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Hydraulic hybrid slashes operating costs PAGE 32

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Maintaining relevance in the midst of change Change in the fluid power industry is almost always through gradual evolution, and not in huge jumps and starts. Our technology is a mature one, and there’s comfort in that—but we also need to be wary of complacency.

At this month’s 34th Annual Meeting & Convention of NAHAD in San Antonio, attendees heard a fascinating presentation by Ross Shafer, a well-known author and television producer. He implored the audience to take a long hard look at how they are doing business and whether there are basic process improvements that can be made.

Shafer gave some great examples of companies in the consumer world that were willing to re-examine everything based on customer feedback. One of my favorites was how CVS realized, after many years in business, that they were placing medications for backache on the lower shelves. It might not seem like an issue until you put yourself in the position of the customer with back pain, trying to reach down and grab those pills to put in their cart.

Another way to improve our businesses is to look at how others are doing and asking why they’re having success that others aren’t—whether it’s one of your peers or a branch location of your business. Shafer described how one apartment manager at a company had collected so many more pet fee deposits than anyone else in the country. Upon asking him for his secret, he replied that he’d spent $3 on a dog whistle. He’d walk up and down the halls, blowing the whistle, and knock on the doors where dogs were barking.

At a packaging company, there were problems with the occasional potato chip bag that wasn’t being filled with product—but was still included in boxes to be shipped out. Yet one location had no such problems. Managers investigated and discovered that a staffer had purchased a small fan from WalMart and pointed it at the conveyor line right before the boxing station. This inexpensive solution simply blew the empty bags to the side.

The key, of course, is finding that dog whistle or fan in our own processes. So many times, we do certain processes only because we’ve always done them that way. Take a hard look at your company and don’t be afraid to question everything.

And why? Shafer put it bluntly.

“The velocity of this economy is unforgiving. If you don’t like change, you’re going to hate extinction.”

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C ontents |

vol 4 no 2

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fluidpowerworld.com

F E AT U R E S OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY Hydraulic hybrid slashes operating costs

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Energy-recovery system in a port material handler raises efficiency by 30%.

PNEUMATICS Safe pneumatic system design

April 2017

Consider the following safety and design choices for control of pneumatic systems in automated equipment.

2017 OTC SHOW PREVIEW

The Offshore Technology Conference will be held at NRG Park in Houston May 1-4.

TRANSDUCERS

A transducer converts a measurement into an analog electrical output signal, which can be used by sensing instrumentation.

FLUID POWER TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE PREVIEW

FLUID POWER WORLD

48 D E PA R T M E N T S

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02 Editorial 08 Korane’s Outlook

Demystifying transducers

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10 Association Watch

28 16 Design Notes 24 Safety 26 Energy Efficiency

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28 Maintenance

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59 Product World 62 Component Focus 64 Ad Index

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

Mostly positive vibes from Vegas The old adage about the global economy says that when the U.S. sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold. So it goes with the relationship between the health of mobile equipment markets and fluidpower demand. Based on comments at CONEXPOCON/AGG, most global executives are cautiously optimistic about future prospects.

Sam Allen, CEO, Deere: In 2016 housing

starts continued their slow recovery from the depths of 2009, and we expect that to continue.

There’s also guarded optimism about what the new administration will mean for construction.

President Trump has proposed a $1 trillion infrastructure plan to improve America’s transportation systems. Meanwhile, through ballot initiatives last fall there’s more than $200 billion in infrastructure funding available at the state and local levels.

When these projects start, the impact on the construction industry will be significant and enduring—in some cases lasting decades.

Rod Schrader, CEO, Komatsu America: With higher sales for ten straight months, we’re increasing both domestic production and imports to meet growing demand. If you look at all the indicators: GDP, housing, oil and gas pricing levels and such, it looks like ‘17 is going to be pretty similar to 2016.

There’s much talk about infrastructure spending, and there’s opportunity for 2018 to be a stronger year.

Stefan Heissler, Member Board of Directors, Liebherr: We are optimistic about 2017. The IMF expects the global economy to grow 3.4%; Euroconstruct is forecasting a growth rate of 2.1% for the construction sector. The U.S. economy is also in good shape, experts are expecting further growth.

Furthermore, there is a noticeable stabilization of raw-material prices—a good sign for our mining division.

Martin Weissburg, President, Volvo CE: We enjoyed a strong end to 2016, with sales up 20%. We thought North America would be down a bit this year. But we’re seeing some improvement and, with infrastructure needs, there are good opportunities. Europe is stable, some markets are doing very well. Asia Pacific is seeing some commodities markets coming back. In China we saw one of the most dramatic growth and 8

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then correction stories I’ve seen in my 30+ years in the industry. Now, after bumping along the bottom, we’ve seen for a quarter or two improvements. It’s not yet time to call China a high-growth market, but we’re seeing stabilization and that’s good.

Zhang Yujing, President, China Chamber of Commerce: The world economy has stabilized after several years of downturn, and industry is seeing improvement and recovery. U.S. President Trump’s policy of increasing the investment on infrastructure has brought the good message to the construction machinery industry, and China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative is funding new roads, bridges and railways across Central Asia.

Jim Umpleby, CEO, Caterpillar: The generally weak global economy has meant challenging conditions for the construction industry. Although we do see positive signs in some of our markets, the global economic outlook is still uncertain. We’re encouraged by the discussion about investment in infrastructure. As I travel around the world, it’s very evident that the United States has fallen behind. Be it roads, bridges or ports, it’s important for U.S. competitiveness to invest in infrastructure.

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Mike Santora • Associate Editor

ASSOCIATION WATCH

NFPA Curriculum Grants add fluid power to engineering programs

The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation launched a new curriculum grant program this year that is providing awards to university engineering faculty to develop, replicate and disseminate highquality, high-impact university-level fluid power curriculum. Now, halfway through its fiscal year, the first two award recipients recently presented their progress on their

Both projects are making an impact on their respective campuses and are on track to be completed by the end of the academic year.

Fluid Power on Capitol Hill NFPA, CCEFP, and several industry supporters visited Capitol Hill on February 27-28 to promote the proposed Commercial Off-Road Vehicle R&D Program through the Vehicle Technology Office within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

projects, including: • Development of Fluid Power Based Modules for Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics Courses Utilizing Problem-Based Learning and Entrepreneurially Minded Learning

by L. Liu, Lawrence Technological University • Interactive Simulation Modules for Pneumatic and Hydraulic Circuits by J. Pagan, Ohio University 10

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This program is important to the fluid power industry because: • The commercial off-road market consumes 8% of total transportation energy, which is larger than either marine or aviation.

• Commercial off-road vehicles in the U.S. consume 17.3 million gallons of fuel per year, containing 2.4 quads of energy and generating 180,000 tons of CO2.

• The commercial off-road vehicles market exceeds $100 billion and employs more than 250,000 people in the U.S. • Energy efficiency and productivity innovations are key drivers for jobs, exports and technological leadership in the global off-road vehicle market.

There is currently no dedicated program in the federal government for pre-competitive research in this area. The NFPA has requested $5 million for FY17 and $10 million for FY18 for pre-competitive R&D to improve the energy efficiency of fluid power systems for commercial off-road vehicles.

NFPA robotics challenge scholarship The NFPA Robotics Challenge is a new scholarship program that will launch with the 2016-17 school year. In support of the FIRST mission, NFPA will be offering

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

NFPA Robotics Challenge Scholarship was launched at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year and will be awarded to one high school senior who participated in a 2017 FIRST Robotics Competition team to study engineering.

one merit-based scholarship, for $10,000 per year for four years, to high school seniors who have participated as part of a 2017 FIRST Robotics Competition Team.

This scholarship may be utilized for an Engineering course of study at any United States tech school/college or university that holds accredited status.

The goal of the NFPA FIRST Scholarship is to bring an awareness of fluid power options in robotics to high school students and to stimulate increased use of fluid power products in this competition.

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Mike Santora • Associate Editor

ASSOCIATION WATCH

The International Fluid Power Society updates IFPS upgrades its Hydraulic Specialist (HS) Certification Study Manual.

The IFPS HS Certification is for those designing, writing specifications and sizing and selecting components for hydraulic systems across all industries. A new HS Certification Test was released April 1. Candidates may register now for the HS certification test by visiting www.ifps.org. The three-hour written HS test contains 50 multiple choice questions. An online pre-test has been developed to ascertain whether a candidate is prepared to take the Certification test.

The Upgraded HS Certification Study Manual contains five sections of tasks with outcomes as well as review questions and pre-test practice questions for the following domains:

1 Understand the function of hydraulic components in circuits

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DESIGN NOTES

Volvo unveils next-generation autonomous hauler Ken Korane • Contributing Editor

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) unveiled the HX2, a prototype autonomous load carrier at CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE 2017. The battery-electric vehicle with on-board hydraulics is the latest development in the company’s electric-site research project that aims to transform the quarry and aggregates industry. It predicts up to a 95% reduction in carbon emissions and up to a 25% reduction in total cost of ownership. Volvo CE showcased the first-generation of the prototype HX machine, known as HX1, at the company’s Xploration Forum in September last year. Since then, Volvo CE’s engineers have been developing the new version.

“The HX2 is fundamentally different to the HX1,” says Uwe Müller, Volvo CE’s chief project manager for the electric site project. “The HX1 was proof of concept. Once we knew it was

feasible we updated the design requirements for the HX2 to incorporate shared technologies and components from the Volvo Group, such as electric motors, batteries and power electronics. Integrating a completely new drivetrain was crucial to take full advantage of the groundbreaking electromobility developments that are happening inside the Volvo Group. Another new feature is the addition of a vision system, which allows the machine to detect humans and obstacles in its vicinity.”

