FLUID POWER WORLD DECEMBER 2018 by WTWH Media LLC

Hydraulics ensures safety in mining machinery p. 30

Hydraulic cylinder sensor reliability p. 36

Vacuum generation for handling technologies p. 44

www.fluidpowerworld.com

Hydraulics lets driverless trucks move 2 billion tons

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December 2018

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FluidLines Mary Gannon • Editor

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Don’t leave humans out of the Industry 4.0 equation At the recent Integr8 conference in Detroit, a panel of five speakers from Bosch Rexroth discussed how to successfully implement Industry 4.0. Key to connected industry, they all agreed, was ensuring that people are at the center of decision-making.

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Rodney Rusk, the i4 business leader for Bosch Rexroth, kicked off the talk by saying, “In our mind, people are what’s going to drive the change, and they are going to implement the change and lead us into success. Without the buy-in of our people and without making manufacturing better for our people, we are failing. People will always remain the center of our decision-making.” Rusk added that Bosch’s continued success with Industry 4.0 can be attributed to the fact that the company applies the idea to itself and its customers. One of the 270 Bosch plants worldwide is selected to test a given idea, where it is either proven out or deemed a failure. Once a theory is successful, it is rolled out to the rest of the global manufacturing organization and eventually its customers, Rusk said. It’s all about lessons learned, said Bosch’s connected industry consultant Andreas Hassold. Here, you must look for early adopters and volunteers to drive the change. “We put a lot of emphasis on innovation from the bottom-up,” Hassold said. “We’ve put structures in place to harness our associates’ innovations and ideas.” Bosch has more than 7 million connected devices around the world but not every project has been a success. For example, said Industry 4.0 Project Manager North Fabian Borowski, an early failure came when they failed to consult the people running the machinery. They weren’t ready to use these highly connected applications. “We didn’t take the time to actually go talk to the machine operator, the maintenance person, to the janitor to find out what they were seeing from their perspective in the operation — again, going back to the human in the piece,” Rusk added. “That’s something we have to keep reminding ourselves every time we engage in a new Industry 4.0 addition, whether it’s in one of our plants or with one of our customers.” “What we have seen since then is a dramatic increase in great ideas actually being generated from our own plant floors,” Rusk continued, adding that something like 2,500 new ideas come from that particular plant’s floor operators per year. “They feel they’re part of the i4 journey. They feel like they have an ownership stake. Now, that’s a dramatic uptake. We didn’t see that in a lot of our other plants over the years. I think that’s a big lesson that we learned.”

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From the Field

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Tackling HR questions, old and young

At the recent FPDA Summit in Lake Tahoe, Calif., HR expert Pam Krivda of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP moderated a fascinating panel on human resources issues that manufacturers and distributors may face. Here are two of the topics that were discussed, on opposite ends of the age spectrum.

PEOPLE, PASSION & SOLUTIONS

What to do about older employees who might be suffering from early signs of dementia? What is the legal requirement associated with somebody like this who is making a lot of errors? Krivda explained that whatever is done has to be handled with dignity and sensitivity. “Dignity and sensitivity do not mean that you have to keep a nonperforming employee forever,” she said. “Sometimes we find people who have gotten angry with you, because the industry has changed, technology has changed, and you’re expecting them to change, and they’re just pissed off. But sometimes you find people who genuinely can’t do it.” The panel felt that, for somebody with cognitive impairment, that would likely fall under the protection afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or protections that many states offer. There is an interactive process when someone has a cognitive impairment that in their active process is difficult to manage. The best case is to have an HR professional or a labor attorney help script the discussions. That way, you’ll be doing everything required under the law, but you will still eventually be able to hire someone who can do that job. (continued on page 6) 4

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(continued from page 4)

The other key is consistency. You should be having consistent development and performance discussions with your team. Then often those discussions about where the employee would want to go in their career — and potential challenges — are coming up. Even if there was an acute performance issue at age 65, you’ve been having semiannual discussions regularly. If you’ve had any kind of developmental discussions with someone, then having the next one is that much easier.

