir.

“You can put any filters on the cart you need to achieve the cleanliness level required for the application,” Krause said. “And sometimes you may need to have a water removal filter on your filter cart. wFilter carts generally use two, or sometimes three, different size filter elements in series before re-introducing the fluid back into the system.”

Grythe added that in addition to the filter cart, permanently mounted systems are also common. These are typically mounted to a panel and then either directly on the reservoir or somewhere nearby.

Jarrod Potteiger, Des-Case educational services manager, agreed, saying he’s seen a significant increase in the use of permanently mounted kidney loop filtration compared to previous years, when people were using portable filter carts, either periodically or as needed.

“I believe this is due to the cost associated with periodically moving portable filtration units from one machine to another as well as the realization that continually maintaining fluid cleanliness provides much better results than intermittent filtration,” Potteiger said. Another growing trend, he said, is “the repurposing of portable filtration from on-demand decontamination to a standard means of transferring clean fluid from storage to service.”

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Is new oil clean oil?

Just because hydraulic fluid is new doesn’t mean it’s clean. A lot of fluids suffer contamination in transport, so many manufacturers recommend filtration before putting new fluid into a system.

“Filter carts are also used to introduce new fluid to the system,” Krause said. “We know that from experience, if the filtration breaks down, the system will break down. Proper filtration is an investment and offline filtration is added security to that investment.”

This idea is termed “Roll-off Cleanliness” and is practiced more now than a few years back, said Dan Zoller, group product manager, Filter Systems at Hydac and Schroeder. “Roll-off Cleanliness is the term for cleaning a hydraulic system before it is shipped to a customer (trucks and ag equipment, for example),” he said. “Our customers have found that clean systems/fluids will reduce the breakdown rate

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Hand-held filter The OF7 hand-held kidney loop filter is suitable for transferring and filtering new fluids, maintaining fluid cleanliness and cleaning hydraulic systems after repairs. It features one spin-on element for easy change and choice of 3, 5, 10 and 20 µm elements or water absorbing elements. It is rated for 2.5 or 4 gpm flow rates and up to 4,600 SUS maximum viscosity. It weighs just 27.5 lb without the optional contamination sensor and comes standard with a 110-Vac and 24-Vdc motor; pneumatic motor is optional.

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in the first month dramatically and reduce warranty costs.”

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Discover your contamination level Kidney loop systems fitted with a contamination sensor are becoming the norm, too. This is helping users extend the service life of their equipment.

“The need to measure the actual fluid cleanliness has become more important.

While portable contamination sensors provide a solution, customers like the combination of a contamination sensor with the cart or kidney loop system,” said Zoller. “We have seen an increase in filter carts and kidney loop systems

Portable oil transfer and filter system The Flow Ezy filter cart easily transfers fluids from drums and storage tanks to system reservoirs for fluid conditioning.

It recirculates system oil without having to shut down the system and is available with an optional third-stage 3-µm water removal filter. It easily cleans up contaminated hydraulic oils and can be moved from machinery to machinery. Standard filters include 25 and 10 µm in series with other options available. It comes with the option of a 5- or 10-gpm rated pump.

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that have a contamination sensor integrated.

Some systems allow the automatic shutdown when target ISO codes are reached and for the collection of data for maintenance records.”

Grythe added that this goes handin-hand with the growing awareness by reliability departments that filtration is a key part of their reliability program. “With the addition of reliability departments, we have seen an increase in a need to meet the goals and benchmarks set by the facilities’ quality programs. This has necessitated a new addition to the offline filtration product portfolio,” Grythe said. “Filter carts and offline filter

Asset management filtration station AMFS filter carts with integrated contamination and water saturation sensors feature an automatic shut-off of unit when selected ISO target levels are reached. They come with two filters, with 18- or 27-in. housings for high dirt holding capacity in series for staged filtration with choice of 3, 5, 10 or 25 µm elements and a water absorbing element.

Modular base eliminates connections between components and minimizes leakage. Base-ported filter provides easy element service from the top. It offers a flow rate of 5 gpm and maximum viscosity of 1,000 SUS. A touchscreen terminal with pull-down menus for programming allows for automatic collection and record keeping of fluid contamination data in MS Excel spreadsheet. By-pass valve allows cart to be used as a transfer cart.

Flow Ezy Filters flowezyfilters.com

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units are now being fitted with contamination monitors that can analyze the particle size and distribution in the fluid as well as the water content.

“This has become important to companies that want to track the condition of their equipment. In the past, it was just assumed that offline filtration was cleaning up the system; however, it was not known at that time what the condition of the oil actually was,” he continued. “With a contamination monitor, the operator can visually see the cleanliness class of the fluid and water concentration. He or she then knows if the filter cart has done its job and can log the condition of the fluid when complete.”

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“Fifteen years ago, a simple filter cart was used to clean and transfer fluids. Today, we see more and more companies offering filter carts with all the bells and whistles and getting away from simple, lower cost, filter carts that will get the job done efficiently,” said Krause. “Do your due diligence

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in shopping for filter carts. Always compare pricing to make sure you aren’t paying for something you have no use for.”

For example, he said, be careful when selecting a cart that contains a number of extras, such as various sample ports, bypass valves, cord reels, relief valves, fancy gauges, ISO quick disconnects, various pump and motor sizes and hose reels. Often on carts like these, the cost is much higher.

Grythe also cautioned against shopping based on low prices alone instead of looking at the actual specifications and whether they will work for their application. This could result in many filter carts being undersized for the application.

“It has happened many times that a customer will receive a filter cart for use with their high viscosity gearbox oils, but it has spin-on filter elements that are undersized,” Grythe said. “If the filters are already at 50%+ of indication range at clean startup, they are

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not even using half of the filter elements’ dirt-holding capacity and will be changing filter elements quite frequently.”

Usually, it is the companies that are conscious of the importance of a good reliability program and the ability to trend and measure data to prevent failures before they occur that have a better handle on their filtration requirements.

“These companies are aware that a larger filter means longer service interval, and that the ability to monitor the fluid condition while transferring and filtering at the same time is invaluable in their predictive program,” Grythe said. “We have seen OEM manufacturers that are able to save tens of millions of dollars per year in contamination-related warranty claims just by implementing a strictly regimented fluid cleanliness program in their manufacturing facilities, which includes contamination monitoring and offline filtration. This positive trend has made users aware of the importance of selecting the offline filter based on what is needed for the application rather than on price alone.”

Portable filter cart Portable, offline filtration system is suitable for mineral-based industrial fluids and a wide range of applications including decontaminating systems, flushing new or repaired systems, dispensing oil, pre-filtering new oil, evacuating used oil, topping off reservoirs and collecting oil samples for analysis. It comes standard with an automatic pressure relief valve and dual-stage filtration. It features 12-ft hose assemblies with various quick connect options and pneumatic wheels. Flow rates, filter bypass, hose-end connection sizes and types, and more can be customized. Micron ratings of filters are also customizable, with choices of Beta 200 at 3, 6, 12 and 25 µm, as well as water removal filters. Other micron ratings are available by request.

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