The machine measures about 18 feet long and 8 feet wide and has an operating weight of 14,300 lb. It has 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel steering with a maximum speed of 25 mph. And because the vehicle has no driver or cab, it allows a bidirectional work cycle with no reversing, and it permits crab steering for easy positioning.

According to a Volvo spokesman, the carrier will be powered by three electric motors. Two will drive the

Volvo Construction Equipment’s HX2, a prototype autonomous load carrier is a batteryelectric vehicle with on-board hydraulics.

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FLOW EZY FILTERS Nature keeps this system running smoothly

wheels. Because the carrier is powered by electricity, it’s more efficient to use an electric drive, rather than hydraulic motors. A third motor will power the unit’s hydraulic pump with rated flow of 21 gpm. High-pressure hydraulics, in turn, will handle steering actions and actuate the dump cylinders.

Because this is an autonomous machine, all hydraulics functions, such as where to steer the unit and when to dump the load, are controlled by the machine itself with no human intervention.

Also notable is that the batteries recharge every work cycle. The unit loads, hauls and dumps over an 8-minute span, and then the power pack recharges for 1 minute before initiating the next cycle.

The electric site project aims to electrify a transport stage in a quarry – from excavation to primary crushing and transport to secondary crushing. It involves developing new machines, work methods and site management systems which, together, will meet the overall performance, economic and sustainability goals.

In addition to a small fleet of HX2s, other prototype machines that make-up the electric site system include a prototype electric-hybrid wheel loader, and a grid-connected excavator. New technology encompasses machine and fleet control systems and logistics for electric machines in quarries.

Volvo CE’s prototype electric hybrid wheel loader is the LX1, which was also unveiled at the Xploration Forum last year. The machine can deliver up to a 50% improvement in fuel efficiency, as well as significant reductions in emissions and noise pollution compared to its conventional counterparts. It is currently being field tested in the U.S. by Volvo CE’s customer Waste Management – the largest environmental services and recycling company in North America. So far, feedback has been positive.

The LX1 is a “series” hybrid that incorporates a driveline that consists of electric drive motors mounted at the wheels, electricdriven hydraulics, an energy storage system, a significantly smaller diesel engine and new machine architecture, including a new design of the lifting unit. It’s this combination that enables the substantial

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DESIGN NOTES

gain in fuel efficiency. The prototype – which has 98% new parts and a fundamentally new machine design—can do the work of a wheel loader that’s one size larger.

Volvo CE teamed up with its customer Skanska Sweden, the Swedish Energy Agency and two Swedish universities— Linköping University and Mälardalen University—in October 2015 to collaborate on the $22.4 million project. Volvo CE is coordinating the project and is developing the machines and systems. Skanska Sweden is providing logistical solutions, application relevance and job site knowledge.

Researchers at the universities are looking at battery aging, energy management for electric vehicles, as well as functional safety.

Skanska Sweden will incorporate the demonstration machines into its operations and test the electric site concept at a quarry

in western Sweden for 10 weeks at the end of 2018. After this, Volvo CE will examine the project results to see if the concept is viable for the industry. Currently this work is just a research project, with no plans for industrialization at this stage.

“Volvo CE is committed to pushing boundaries and exploring the technology of the future,” said Jenny Elfsberg, director of emerging technologies at Volvo CE. “The HX2 and the electric site project demonstrate how Volvo CE wants to work with its customers early in the development phase to improve total site performance and sustainability, while also saving customers money.

“The concepts being developed in the electric site research project are part of Volvo CE’s long-term vision. Using electricity instead of diesel to power construction

equipment in a quarry has the potential to deliver significant reductions in fuel consumption, carbon-dioxide emissions, environmental impact and cost-per-ton. The electrification of construction equipment will produce cleaner, quieter and more efficient machines – this represents the future of our industry.”

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DESIGN NOTES

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

In the past, lead weights weighing between 2.5 and 15 kg had to be hun g

on the warp beams of a loom. Now

job of the weights is done by a solu from Festo.

the tion

| Festo AC & Co. KG

Pneumatic automation in textile industry with fluidic muscle Wernli was the first textile manufacturer in the world to produce colored dressing materials. Now its cohesive and adhesive elastic bandages as well as compression bandages show it continues to be on the cutting edge. Innovations like bandages with sensors for measuring fever or for therapeutic pressure regulation— coupled with an app for intuitive operation—will enable the textile manufacturer to continue to compete.

85% of the 10 million bandages it produces each year are exported. The goods are shipped to 27 countries, with Germany accounting for the largest share at present. The Wernli facility processed 336 tons of yarn in 2014. Laid end to end, the finished bandages would reach over 51,000 km or more than once around the Equator.

When the company looked to create its Bi-Flex type bandages, the challenge was making a product that was elastic both lengthways and crossways.

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Constant yarn tension To achieve this elasticity, the warp beams from which the yarn is continuously unwound must move under constant tension. As more yarn is unwound, the speed of the warp beams would increase and produce an unevenly elastic bandage fabric. Employees therefore had to hang lead weights weighing between 2.5 and 15 kg on the warp beams. The more the yarn was unwound, the more the weight on the warp beams had to be compensated. This was cumbersome, imprecise and prone to accidents because the weights sometimes moved and soiled the yarn or even ripped it midway through the weaving process. They turned to Festo for another solution.

“Our Festo technical consultant told me about the fluidic muscle DMSP,” says Ruedi Leutert, Head of Prework/Weaving and Yarn Purchasing at Wernli. Festo’s fluidic muscle eliminated the need for the weights and the yarn tension is set precisely using pressure regulators at the pressure gauge. The pneumatic drive has clear

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/11/17 2:04 PM

DESIGN NOTES

With the fluidic muscle, there is no

longer a need for weights and the yarn

tension is set precisely using pressure

regulators at the pressure gauge. | Festo AC & Co. KG

advantages for this application compared with a conventional pneumatic cylinder: since it does not have a piston rod, friction— and therefore the stick-slip effect—are not a problem. The movement is completely jerk-free. Together with the precise closedloop control, the yarns are now optimally tensioned. This guarantees the high quality of the finished bandages.

Sturdy and precise fluidic muscle The force of the fluidic muscle is also many times greater than that of a cylinder of comparable size. As a hermetically sealed tube, the muscle is also insensitive to

particles and dirt, which is important in the dusty environment of a textile factory.

In addition to improving the quality of the products, the risk of accident is reduced: employees no longer have to worry about bumping into the weights as they walk past them or injuring themselves as they attach or remove them. A further advantage is that the fluidic muscle needs much less installation space compared with the weights.

Additionally, the fully automatic closedloop control using the proportional valve VPPM and corresponding sensors could

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replace the manual adjustment of the muscle at the pressure gauge.

In fact, the proportional valve VPPM is a suitable closed-loop controller for different pneumatic applications, thanks to its ability to control the movements of the actuator with different speeds or forces. For each individual application, users can select the appropriate parameters from three presets (fast, universal and precise) at the touch of a button. An optional LCD indicates the pressure and offers diagnostic functions on site.

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DESIGN NOTES

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Faster designing and more efficient processing systems

HydroSym software contains a complete library of standard units

for hydraulic systems that quickly

and easily adds the characteristics

to the design.

How does one ensure engineers can quickly supply complex hydraulic systems based on customer demand, each with their own unique applications? The German engineering company Viereck & Co has done so by making smart design software a key part of the supply process.

Complicated hydraulic power sources and control systems require high quality standards. To realize various hydraulic applications for a wide range of customers, the company needed smart software to design and produce hydraulic systems of a high quality in a standardized manner.

Paro Software was chosen to provide design software created in such a way that the development and documentation of a hydraulic system occurs efficiently.

“Traditional CAD/CAM software required the manual development of parts in hydraulics schematics,” said Ulf Kaschewitz, engineering director at Viereck. Many services and functionalities for the fast and reliable creation of schematics for a hydraulic system in the HydroSym software are missing in standard CAD software. “If you create a schematic in HydroSym, 22

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you select a component or a symbol from the supplied library. You only need one click to create every desired connection between components. Those connections remain in place when you move components to different positions in the schematic. Thanks to the “pack&save” functionality you can create a zipped file that includes a PDF document of the schematic as well as the datasheets of the components used in the schematic.”

Multifunctional and easily accessible Time consuming activities are not needed to manually create frequently used symbols for regulating elements of the hydraulic system, which has given the design software a different role within Viereck. “Within our organization, sales employees have also

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/11/17 2:06 PM

DESIGN NOTES

started using HydroSym,” continued Kaschewitz.

The software contains a complete library of standard units for hydraulic systems that quickly and easily adds the characteristics to the design.

The system as a components program can quickly offer information about these components. In addition to this, the interface of the software is user friendly and fully intuitive. There are many drawing options available to easily create the design by clicking and dragging standard components from the library. Functional connections can be named and drawn quickly via connecting lines.

Kaschewitz stated that the designing of a hydraulic system for the steering of a bridge windlass has become as easily accessible as the designing and drawing of a kitchen.

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The interface of the software is user many friendly and fully intuitive. There are create drawing options available to easily the design by clicking and dragging standard components from the libra

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SAFETY

J. Eric Freimuth • Hydraulic Training Associates

How much hydraulic safety awareness do you have?

Safety knowledge and respect for the hazards of hydraulics is gained through training and mentoring; however, the practice of learn as you go is an unacceptable way to gain safety knowledge. Even though electrical components meet standards, when they are assembled into a circuit, the circuit must be inspected to meet codes of the local jurisdiction. For hydraulic circuits, there are no inspections required nor are there any bodies which carry jurisdiction or authority to do so.