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Attendees also discussed potential issues with hiring Millennials. Some companies look at hiring Millennials as an opportunity. It’s a good idea when interviewing to have candidates take fit or personality tests. Sometimes that will weed out less than ideal behavior to see if they will be able to fit with the company culture. Another key is developing a training program for new college graduates. It can encompass what is expected at work, how to dress, how they should approach a dinner, how they approach contacts. And consistency is key here, too. If there is consistency and a process exists throughout the organization, then either a Millennial or a Boomer can respond very well to a well-defined process. If you have the right fit, then the generation is not as critical. Psychological testing, cultural testing, and fit testing are perfectly lawful and are vastly underused tools. These tests range from relatively inexpensive to quite pricey, but they are legal, extremely useful and defensible. FPW

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December 2018 C ontents |

vol 5 no 7

fluidpowerworld.com

•

2018

F E AT U R E S MOBILE HYDRAULICS

How do hydraulics ensure safety in mining machinery? By their design, hydraulic components are explosion-proof, making the powerfully dense technology a natural choice in dangerous mining applications.

INDUSTRIAL HYDRAULICS

Improving the reliability of hydraulic cylinder sensors How to maintain uptime in difficult conditions.

PNEUMATICS

Vacuum generation for handling technology Future trends point to mobile, autonomous and energy efficient systems.

TRAINING

LunchBox learning about fluid power CD Industrial Group’s LunchBox Sessions uses interactive simulation technologies to give students a hands-on training experience even while learning online.

30 36 44

30 D E PA R T M E N T S

02 FluidLines 04 From The Field

12 Korane’s Outlook 14 Association Watch 18 Design Notes 24 Fundamentals 26 Research and Development 28 Energy Efficiency 60 Products 63 Component Focus 64 Ad Index

A | S | B | P|E Fostering B2B editorial excellence

ON THE COVER

Simple but efficient hydraulics have allowed driverless mining trucks to haul 2 billion tons. | courtesy of Komatsu America Corp.

American Society of Business Publication Editors

2018 Regional

DESIGN Award Winner Revenue of $3 million or under

FLUID POWER WORLD

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Videographer Derek Little dlittle@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_derek

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Videographer Graham Smith gsmith@wtwhmedia.com

Contributing Editor Ken Korane kkorane@wtwhmedia.com @fpw_kenkorane Contributing Editor Josh Cosford @FluidPowerTips Contributing Editor Carl Dyke @carlindustry CREATIVE SERVICES

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FLUID POWER WORLD does not pass judgment on subjects of controversy nor enter into dispute with or between any individuals or organizations. FLUID POWER WORLD is also an independent forum for the expression of opinions relevant to industry issues. Letters to the editor and by-lined articles express the views of the author and not necessarily of the publisher or the publication. Every effort is made to provide accurate information; however, publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information. Non-commissioned articles and news releases cannot be acknowledged. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned nor will this organization assume responsibility for their care.

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FLUID POWER WORLD does not endorse any products, programs or services of advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright© 2018 by WTWH Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

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

Are acquisitions killing fluid power innovation? Fluid power experts and casual observers alike can’t help but notice the steady stream of mergers and acquisitions affecting our industry. For instance, over the last year we’ve seen: • • • • • • •

Danfoss buy Artemis Intelligent Power. Des-Case acquire RMF Systems. Festo make a deal for Fabco-Air. IMI purchase Bimba Manufacturing. Michelin take over Hallite and Fenner. Monnier buy Fluid Air Controls. Sun Hydraulics acquire Faster Group.

Granted, consolidation in the fluid power industry is nothing new. The Parker Appliance Co. acquired Hannifin Corp. in 1957. Mannesmann bought Rexroth in 1975 and merged with Bosch Automation Technology in 2001. Over the years Vickers has been part of Sperry, Libbey-Owens-Ford, Trinova and now Eaton. On the surface acquisitions aren’t inherently good or bad. How they affect innovation depends on the underlying goal. Companies often tout vague rationales like value creation, pursuing scale and fostering synergies, when it’s all about cost cutting. A common acquisition strategy when buying a company is to slash costs to improve margins and cash flow. That’s what private-equity firms do. On the other hand, relatively small companies with attractive products might benefit from a larger sales force and more marketing heft. Bigger companies can also offer manufacturing skills to lower costs or the technology expertise to enhance the performance of the acquired company’s products. Forward-looking companies looking to grow can view acquisitions as new opportunities for creative collaboration and an excellent way to drive innovation. Larger firms more often have sizeable R&D budgets; smaller companies tend to be more entrepreneurial and nimble. Together, consolidation can stimulate the new organization’s focus on innovation. But making it succeed is hard work. Acquisitions can cause disruption as business processes get integrated, redundancies are eliminated and staff reorganized. Innovation often takes a back seat. That’s especially true if two vastly different cultures clash, or the buyer issues one-way demands that ensure talented researchers and engineers walk out the door. It can also be a problem if key employees at the acquired company have received a lot of money. They don’t really need to work anymore, and it shows.