A number of questions need to be addressed regarding hydraulic safety in hydraulic systems. An example is how many systems have installed isolation devices that make the task safe, simple, and straightforward? More than 99% of systems today disregard the need for such equipment.

Before approaching any system, it is imperative that the mechanic examine the schematic first before attempting any component exchanges. The schematic will inform the mechanic of areas with potential stored energy. If the system has an accumulator installed, the procedure to remove this stored energy must be followed first before removing any lines.

When systems are designed, do they have fail-safe devices to prevent crushing or common injuries when fluid that is under pressure is not controlled? For elements such as mechanical securing platforms or scissoring devices, once in place the mechanic can then actuate the valves manually to expel stored energy residual. A pre-installed gauge would verify any existing pressure in the system before removing hoses or components. Yet such

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devices are not required when designing or building of systems is complete. The mechanic must be trained on how to approach such machines and how to identify the safety requirements needed before proceeding.

Another such source of injury is the expelling of fluid through pinhole leaks; such injection of fluid into the skin can cause irreparable harm or even death. How does one check for fluid leaks such as these? Never use your hand to check for a leak in a hydraulic hose. An obvious way to check for leaks is to completely power down the machine and conduct a proper lockout and tagout and check for visible leaks on the machine, hose or the floor.

If that doesn’t work, power down the machine and relieve system pressure by cycling control levers several times. Use protective glasses and other protective gear. The best practice is to use a 20 x 20 in. piece of hard board or cardboard, holding in your hand in front of you. Using a swiping movement from outside your body to the inside of your body allows the board to travel over the suspected area, watching for signs of oil. Travel slowly and be cautious of moving parts as you continue. Or, you can use fluid dyes, which glow under special ultraviolet lamps, to discover sources of leaks in your system.

These are but a sample of what needs to be done to inform and educate the new breed of mechanics arriving to the work force. Take the time to train and inform them of all safety issues regarding stored energy before the next injury ends up being yours.

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4/11/17 1:59 PM

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Ron Marshall • For the Compressed Air Challenge

The trouble with poor control coordination

The loaded vs. unloaded hours of a compressor can show its operating efficiency.

A manufacturer of automotive products had a twocompressor system that was designed for 100% redundancy— however, this system had never been fully implemented. Two air dryers, two large receivers, and two sets of filters were installed, but only two of the planned four compressors had been purchased.

An auditor did a plant walk through and noticed that both compressors had many unloaded run hours. These units were each running almost 50% of the time, still consuming power, but producing no air—causing greatly reduced system efficiency. The auditor also noticed water in the compressed air and a significant pressure loss across the dryer and filters. The compressor controllers were electronic versions, but the load/unload pressure bands were both set at exactly the same value, causing the compressors to fight for control.

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www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/12/17 11:51 AM

As a simple solution, the auditor recommended the second receiver and dryer be placed into service, operating in parallel. This immediately doubled the storage capacity while greatly reducing compressor cycling.

The auditor noticed that only one receiver and one dryer were being used at a time. When not in use, the second receiver and dryer were depressurized. Sizing calculations were also done and it was found that due to the hot, humid environment that the equipment was operating in, the capacity of one air dryer was too small to process the air produced by the two compressors.

As a simple solution, the auditor recommended the second receiver and dryer be placed into service, operating in parallel. This immediately doubled the storage capacity while greatly reducing compressor cycling—which reduced unloaded run time by half. In fact, the second compressor often automatically turned off rather than running constantly. The pressure settings were adjusted to be slightly offset in a cascade arrangement, to better coordinate compressor control, making one compressor run base loaded and the other trim. None of these changes cost any money for equipment and have greatly improved system efficiency.

The plant manager reported a secondary benefit: previous to these changes, water was getting into a casting operation in the plant, causing pits, and spoiling some of their product. With the changes implemented, the dew point fell to normal and the system operated completely dry, even in very hot and steamy midday conditions. This eliminated the product quality problem and saved significant rework costs.

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4/12/17 11:51 AM

Mary C. Gannon • Managing Editor

| all images courtesy of Bosch Rexroth

MAINTENANCE

Is augmented reality the future of fluid power maintenance?

In remote applications, particularly in mining or oil and gas, machine downtime can be a serious and costly problem. Machines in these instances can cost an operation thousands of dollars when not running even for just a day. So if an expert technician is not on hand, you could waste days waiting for a maintenance team to get to the site.

Enter augmented reality, which more hydraulics manufacturers are exploring to give maintenance and service technicians immediate support from product and application experts. For example, a new augmented reality tool from Bosch Rexroth’s Hägglunds Insight Live service allows users to work with a Bosch Rexroth service expert easily, through the use of a smart phone or a head-mounted camera and headphones. This way, Bosch Rexroth product 28

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www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/12/17 2:13 PM

Using a simple app on a smartphone, tablet or laptop — or a pair of video goggles for a handsfree experience — the engineer works directly with service experts.

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managers or application engineers can directly connect to the on-site maintenance team, troubleshoot, adjust settings, and help personnel perform emergency tasks.

Using a simple app on a smartphone, tablet or laptop—or a pair of video goggles for a hands-free experience—the engineer works directly with service experts. Viewing through the device’s camera, the expert sees exactly what the engineer sees. In addition, Rexroth’s expert can interact visually through the app, using virtual reality to overlay images on the user’s screen, such as his hands, tools, documents, diagrams, and so on. In this way, Hägglunds experts can not only give audio instructions, but also point out the actions that need to be taken on the equipment.

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MAINTENANCE

performance of its Hägglunds hydraulic motors and drives. The tool works with Android, Windows and iOS. It is for low bandwidth data connections of just 2G, so it suits most remote locations.

Rather than waiting up to three days for a service expert to arrive at the location, users can directly connect with Hägglunds’ experts and solve the problem, increasing uptime and maximizing productivity.

Eaton Corp. also is starting to investigate the use of augmented reality as it works to better use the data companies are capturing with the Industrial Internet of Things. At IFPE in March, Eaton partnered with The Marsden Group, a global technology company specialized in developing advanced analytics in support of IoT

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MAINTENANCE

solutions, to demonstrate the applications of augmented reality technology in hydraulic equipment.

In addition to showing the capabilities of Eaton’s CMA Advanced Mobile Valve through the use of Microsoft HoloLens technology, Eaton was eager to show the possibilities the technology enables in network- or IoTconnected electrohydraulic devices, said Paul Brenner, global marketing manager, Eaton’s Hydraulics Group. “Instead of manually checking equipment or sorting through data, we believe the future of hydraulic monitoring will include a combination of telematics and advanced visualization technologies like augmented reality, which will help simplify condition monitoring and identifying service needs.”

For example, Beth Peterson, Global Product Manager Steering Solutions for Eaton Hydraulics Group, said the possibilities are endless with this technology. “This simulation is just an example of what you can do with all the data we’re collecting. If you think about maintaining a fleet of vehicles, you can have someone in your home base and they can pull up the augmented reality and the maintenance guy can go to the machine that’s having a problem, pull it up, and then you can see a dashboard of all of the readings that are coming up on the valve,” she said. “You can see how it’s performing, where there are issues, if there is a spool sticking somewhere. It really can simplify maintenance and troubleshooting.”

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M

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R

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/

O

F

F

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Energy-recovery system in a port material handler raises efficiency by 30%.

Ken Korane • Contributing Editor

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Hydraulic hybrid

slashes operating costs Mobile material handlers are designed for demanding operations at ports, harbors and marine terminals, as they’re capable of unloading bulk materials like coal or stone or general cargo packaged in sacks or crates. They’re also suited for work in mines, scrapyards and other industrial settings.

Sennebogen, based in Straubing, Germany, recently introduced its 870-E handler, which is a sizable

machine, to say the least. The body can stand as high as 30 feet off the ground in gantry versions, it weighs around 200,000 lb and boasts a safe working load of 8 tons at a maximum reach of nearly 80 feet.

What sets the 870-E apart from competing material-handling equipment is its sophisticated but

straightforward hydraulic controls, and an innovative Green Hybrid system that reportedly cuts energy consumption by as much as 30%.

Hydraulic energy recovery Green Hybrid is an energy-recovery system for large Sennebogen material-handling equipment.

In principle, hydraulically lifting the machine boom creates an opportunity for capturing potential energy that, in conventional units, converts to waste heat when the arm lowers and flow is metered to tank. In contrast, this hybrid system stores energy when lowering the boom and subsequently reuses that energy to raise the boom on the next lift. In turn, that reduces power demand from the engine and substantially cuts fuel consumption, explained

Andreas Ernst, strategic account manager based at Sennebogen LLC, Stanley, N.C.

The system on the 870-E is essentially an independent hydraulic circuit. It consists of a hydraulic cylinder on the boom connected to a bank of nitrogen-charged piston accumulators, plus the requisite valves to control flow. As the boom lowers, the cylinder retracts and forces pressurized fluid into the accumulators, which store energy by compressing gas. Initiating the next lift cycle releases the high-pressure fluid back to the cylinder to assist lifting, with minimal losses.

The new 870-E Sennebogen material handler has a reach of 80 feet, with various attachments and undercarriages designed specifically for port operations. www.fluidpowerworld.com

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M A R I N E / O F F S H O R E

Sennebogen material handlers are proven in demanding tasks with reliable hydraulic technology, minimal operating costs, and custom designs for many different jobs.