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Prof. Bruno Cassiman of Spain’s IESE business school has written about M&A’s effect on innovation. In general, he said that if the two companies were competitors with the same types of products and technology, the merged company often reduced R&D costs and personnel, eliminated R&D projects and demanded faster results. In contrast, said Cassiman, if the acquisition involved companies with complementary—but not identical—expertise, the merged company tended to expand its technology reach, made better use of resources and launched additional R&D projects. More new products entered the pipeline and the company saw higher returns on R&D investment. Countless stories relate how a company spends millions on a rival, and then shuts down the unit and writes off the purchase price in just a few years. Various studies put the failure rate of acquisitions at between 50% and 90%. For companies to enjoy success and stay innovative postacquisition, senior managers must take innovation seriously and continue to fund research and engineering. Higher R&D investments yield higher productivity, growth, profits and market value over the long term. \FPW

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Registration open for NFPA Annual Conference in Laguna Beach Pool view at the Montage Laguna Beach in Laguna Beach, Calif.

Registration is now open for the National Fluid Power

•

This year’s conference features an expanded general session for more diverse topics including:

•

Association’s 2019 Annual Conference at the Montage Laguna Beach in Laguna Beach, Calif., March 5-7.

•

Fred Harburg of the Kellogg School of Management will use his expertise in executive coaching and growth guidance to help attendees identify ways to maximize their leadership impact through authenticity. Barry Lawrence of Texas A&M University will provide insights to increase attendees’ understanding of profitability in distribution.

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•

Jeremy Drury, vice president of IoT Diagnostics, will bring attendees up to speed on the Internet of Things in fluid power as well as what to consider when developing a strategy for implementation. Geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan will go in-depth into the current state of global geopolitics, specifically as it relates to free trade, and how it affects businesses. Register for the conference at www.nfpa.com before January 1, 2019 to lock in an early bird registration rate.

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

New IoT committee begins resource development Members of NFPA’s new Internet of Things Committee recently began scoping out activities to help NFPA bring information about IoT and fluid power to members.

15 universities to compete in 2019 Vehicle Challenge The 2018-19 NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge is off to an exciting start. Coinciding with their senior capstone design courses, fifteen universities have registered to compete in this year’s program. In the first semester of the Vehicle Challenge, teams gain knowledge in fluid power components, circuits, and systems, and their use in controlling force and motion. They are introduced to the industry judges and mentors, order components from the parts suppliers, and begin planning for the Design and Specification Midway Review.

University teams include:

The committee agreed on two initial projects moving forward: • An email-based survey of members to benchmark the current state of IoT activity within the fluid power industry. • An IoT Resource Portal for NFPA members. IoT Committee members are gathering materials. • Committee members are also helping to recruit additional IoT service providers into NFPA membership as a way of bringing more knowledge and resources on IoT to the fluid power industry.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo Cleveland State University Colorado State University Iowa State University Kennesaw State University Montana State University Murray State University Purdue Northwest Purdue University University of Akron University of Cincinnati University of Denver University of Utah West Virginia University Inst. of Tech. Western Michigan University FPW

FPW

NFPA | nfpa.com

Coinciding with their senior capstone design courses, fifteen universities have registered to compete in this year’s program. NFPA says this year’s Challenge is already off to a great start. 16

FLUID POWER WORLD

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

NFPA University Education Committee helps move workforce strategy forward In the last year, the University Education Committee has

started defining what “teaching fluid power” means. The committee, consisting of university professors and NFPA members, came up with a list of nine core competencies:

6 Can appropriately size components in fluid power systems.

1 Understand fluid power benefits and limitations.

5 Can apply design, simulation and analysis tools to fluid power components and systems.

2 Conceptual and theoretical understanding of fluid power laws and principles.

7 Can integrate sensing and electronic control functions with fluid power components and systems. 8 Hands-on experience with fluid power components and systems. (Lab experience) 9 Can inspect, analyze and develop corrective action for product failure.