The boom on a conventional machine typically has two lift cylinders, explained Ernst. “We install a third hydraulic cylinder which is connected to the accumulators mounted in the rear of the machine,” he said. The main, pump-driven hydraulic circuit supplies the two outer cylinders, and the center Green Hybrid cylinder runs in tandem with the main machine hydraulics and augments the

The 870-E has two outer lift cylinders supplied by the main hydraulic circuit and the center energy-recovery cylinder connected to the accumulators. All three cylinders help lift the boom.

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boom-up motion. Thus, all three cylinders supply power to lift the boom, he continued. Operation is transparent to the operator because the energysaving circuit runs continuously.

The third cylinder is particularly beneficial when movement begins, said Ernst. While flow from the accumulators tapers off near the end of stroke, that’s rarely a concern, he notes. Usually operations involve only moderate up-and-down movements, say when unloading a barge. “In our world, hardly anybody uses the entire rod stroke,” he notes.

Cylinder size depends on the machine because Sennebogen uses the Green Hybrid on several models, said Ernst. (While he declined to provide specifics, from a cursory look at the 870-E on display at the recent Conexpo in Las Vegas, one can estimate that the two outer cylinders are about 5 in. in diameter and the Green Hybrid cylinder at around 10 in., with perhaps a 10 to 15-ft. stroke.)

Likewise, the number of accumulators, connected to standard gas vessels, varies by model from three to six accumulators, he said. Four are used on the 870-E. The quantities of oil and gas in the system can be adjusted as needed.

Also important, according to the company, is that the total gas volume in the accumulators is several times greater than the displaced volume in the cylinder. This means a relatively low degree of compression and pressure change in the gas tanks—regardless of cylinder-rod position.

According to basic thermodynamics, gases that are highly compressed heat up depending on their volume. Because the Green Hybrid system imparts only relatively minor compression of the gas, temperature and pressure fluctuations are not significant. Compared to systems that see large changes, the Green Hybrid system has a higher efficiency.

Thus, most of the accumulated energy returns to the system to provide a relatively constant force as the cylinder strokes.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/11/17 2:21 PM

NEW Instant Online

Hydraulic Oil

Configurator.

Gas

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Green Hybrid is an energy-recovery system consisting of a hydraulic cylinder on the boom connected to a bank of accumulators. When the boom lowers, the cylinder retracts and forces pressurized fluid into the accumulators, which store energy by compressing gas. Initiating the next lift cycle releases the high-pressure fluid back to the cylinder to assist lifting.

For safety, accumulator tanks mount in a protected location in the rear of the machine, surrounded by the counterweight and other heavy machine parts.

Why not use all three cylinders in the regeneration system? “That would complicate the machine, particularly how to control all three cylinders,” explained Ernst.

In this design, the two outer cylinders are part of the load-sensing hydraulics and provide the necessary force and precision control of movements. The Green Hybrid cylinder merely provides supplemental force to aid in lifting.

Sennebogen engineers also considered regenerating from the swing function, as in some hybrid excavators. “We looked at the swing, but there’s not enough energy worth recovering,” noted Ernst.

While the machine may constantly swing back and forth, it’s generally over relatively short spans. “As a material handler, our highest energy saving is in the boom, not in the swing,” he said.

The fundamental reason for going hybrid is to save energy, said Ernst. And as such, the results are impressive. The 870-E offers fuel savings of up to 30% versus non-hybrid models, and it streamlines the overall design, he noted. “Let’s look at it this way. If we would take out the third cylinder, in the middle, we would need to inwww.fluidpowerworld.com

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Now you can configure Fabco-Air products anywhere.

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crease the size of cylinders on the outside.

We would have to put in larger pumps. This machine has a 12-liter engine. Remove the Green Hybrid cylinder and we’d probably have to go with a 15-liter engine. A smaller engine obviously burns less fuel and needs a smaller cooling system.” There’s an entire cascade of benefits that combine to reduce energy consumption, thanks to the Green Hybrid system, he emphasized.

A few clicks instantly give you: • Product Part Numbers • List Prices • Lead Times • CAD Files • Seal Part No's & Prices • Repair Kit Part No's & Prices • Mounting Hardware • Accessories & Attachments • Switches/Sensors

Rugged hydraulics It’s also worth noting that the 870-E is built for durability and reliability in dirty, demanding, high-vibration operating environments. Thus, unlike designs by competing machine builders, Sennebogen’s “intelligent” hydraulics don’t rely on delicate electronics and controllers, said Ernst. And that helps prevent related failures and the associated downtime under harsh working conditions.

“Sennebogen’s philosophy is to build simple machines, so everything is hydraulic,” said Ernst. For instance, the machine uses hydraulic joysticks, not electronic joysticks connected by cables to run a computer and control the pumps.

Computers are sensitive in the environments where these machines work, like steel mills that are dusty and hot, he continued. “And in the industries we serve, 4 • 2017

FLUID POWER WORLD

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M A R I N E / O F F S H O R E

we run a minimum of 2,000 hours a year and have some operations with 6,000 to 7,000 hours, which means 24/7. It’s not like a highway construction job site. Computerization of machines usually leads to a complex repair, at the end of the day.” A simple machine is easier to repair and get back up and running quickly, versus needing to troubleshoot the computers, relays, connectors, wiring harnesses and controllers, he added.

As a result, the unit relies on a loadsensing, LUDV-type system with hydraulic pilot-controlled work functions, as well as load-limit control. Load-sensing systems with downstream compensators, in general, experience low power losses because the pump can reduce both flow and pressure to match load requirements. It

The Green Hybrid energy-recovery system permits downsizing the engine, cooling system and hydraulic pumps, which combine to reduce fuel consumption. includes a valve control block teamed with a variable-displacement pump.

With LUDV technology, individual hydraulic functions can have different outputs, particularly where working conditions present challenging power-management requirements. Benefits of LUDV include high efficiency, better performance and controllability, and lower fuel consumption, when compared to constant-pressure circuits.

The 870-E’s circuit includes hydraulically controlled, swashplate-type, www.fluidpowerworld.com

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variable-displacement piston pumps, with individual regulation for each pump. They deliver load-pressure-independent flow on demand for simultaneous, independent control of various work functions. Maximum operating pressure of the system is 5,076 psi (350 bar).

The control system provides proportional, precision hydraulic actuation of movements via two hydraulic servo joysticks. Additional control functions are handled by switches and foot pedals.

According to the company, an all-hydraulic system is powerful, easy to operate and maintain, and it features only proven components, and the 870-E requires no special software or “black-box” components to troubleshoot the machine.

However, the machine is served by an advanced diagnostic and monitoring system called SENCON. It offers easy menu navigation, displays machine operating parameters, and the operator can easily make fine adjustments. For example, a load-moment warning with capacity utilization indicator provides an overload safeguard. In addition, the company’s SENtrack telematics system permits remote monitoring of machine location, operating status and performance metrics.

To protect workers and the environment, the hydraulic circuits include safety valves for secured emergency lowering of attachments in the event of an engine shutdown, or a tube fracture or hose burst, particularly on the lift and stick cylinders.

The slewing drive has a bent-axis hydraulic motor driving a compact planetary gear-set, with integrated brake valves. Slewing speed is variable up to 5 rpm. Several travel drives are available. For instance, a crawler-track undercarriage uses axialpiston hydraulic motors driving planetary gears. Top speed for the track drive is 1.8 mph (3 kph).

A dual microfiltration system is rated for 3 micron cleanliness; optional 60 micron pressure filters can be added for attachments. And users can opt to run on environmentally friendly bio-oil.

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For excellent operator visibility when unloading a ship, the cab can be hydraulically extended or raised more than 30 ft. It also eases access, as operators can comfortably enter the cab from the ground. draulic power and control components, said Ernst. Cylinders are custom manufactured to Sennebogen engineering specifications, he said, and are chrome or nickel plated or specially coated to resist corrosion in maritime environments.

Added features The 870-E is not only efficient and durable, it’s also versatile. A number of boom and stick configurations let users match lift and reach requirements to their specific operations. The same holds for attachments.

Various grapples and buckets include orange-peel grabs and clamshells, as well as electromagnet plates for scrap-handling, mobile shears and vacuum-lifting devices.

Likewise, the modular design lets the 870-E body easily mount to a number of different platforms. These include a mobile rubber-tired undercarriage with 4-point outrigger supports, crawler-track and rail versions, and even a fixed-mount underframe. Gantry and pylon superstructures are available for special port applications. www.fluidpowerworld.com

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The 870-E is powered by a Cummins QSL 12-C350, Tier 4f engine that’s rated at 355 hp at 1,800 rpm. It includes an EcoMode for fuel economy in reduced load conditions. An optional electric drive is powered by a 250 kW, 400 V, 50/60 Hz motor. It can lower operating costs, eliminate fuel stops, and provide a quiet and virtually vibration-free work environment which, in turn, can lengthen the service life of hydraulic components.

For excellent operator visibility, particularly when unloading a ship hold, the cab can be hydraulically raised or extended.

Some versions let the cab can extend more than 20 ft from the machine body and adjust height more than 30 ft. This helps ensure fast work cycles—especially valuable in terms of shorter berthing times when unloading ships. It also eases access, as the operator can comfortably enter the cab from the ground.

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Safe pneumatic

system design

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Consider the following safety and design choices for control of pneumatic systems in automated equipment.

Pat Phillips • Product Manager, Fluid Power & Mechanical Products at AutomationDirect

A safe pneumatic system design starts at the connection to a machine’s air preparation hardware and continues to correctly pairing valves with cylinders. This article reviews the basics of pneumatic safety standards and shows how best to design a machine’s pneumatic systems to ensure safe operation in the event of an emergency stop or loss of air supply to a machine.

Pneumatic safety requirements

One of the prime directives for machine builders is ensuring the safety of operators. Protecting the machine from damage and complying with regulations is also required. Machine safety must start at the design phase and be considered during all phases of development including concept, design, manufacture, build, integration, startup, testing, operation and maintenance.

The pneumatic system design should not only be safe for operators, but also protect the machine from damage. A drop in the air pres-

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sure, loss of air pressure or dumping of air pressure during an emergency stop event can cause a variety of problems. Vertical air cylinders dropping is a common problem.

Losing control of a part is another. When air returns to a system, unexpected motion as the cylinder fills with air can also cause damage. These events must be considered and accounted for during the design phase.

There are many relevant standards to ensure a machine is legal, efficient and safe. A partial list includes the risk assessment process generally described in ISO 12100. Details on emergency stop requirements can be found in ISO 13850 and NFPA 79. Two standards classifying necessary safety levels are Performance Level (PL) in

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Figure 1: Many safety functions are provided in this Nitra air preparation unit from AutomationDirect including manual and lockable shut-off, filtering and electrically-operated air dump. | courtesy of AutomationDirect

limited to a maximum pressure of 130 psi is suitable and safe for most pneumatic components.

The air preparation unit begins with a singlepoint air connection to a manual shut-off relief valve, used to remove all machine or system pressure. This lockable valve eliminates confusion and ensures safety when air is shut off and locked for maintenance.

Air preparation should also include an air filter with 5- to 40-micron filter elements, a shatter-proof bowl, a metal cover and manual, semi-automatic or automatic drain. The filter will automatically remove moisture and provide protection from particulate contamination, a common cause of failure. A regulator should be used, either integral or separate from the filter, and it should be self-relieving and include a gauge.

Without the self-relieving feature, turning the regulator adjustment knob to reduce machine air pressure will have no effect until air is used downstream, potentially causing an unexpected Air preparation safety and unsafe low air pressure condition.

Pneumatic safety starts where the com Downstream of the filter and regulator, all pressed air is connected to a machine’s air preparation unit (Figure 1). A plant air supply machines should include an electrically operated standard ISO 13849-1 and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) in standard IEC 62061. And finally, a good starting point for safety of machinery can be found in IEC 60204-1.

Safe-stop pneumatic functionality halts dangerous motion and prevents unexpected activation from a resting state. Safe control of pneumatics also includes releasing energy, reducing pressure and force, limiting speed, stopping or blocking motion, and moving only in a safe direction.

Much of what’s in the standards above is beyond the scope of this article. However, safe control of a machine includes use of proven components with long life expectancy. There are some basic safety norms to use during design of a machine’s pneumatic circuit, especially when it comes to application of pneumatic components.

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A safe pneumatic system design starts at the connection to a machine’s air preparation hardware and continues to correctly pairing valves with cylinders.

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soft-start/dump valve. This solenoid valve removes pressure to all machine devices when an emergency stop is pressed or machine power is turned off.

These conditions must remove all power and any stored energy to the machine and prevent machine movement. Unlike many other machines, press applications complicate things and require the highest level of control reliability. In these types of high-risk applications—redundant, monitored valves must be used, per the standards, to protect operators.

Both the manual shutoff and the dump valve can exhaust significant amounts of air, causing excessive noise. The use of mufflers is required to protect an operator’s hearing. These mufflers should not be flow controlling and must be plumbed to exhaust the air away from the operator’s work area. Additionally, if the air is lubricated, the exhaust must be filtered and provide a method for automatic reclassification of airline fluids into suitable containers so oil vapor isn’t exhausted to atmosphere.

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Figure 2: Tying down pneumatic hoses can eliminate safety hazards to an operator. | courtesy of AutomationDirect

Valve selection and operation

When an emergency stop is pressed, pneumatic solenoids are de-energized. If possible, directional control valves should revert to an exhausting state on power loss.

This valve configuration relieves pressure when a 3-position valve returns to the center position. If center-closed valves are used, trapped air can cause a safety hazard.

This trapped air, during a jam condition, can cause motion while a maintenance technician is working to release the jam. This can pinch or trap the technician and cause injury. A manual release of the trapped air should be considered in these cases.

Loss of air pressure may cause uncontrolled movement when using centerexhaust valves during an emergency stop or power-off condition, and this potential machine-damaging motion should be considered during design. Similarly, a pneumatic device may drift when power is off, or a device controlled using a two-position valve may move unexpectedly when air is reapplied, and these conditions must also be considered. The soft-start valve on the air preparation unit helps soften the blow in these situations, but movement due to reapplication of air pressure can still cause machine damage. The valve should there-

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fore be held in place by a failsafe device, such as a spring, and/or appropriately interlocked.

Cylinder and actuator control

Cylinders and actuators that hold tooling moving in a vertical direction can present an operator-pinching hazard and can damage the machine tooling if they fall when air is released. To reduce or eliminate this safety hazard, a locking device such as a piloted check valve or a mechanical blocking feature should be used to hold the tooling in position during an emergency stop or power-off condition.

A piloted check valve, when used to hold vertical tooling in position, traps air which is always a safety concern. The check valve must therefore include a manual relief device to exhaust the stored air for maintenance purposes. It is important to clearly document and highlight these special cases in the operator’s manual and on machine warning labels.

To provide safe speed control of a cylinder or actuator, flow controls should be added to these devices if the stroke is greater than two inches.

These flow controls should be meter out. The use of adjustable cushions, or even external shocks, should be used to dampen the shock at the end of stroke. These cushions can help reduce the risk of damaging the cylinder, and dampening can reduce noise to a safe level.

Complete Motion Solutions Pneumatic, Electric & Hydraulic Actuators

Flexible tubing selection and application

Often overlooked are hazards to personnel caused when pneumatic tubing fails (Figure 2). The fast, whipping motion of a broken, pressurized tube can cause serious injury, especially to an eye. Good integration techniques can help eliminate the hazard.

Flexible tubing should be restrained or confined.

Use bonded tubing when appropriate, or bundle and tie wrap tubing together as a group. Adding guarding where appropriate can reduce the hazard as well.

There are many standards to consider when designing and installing pneumatic components on a machine. Air preparation, valves and cylinders all play key roles in safe pneumatic control. Proper design and application of these and other pneumatic system components along with adherence to basic pneumatic design requirements will result in a safer machine.

FPW

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long life and high quality. We have 60 years of developing and delivering productivity solutions. Our product offerings include built-to-need components, price alternative components, electric actuators, specialty workholding clamps, and motion control robots. From single actuator solutions to multi-unit systems, PHD and Yamaha Robotics can provide complete solutions for practically any application requirement.

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PHD offers an extensive line of pneumatic actuators that are known for

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Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Offshore Technology Conference

2017 preview

The Offshore Technology Conference will be held at NRG Park in Houston May 1-4.

Energy industry professionals will return to Houston yet again this year for the annual Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the largest oil and gas industry event in the world. The event will feature more than 2,300 exhibitors, including more than 70 fluid power manufacturers, distributors and system integrators. In addition, the event attracts thousands of attendees representing 100 countries.

Since 1969, the OTC has been held annually in Houston. However, OTC has expanded globally with the Arctic Technology Conference, OTC Brasil, OTC Asia, and d5. Thirteen energy industry nonprofit organizations sponsor OTC and collaborate to develop the technical program. Revenue from OTC directly benefits the membership of these societies.

Energy industry professionals will return to Houston yet again this year for the annual Offshore Technology Conference (OTC).

OTC is the largest oil and gas industry event in the world. The event will have more than 2,300 exhibitors and attendees representing 100 countries.

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OTC 2017 Fluid Power Companies................................Booth

OTC 2017 Fluid Power Companies................................Booth

Accumulators........................................................6012 Ametek..................................................................4707 Aro Fluid Power.....................................................11121 Ashcroft.................................................................3162 Bal Seal..................................................................4207 Balluff....................................................................3615 Bonfiglioli..............................................................11908 Bosch Rexroth.......................................................4029 BVA Hydraulics...................................................... 5522 CEJN......................................................................1805 Controlled Fluids................................................... 6537 DK-LOK..................................................................4415 Dinamic Oil............................................................4047 Dixon Valve............................................................5043 Donaldson.............................................................7200 Dynex-Rivett..........................................................601 Eaton.....................................................................539 Evonik....................................................................7153 FAMIC....................................................................4673 Flaretite.................................................................7125 Flodraulic...............................................................5313 Fluorten.................................................................6344 Freudenberg.........................................................1605 Gates.....................................................................3575 GP:50.....................................................................4001 GW Lisk.................................................................4178 Hannay Reels.........................................................5212 Hansa Flex.............................................................11707 Hengli....................................................................11219 Houghton..............................................................3418 Hydac....................................................................1779 Hydradyne.............................................................3100 Hydratech..............................................................4563 Hydraquip..............................................................615 Hydraulics International........................................ 2705 Hydro Leduc..........................................................3239 IMI Precision.........................................................1439 Innovative Fluid Power......................................... 9134 Innovative Hydraulics............................................ 6801 Kracht....................................................................1418 Kocsis.....................................................................5312 Manuli...................................................................5912 Maxpro..................................................................4609 MFP Seals..............................................................2678 Moog.....................................................................2115 Motion Insustries.................................................. 7021

MSO Seals.............................................................4878 NOSHOK................................................................2669 Oerlikon Fairfield................................................... 11207 PacSeal..................................................................4171 Panolin..................................................................1354 Parker....................................................................3639 PH Hydraulics........................................................746 Pneumatic and Hydraulic...................................... 4539 Rota.......................................................................1339 Rotor Clip..............................................................10921 SC Hydraulic..........................................................4268 Smalley..................................................................1608 Stauff.....................................................................8653 Stucchi...................................................................4972 SunSource.............................................................5824 Texas Hydraulics.................................................... 11013 The Lee Company................................................. 2109 Trellaborg..............................................................1928 Tube Mac..............................................................4179 United Electric......................................................4873 Versa......................................................................2673 Viatran...................................................................4400 Wago.....................................................................4731 WIKA......................................................................531 Winters..................................................................379 Womack................................................................4314

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Technical Highlights OTC attendees will have opportunities to gain insights from global experts on safety, technological advances and environmentally focused solutions, and economic and regulatory impacts. This year’s event features more than 300 technical papers from leading upstream firms, more than 60 technical sessions, 24 topical breakfasts and luncheons, along with several in-depth panel discussions.

Programs will have particular focuses on the following areas:

Updates on World-Class Projects: Low oil prices create the demand for gamechanging, lower cost methods, resulting in an environment rich for breakthrough technologies. These advances fundamentally change what energy industry profes-

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sionals do – and OTC is the stage where it is presented.

Digital Revolution: Looking closely at big data and the growing importance of cybersecurity.

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Strategies for Adapting to a Lower Priced Environment: Addressing the effective use of technology and standardization to reduce costs.

OTC | 2017.otcnet.org

New Developments in Major Offshore Basins: Major changes are underway in Mexico and Brazil concerning regulation and development of offshore resources.

Safety and Risk Management: While the transition to a lower cost is critical to the industry, safety and environmental responsibility remain the cornerstones of success.

Discuss This and other engineering topics at www.engineeringexchange.com

Offshore Renewable Energy: Designing and developing offshore renewable energy structures and infrastructure.

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It’s not a web page, it’s an industry information site.

So much happens between issues of Fluid Power World that even another issue would not be enough to keep up. That’s why it makes sense to visit fluidpowerworld.com and stay on Twitter, Google+, Facebook and LinkedIn. It’s updated regularly with relevant technical information and other significant news to the hydraulics and pneumatics community.

fluidpowerworld.com

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Demystifying

transducers A transducer converts a measurement into an analog electrical output signal, which can be used by sensing instrumentation.

Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor

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Transducer is a mystical word. Saying it emotes feelings of the word transmogrify, which itself describes the magical transformation of an object or person. The word transducer was certainly a mystery to me when I was a fluid power neophyte. I knew a transducer was some sort of electrical device, but I didn’t know how it worked, or why it was used in fluid power.

More than a decade into my hydraulic career, I now take for granted my knowledge of transducers. Put simply, a transducer converts one type of physical property into an electrical output signal. Hydraulic pressure is converted to a variable voltage or amperage output, for example. How this occurs is where transducers require demystifying.

How a transducer works will depend primarily on the type of measurement being observed—and even then, you can still have various methods to turn that physical property into a usable electrical output. There are transducers to measure pressure, temperature, flow, fluid level, position and even water or particle contamination.

Pressure transducers

| courtesy of Bosch Rexroth

Pressure transducers are the most common types used in hydraulic systems. Other properties are easily monitored via analogue gauges or indicators, but pressure is dynamic in range and rate of change, requiring the accurate and responsive measurement that only an electronic device can provide. As well, pressure transducers are at near commodity pricing, placing them in the purchasing range of a high quality analogue gauge.

A pressure transducer is often a strain gauge, which measures changes in resistance, inductance or capacitance. Here, strain refers to the deformation of the metallic membrane, as its shape changes while exposed to the force of pressure. Electrical resistance is the expression of how much the conducting material resists the flow of electrons.

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• Figure 1. An example electrical circuit, highlighting critical components such as the wheatstone bridge.

Inductance and capacitance are more difficult to describe, but we’ll try to demystify them briefly.

Inductance describes the inertia of electrical current. A big coil of wire, for example, will resist changes in current flow, either increasing or decreasing. Inductors are less practical in modern electronics, mostly because of their size.

Capacitors are much more common than coils, although they work differently. A capacitor stores excess incoming electrical energy, ready to release it when downstream energy drops again.

If this description sounds familiar, you’re thinking about hydraulic accumulators. They absorb incoming hydraulic energy, ready to blast it out when downstream pressure drops below accumulator pressure. Capacitors, just like accumulators, are capable of extremely high bursts of energy, and should be carefully applied.

Regardless of the electrical change caused by strain force, an active pressure transducer will use its strain gauge to modify incoming electrical

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voltage into a usable variable analogue output. You see, unlike some other electrical sensing devices, like a thermocouple or microphone, an electronic pressure transducer uses various electrical components, such as a wheatstone bridge, to create an accurate variable output. The electronics onboard these transducers require a power source, which is typically 12, 24 or 120 V, although some sensors will take a range of input, such as 8-30 V.

The wheatstone bridge common to most modern transducers uses either bonded strain gauges, or piezoelectric types, which are less common in hydraulic applications. In its signature diamond shape, the wheatstone bridge is a combination of resistors and strain gauges that accurately measures strain force, and therefore pressure. However, because of the harsh environmental conditions of a hydraulic system, pressure transducers require other electronics to improve their accuracy, repeatability and reliability.

If you look at the electrical circuit, Figure 1, you can easily spot the wheatstone bridge. However, all the other componentry is there for other purposes. Part of it is to ensure that changes in temperature (which change the electrical resistance) don’t affect accuracy. If the resistance of the wheatstone bridge changes, so does the pressure signal. Other parts of the circuit improve hysteresis. Hysteresis is kind of like electrical lag—where a voltage, for example, takes time to reduce again after it rises.

When all is said and done, a pressure transducer will take input electrical power, read its load cell and then output something that a PLC or digital display can use to extrapolate pressure. In most hydraulic applications, output signal can be variable voltage or variable amperage. Typical voltages are 0-5 and 0-10, and variable amperage outputs are 4-20 mA. The latter starts at 4 mA to avoid the dead zone interpreted as a failure or broken wire. In applications with long runs of wires, variable amperage can have an advantage in that it avoids background interference that creates voltage spikes.

What a 0-5, 0-10 or 4-20 output means depends on the pressure range of the transducer it’s installed in. Pressure can be vacuum to 10,000 psi or more, so the output signal must provide a linear representation of the desired scale. For example, if you have a 15-psi transducer on your filter’s bypass indicator, and your output is 0-5 V, a 1 V signal equals 3 pounds of pressure. A 2.5 V signal would equal a 7.5-psi level, and so on.

With a variable amp output, any signal less than or equal to 4 mA is considered 0 psi of pressure. If we now use a 3,000 psi transducer as an example, we must now do some simple math to tell our PLC what the incoming signal means. There is 16 mA worth of usable resolution to spread amongst the 3,000 psi of pressure we want to measure. With 4 mA being zero, and 20 mA being 3,000 psi, everywhere in between is just a factor of both. Each milliamp of energy translates to 187.5 psi of observed pressure, and even each fractional milliamp is further broken down. If your transducer has an accuracy of 0.5% (which high quality ones do), this means each 0.1 mA will accurate represent a change in 18.75 psi of pressure change.

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I’m picking on pressure in my examples, but it should be known a transducer can observe many physical properties and then provide an analogue output to suit. Temperature, flow, fluid level, position, water saturation and particle contamination are all common, as was mentioned earlier. Although most are still available with the same 0-5 V, 0-10 V or 4-20 mA output signals (or others such as CAN), how they arrive at those ranges can vary vastly.

A temperature transducer can read the changes in resistance as caused by a change in temperature, and it uses on-board electronics to improve accuracy, resolution and response time. However, a flow sensor uses a completely different principle altogether.

The Hall effect uses a solid state pickup to measure the intensity of a magnetic field. An inline impeller can be made from magnetic material—which, as it spins, produces ever increasing voltage in the sensor, called the Hall voltage. The downside of this sensor is the response time for the impeller to speed up and slow down, making it accurate for only steady-state flow. A flow sensor using a set of positive displacement gears (like a gear pump), is much more accurate, but is also much more costly.

One of the more interesting transducers is the particle contamination measuring transducer. Rather than use some sort of change in resistance, inductance or capacitance, it uses a laser to measure fluid passing across its orifice. As particles break the laser beam, the time and frequency of the broken beam tells the transducer the size and quantity of the particles passing by. As you can imagine, these units aren’t cheap, but they are a great technology that allows technicians the opportunity to measure fluid cleanliness on site.

As electronics advance, they actually continue to ensure that fluid power stays relevant. Productivity is rising more rapidly than what can be achieved with logsplitterera technology, and we in the industry owe that to the sophisticated electronics permeating fluid power. Transducers are a piece of the electrification puzzle, and are key to the growth of fluid power as a whole.

FPW

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2017

Fluid Power Technology Conference Presented by

Featured Keynotes

Program Highlights

F r o m b a s i c s t o a d v a n c e d f l u i d p o w e r, sessions will target the following:

Allen Carlson, University of Florida, College of Engineering (formerly Sun Hydraulics)

Properly size a system Maintain control Prevent and control contamination Read schematics Troubleshooting Reliability

John Thornton, GS Global Resources

Component selection and design And more!

See more speakers online.

SAVE THE DATE MAY 16-17, 2017

HOST SPONSOR

Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Kern Center www.fluidpowertechconference.com

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For the second year in a row, the Fluid Power Technology Conference, presented by Fluid Power World, will again be held at the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Kern Center, on May 16 and 17.

Mary C. Gannon • Managing Editor

Fluid Power Technology Conference returns to Milwaukee The Fluid Power Technology Conference, presented by Fluid Power World,

will once again be held at the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Kern Center, on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 16 and 17, marking the return of this opportunity for experts and users to gather together at the one of the nation’s most innovative fluid power universities.

The event will be led by three keynote presentations over the two days, including sessions by Allen Carlson, of University of Florida, College of Engineering (and retired CEO of Sun Hydraulics); John Thornton, President of GS Global Resources; and Joseph P. Maher, Sales Manager – Americas, Electronic Components, Danfoss Power Solutions.

In addition, sessions will be offered from several key fluid power manufacturers, offering insight into specific technologies and applications. These sessions will give design engineers looks at up-and-coming technologies and industry updates, system 54

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design solutions, and more.

Finally, attendees will have an opportunity to choose between five technical sessions offered by faculty from the MSOE Fluid Power Institute (FPI) and Professional Education and Research Development (PERD), as well as Carl Dyke, founder of CD Industrial Group, and contributor to FPW. This schedule is current as of press time; for the most up-to-date version, visit fluidpowertechconference.com.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

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1:45-2:30 — Electro-Hydraulics Troubleshooting for Motion and Force Control—Presented by Carl Dyke, CD Industrial Group. Proportional valves, servovalves and fine motion control systems offer challenges to the maintainer and troubleshooter. Many proportional valves are used for systems with little to no motion at all. These force control systems come with their own unique challenges. The emphasis will be on understanding the internal workings and normal operating characteristics of complex valves, making system adjustments and maintenance checks for proper operation, and also troubleshooting tips.

Tuesday, May 16

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2:30-3:00 — Exhibition/Networking Break

Registration — 7:30 a.m.

Main Stage 9:30-10:30 — Opening keynote: Building a winning engineering team for the coming decade—Presented by Allen Carlson, of University of Florida, College of Engineering (and retired CEO of Sun Hydraulics). In his presentation, Carlson will focus on the importance of technology, innovation and entrepreneurism as key drivers in today’s high tech, fast-paced economy. To accelerate this requires an education system that expands both capability and capacity. It also requires a pipeline of STEM talent coupled with business and leadership acumen.

Carlson will provide perspectives and thoughts on how to succeed at building a strong and sustainable technical work force. He will draw upon his own experience from working in the fluid power industry with assignments in engineering, marketing, operations and concluding as the CEO of Sun Hydraulics. He will also draw on his current initiative with the University of Florida’s Sarasota Innovation Station.

10:30 — Exhibition/Networking Break 11:00-11:45 — Six Reasons Your System Might Need a Smart Cylinder—Presented by Tony Cassassa, Application Engineer, Aggressive Hydraulics. The use of “Smart Cylinders,” or hydraulic cylinders with integral electronic linear sensors, is on the rise. The driving factors include the capabilities and reliability of machine control electronics and sensors, as well as increasingly demanding design goals due to competition, customer expectations and regulation. With examples from different industries, about six potential system improvements that are made possible by smart cylinders are presented.

3:00-3:45 — Creating a more precise model with co-simulation— Presented by Céline Cabana of FD-GROUPS America, North American subsidiary of FLUIDESIGN Group. FLUIDESIGN recently performed a dynamic simulation study on a multi-purpose gantry hydraulic system. The results indicated a gap between the virtual prototype and the actual machine. While in operation, torsion in the structure affected the hydraulic system’s performance. To close this gap, the company used a methodology integrating the deformation of the static parts with the dynamics of the vehicle in a study of a new articulated boom lift. The co-simulation allows for the understanding of the interaction between the two physics that govern the boom behavior and the impact on the hydraulic system.

Attendees will learn the many benefits of using co-simulation, including the ability to foresee the future perspectives of using this type of methodology.

3:45-4:15 — You Can’t Paint on Reliability; Design For Reliability (DFR) in Fluid Power Applications—Presented by Tim Kerrigan, Assistant Director Fluid Power Institute FPI and Joe Munski, Fluid Power Test Engineer, FPI. This presentation focuses on the technique of applying the Design For Reliability (DFR) methods to fluid power applications. Processes like Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), and Reliability Availability Maintainability (RAM) analysis will be addressed and shown how they can be applied to the design process of fluid power applications to ensure reliability. In addition, these processes can be applied to existing designs and systems to improve reliability and production.

5:00 — Cocktail hour and networking

Breakout Stage

12:00-1:00 — Exhibition/Luncheon

11:00-11:45 — Learning Fluid Power Schematic Reading by Osmosis— Presented by Carl Dyke, CD Industrial Group. Schematic reading can be a

1:00-1:45 — Technology Session, Topic TBA—Presented by Balluff.

joy or perhaps just a necessary task but can be a source of frustration to fluid power professionals and many technicians. Like learning any foreign language

www.fluidpowerworld.com

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it helps to have a few aids and tricks. Dyke will draw on his 18 years teaching schematic reading and will share the learning methods and tools that he and his team have created to make schematic reading easier and more intuitive.

1:00-1:45 — Proper Hydraulic Line Sizing for Pressure Drop – Laminar and Turbulent Flow Considerations— Presented by Tim Kerrigan, FPI. This presentation will address the old rule of thumb for line sizing hydraulic plumbing that the maximum recommended pump suction line velocity is 4 ft/sec and pump discharge line velocity is 20 ft/sec. What is the real effect on pressure drop? What is the effect on power loss? What is the effect on system dynamics?

3:00-3:45 — Math Modeling Hydraulic Transmission Lines in a System— Presented by Dr. Medhat Khalil, Director of PERD. This presentation focuses on modeling hydraulic transmission lines in a system. The Lump-Parameter model the determines the resistance, inertia, and capacitance effects on the dynamic transients in a hydraulic transmission line. These models may have significant effects on having accurate results of a hydraulic system model.

3:45-4:30 — Pneumatics Challenges in the Great Outdoors—Presented by Carl Dyke, CD Industrial Group. Pneumatic principles, component design and system functions will be the foundation for a sometimes humorous look at the challenges Dyke faced adapting his early experiences with sawmill pneumatics to design pneumatic powered driver training aids for teaching collision avoidance.

Wednesday, May 17

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8:30 a.m.— Networking Breakfast Main Stage 9:00-9:45 — Keynote presentation: What role will system integrators play in the future of fluid power?—Presented by John Thornton, President of GS Global Resources. Thornton will discuss whether the line card is dead, taking a look at how adding value to a client relationship is a matter of perspective and more important than a product line. He will draw on GSGR’s own journey to lasting value. GSGR not only survived the “Great Recession,” but came out stronger than ever, having doubled in size since. Thornton will discuss how the importance of developing new products and bringing new application solutions to market has been a key driver of this growth, and will offer insight into how others can tap into this potential.

In addition, he will discuss the importance of having a team that is capable of easily helping OEMs interpret, adapt and adopt technology at the intersection of fluid power and electronic control.

10:00 — Exhibition/Networking Break 10:30-11:15 — Enhancing Productivity—Extending Cylinder Life and Reducing Cylinder Maintenance Cycles—Presented by Peter Frymark, engineering team leader and Douglas Lacina, Global Marketing and Engineering Leader for Milwaukee Cylinder. Downtime, whether planned or unplanned can be costly. What if downtime related to cylinder use could be reduced? Cylinder life and maintenance cycles are a factor of many issues— operation, environment, and design. This topic will explore various opportunities to increase the life and reduce the maintenance cycle of a cylinder, with a focus on specific design and instrumentation possibilities. The company will also be introducing its new in-cylinder temperature monitoring.

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11:15-12:15 — Exhibition/Luncheon 12:15-1:00 — Mobile Hydraulics Troubleshooting - Tales (and photos) from the Crypt— Presented by Carl Dyke, CD Industrial Group. In this presentation, participants will follow along on a series of real investigations by CD Industrial Group into malfunctioning mobile hydraulic systems. The symptoms of trouble that first became evident, the process of finding the root cause and the components that finally failed will be discussed and shown. The case studies will come from mining, agriculture, construction and logistics/handling and will feature components from simple check valves to spool valves and cylinders.

1:00-1:45 — How can pressure intensifiers simplify and reduce costs in hydraulic systems?—Presented Bernd “Ben” Hunger, IC Fluid Power. In this session, attendees will first learn how pressure intensifiers can be used in hydraulic systems, and how these devices can simplify and reduce cost when used in HPUs. Pressure hydraulic intensifiers transform hydraulic power at lower pressure into a reduced volume at higher pressure. In addition, attendees will learn how to correctly size and specify pressure intensifiers as well as the different types of mounting options for pressure intensifiers.

1:45-2:15 — Exhibition/Networking Break 2:15-3:00 — Importance of Contamination Control in Hydraulic Systems—Presented by Tom Wanke, CFPE Director of the FPI. Experts agree that 70 to 80% of all hydraulic system failures are a result of contaminants circulating within the hydraulic system. This presentation will cover the types, sources and effects of contaminants on hydraulic components and systems. Methods and technologies will be discussed that eliminate, reduce and/or control contamination levels for improving hydraulic system reliability.

3:00-3:45 — Identifying Safety Issues in the Fluid Power Industry—Presented by Andrew Wasielewski, President, CEJN North America. Safety within the work place is a hot topic and a focus for all companies. The fluid power industry is no exception to workplace injuries. Situations resulting in personal injury or death can be catastrophic for any company including reputation, financial impact and legal consequences. Identifying and implementing safety precautions should be at the top of the list for any company.

CEJN, being a safety, quality and performance-driven manufacturer, will present ideas in identifying some common safety issues that could be seen across all fluid power industries whether it is pneumatic, hydraulic, or fluid transfer.

3:45-4:30 — Closing Keynote: Connected Components: The Intersection of Fluid Power and the IoT—Presented by Joseph Maher, Sales Manager – Americas, Electronic Components, Danfoss Power Solutions. Everyone has heard about “Telematics” and the “Internet of Things.” But how does that apply to fluid power and original equipment control systems? How can this technology be leveraged to generate meaningful insights from machine data, and what value is it to me and my customers? This session will present a high-level view of use cases, practical applications, and how the technology can improve both OEM and end user profitability.

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5 Special thanks to all sponsors, including the following: Host University: Milwaukee School of Engineering Gold Sponsors: Aggressive Hydraulics Balluff CEJN FD Groups America HBC Radiomatic IC Fluid Power Nimco Hydraulic Systems Milwaukee Cylinder Price Engineering Ritter Technology LLC Thomas-Magnete Webtec Program Sponsors: Dura Bar OEM Controls Servo Kinetics UltraClean Technologies Corp.

Media & Industry Sponsors: Design World Fluid Power World International Fluid Power Society OEM Off-Highway

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Breakout Stage 10:30-11:15 — Test and Evaluation Methodology— Presented Joe Munski, Fluid Power Test Engineer, FPI. When engineering tests are necessary to validate engineering design, what is the best test methodology to apply? Is the test repeatable? Will the data and results be sufficient to make a decision? Is the test cost effective? Objective oriented test and evaluation is necessary for objective evaluation of a product and have it accomplished in a cost- and time-sensitive manner.

2:15-3:00 — Load Sense Hydraulics for the Maintainer/ Troubleshooter—Presented by Carl Dyke, CD Industrial Group. A colorful exploration of the internal workings of a typical load sense system awaits as Dyke shares 2D and 3D simulations. His team’s experiences with what goes wrong in the winter cold and the summer heat—along with the challenges technicians face to understand and adjust these not-so-basic systems will provide the human story.

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

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PRODUCT WORLD

Stock A4V Series expansion

CCL Clean Line cylinder series

FluiDyne Fluid Power fluidynefp.com

Aventics aventics.com

The A4V series piston pump line

These cylinders comply with all relevant

is being expanded. The A4V piston

European standards for applications

pumps are available in displacements

in food splash zones. Both the CCL-IS

of: 40, 71, 125, 180, and 250.

standard cylinder to rated to ISO 15552

These units are used in

and the CCL-IC compact cylinder to

many different applications:

ISO 21287 correspond to the basic

agriculture, forestry machinery,

principles of hygienic design: The cylinder

construction, on-highway,

bodies consist of anodized aluminum,

commercial vehicles, offshore, marine, wind/ocean

while the screws and piston rod are made

energy, automotive and more. The A4V pumps have low noise level,

of stainless steel. The scraper material and

long service life, short response time, wide range of through drive

the lubricants are also FDA-approved.

options, optional mounting position and peak pressure of 5,800 psi.

Controls include: DR, DRG, FR, FRG, DFR, and LR2.

available in eight sizes covering diameters

The CCL-IS standard cylinder is

from 25 to 125 mm. The maximum stroke is 2,750 mm. Depending on their requirements, users can choose between

SUPERTUFF series hydraulic hose

elastic and pneumatic cushioning.

Kuriyama of America kuriyama.com The Alfabiotech SUPERTUFF hose series has a 50% greater bend radius. The synthetic rubber tube material is oil resistant and compatible with biodegradable hydraulic fluids. Depending on the type selected, four or six high tensile steel wire reinforcement will be used. The cover is abrasion, ozone and hydrocarbon resistant synthetic rubber. The “Supertuff” cover provides excellent abrasion resistance and long service life in heavy duty applications. This hose series meets flame resistance US MSHA IC-152/16.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

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PRODUCT WORLD

Directional valve expansion to include explosion-proof solenoids Hengli hengliamerica.com These valves will be officially launching in May 2017, in the US market at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston. While the oil and gas markets are a focus of these valves, they are also widely used in mining and hazardous industrial processing applications.

Sizes available: • D03 rated to 350 Bar at 80 lpm • D05 rated to 315 bar at 120 lpm • Coils include 12, 24, 36, 110 Vdc • Execution to NEC-500 standards, Class 1, Division 1 • Ex d e IIC T4 and Ex d I Mb

Embedded linear position sensor AMETEK ametekfactoryautomation.com The GEMCO 958A embedded Linear Displacement Transducer (LDT) was designed specifically with the needs of the mobile hydraulics market in mind. The rod style LDT is designed to fit entirely inside a hydraulic or clevis style cylinder and provide absolute analog feedback in the most-demanding applications and extreme operating environments.

The highly versatile 958A LDT offers absolute accuracy and reliability with high resolution and precision repeatability. The embedded LDT is totally installed inside the cylinder, which protects the transducer from outside conditions. It uses magnetostrictive position-sensing technology to give absolute analog position, accurate to 0.04% of the programmable sensing distance.

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

ESV9 Series of proportional solenoid cartridge valves

ORBITAL X motors Danfoss powersolutions.danfoss.com

Eaton eaton.com

The new Orbital X program OMP X and OMR X motors mark the first new product

The ESV9 series of proportional

introduction since Danfoss acquired

solenoid cartridge valves provide

White Drive Products in September

control with optimized linearity.

2016. The new motors will replace

With less than 7% hysteresis, the new

the current OMP, OMR, DS and DH

valves provide operational efficiency

motor models.

and a broad ramp rate for greater resolution.

Features:

• Higher torque, stronger bearing capacity and improved

shaft seal work together to increase motor function and protection.

• Flexibility — two new modular product platforms ensure the

greatest flexibility to date, reducing time to market and improving performance and reliability.

• Application system support — the line of Orbital X tools allow

faster response time, hassle-free product selection and integration, and greater predictability.

The size 10 ESV9 is a four-way,

three-position, screw-in cartridge and is available with either a closed type or float spool configuration. The E-spool type solenoid valve has all the ports closed in the deenergized position. This configuration is suitable for moderate flow applications where an actuator needs to be proportionally controlled in both directions and stopped in any position. The ESV9 has a rating of up to 22 lpm and up to 250 bar, matching the technical requirements of most applications.

Compressed air drying technology SPX FLOW spxflow.com This FLEX Series energy saving refrigerated air dryer by Hankison uses Phase Change Material (PCM) for energy savings. PCM is a material that harnesses latent heat produced as it converts from solid to liquid or liquid to solid. While latent heat is being absorbed or released, the process is isothermal and the energy from the heat is used to change the form of the material. PCM absorbs a large amount of heat at a constant temperature as it melts or freezes and stays colder for longer periods of time.

Designed with a 3-in-1 heat exchanger, the PCM encapsulates the refrigeration and

compressed air circuits. This allows the phase change material to stay colder for longer periods of time, cycling the refrigerant compressor less often than conventional energy saving designs.

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COMPONENT FOCUS

Edited by: Mary C. Gannon • Managing Editor

How are vacuum cups used?

Vacuum cups come in both flat and bellows shapes, like these from FIPA.

Vacuum cups, or suction cups, are often used as grippers in manual or automated handling applications. They can secure and help move a wide range of products—everything from bottles and bags to bricks and wooden boards, and sheet metal, pipes and glass windows. In essence, they’re the interface between a vacuum system and the workpiece.

Typical vacuum-handling systems are a mainstay in many industries, including packaging, food, beverage, woodworking, metalworking, automotive, semiconductor and electronics. Vacuum cups hold several advantages in such applications, including the fact that they are relatively simple, compact, light, and inexpensive and require little maintenance. They are capable of firmly gripping parts in high-speed motion applications, as well as providing gentle handling of fragile parts. Here are some basics on how they work.

Technically, a suction cup does not attach itself and grip the surface of a product. Instead, when a suction cup contacts the workpiece surface, it activates a vacuum 62

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generator (such as a vacuum ejector, blower or pump) and draws out air from the cup interior and creates a vacuum. Given that air pressure inside is then lower than that outside of the cup, atmospheric pressure holds the workpiece against the cup. The greater the difference between ambient pressure and vacuum pressure inside the cup, or the larger the effective area of the cup acting on the workpiece, the greater the holding force pressing the cup onto the workpiece.

Ideally, a suction cup should mate against a smooth, nonporous surface. Then, when generating vacuum, the cup rim completely seals against atmospheric air and the interior air is quickly evacuated, resulting in a firm grip on the

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This custom EOAT vacuum gripping solution from FIPA removes protective film from sheet metal with a cost- and labor-saving automated process.

workpiece. However, non-ideal conditions are many times the norm because materials are often permeable, rough or uneven. In these cases, the cups cannot completely seal and outside air constantly enters the system. That’s termed a leaking system. Designers must compensate for leaking systems by using high-flow vacuum generators or using smaller cups to reduce the potential for leaks.

Types of suction cups range from simple, circular types to those designed for special applications like handling candy, greasy sheet-metal panels, or porous wood and cardboard. They come in two general shapes, flat and bellows.

Flat suction cups are suited for handling workpieces with flat or slightly curved surfaces, such as metal and glass plates, plastic sheets and wooden boards.

Flat cups have a small inner volume and,

COMPONENT FOCUS

thus, evacuate quickly and can grip in a very short time. Properly designed, they have good 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 which 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 nonrigid packaged goods or shrink-wrapped products.

Both types come in a number of shapes, including round and oval. Various sizes make them suited for handling products weighing from a fraction of an ounce to several pounds. And they come in many different rubber and elastomer materials to suit specific application requirements, from FDA compliant cups for handling food, abrasive-resistant materials for moving bricks to oil-resistant types in metalworking operations.

FPW

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