3 Understand fluid power components and circuits.

Since that time, NFPA staff has been collecting educational resources that their 4 Understand machine level requirements and translate into academic education partners are using to teach these competencies. The end fluid power system requirements. product is the new Fluid Power Curricula, now available on the NFPA website.

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DESIGN NOTES

Edited by Ken Korane • Contributing Editor

Komatsu’s 400-ton capacity 980E-4 mining truck is a workhorse in autonomous hauling operations.

Hydraulics lets driverless trucks move 2 billion tons Global heavy equipment manufacturer Komatsu America Corp., Rolling Meadows, Ill., announced that its FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) has achieved the unprecedented milestone of more than two billion tons of surface material moved in driveless operation. According to company officials, the FrontRunner system has now hauled more than all other commercial mining autonomous haulage systems combined. Since its first commercial deployment in 2008 at CODELCO’s Gabriela Mistral (Gaby) copper mine in Chile, the FrontRunner AHS has experienced exponential growth in cumulative production, breaking the one billion tons mark in 2016 and the 1.5 billion tons mark in late 2017. This has been accomplished with more than 130 trucks in operation to date. An additional 150 trucks will deploy to the Canadian oil sands over the next seven years.

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One of the keys to success has been the simple and efficient hydraulics used in ultra-class vehicles such as the 400-ton capacity 980E-4 haul truck. The rear-dump mining vehicle includes an 18-cylinder, 3,500-hp engine and ac-electric drive, and reportedly provides an optimal match in large-scale mining applications with big bucket shovels (55 to 99 yd3) — loading out in three to five passes, depending on bucket size and material density. The hydraulic system is a proven and reliable design with fewer parts than other OEMs, said Komatsu officials. The system uses a single 250 gal (947 l) tank, providing one common source of fluid for steering, braking and hoisting. In-line, replaceable filtration elements provide protection from hydraulic system contamination, making the system easier to service. An accumulator-assisted circuit with twin double-acting cylinders provides constant-rate steering. Secondary steering is automatically supplied by the accumulators. Two 3-stage dual-acting outboard cylinders, with internal cushion valves and over-center dampening, hoist the bed and dump loads. The system includes dual, in-line high-pressure pumps in a single package. Hoist and brake cooling are handled by a tandem gear pump with output of 246 gpm (931 lpm) at 1,900 rpm and 2,750 psi. A pressure-compensating piston pump with output of 65 gpm (246 lpm) at 1,900 rpm and 3,000 psi serves steering and brake functions. To keep downtime to a minimum, Komatsu developed a sub-frame pump module that can be removed and replaced as a single unit. This reduces changeout time and allows easy access to the hydraulic pump module. Working closely with customers, FrontRunner AHS’s ten-year zero-harm and productivity record, and unmatched

ability to accommodate an array of mining environments, has let the company accelerate the pace of AHS deployment, said Komatsu officials. Today’s FrontRunner system operates around the clock hauling copper, iron and oil sands, at seven sites, across three continents. “The ongoing investment in technology and equipment by major mining companies in Chile, Australia and Canada underscores their belief in the value of autonomous haulage,” said Anthony Cook, Vice President Autonomous and Communications Solutions at Modular Mining Systems, a subsidiary of Komatsu. “AHS continues to play an increasingly crucial role in effective mine management as more and more operations transition from manned to unmanned fleets,” said Dan Funcannon, VP/GM, Large Mining Truck Division, Komatsu America. “As the demand for autonomous systems grows, Komatsu will continue raising the bar in an effort to help mines provide safer working environments, maximize production, and reduce operating costs.” To underscore the company’s commitment to progress, Komatsu plans to enhance the AHS’ mixed-operation functions, enabling manned trucks of any make to interoperate with Komatsu AHS trucks in a blended operation. Komatsu is also working with industry stakeholders towards standardization of interoperability between Komatsu and non-Komatsu autonomous vehicles, to improve safety and efficiency at customer operations. FPW

Komatsu America | komatsuameria.com

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DESIGN NOTES

Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

DESIGN NOTES

The evolution of dual cylinder actuation Traditional clamp and press mode actuation applications have a rapid stroke at a low force while requiring a steep ramp-up to a high force for a short period. These demanding parameters typically result in the expensive oversizing of the hydraulic infrastructure to meet speed and force requirements. Within this large machine footprint, position and force control goals present complex motion and expense variables. In addition to having too many overall pieces in the equation, other factors include: oversized and continuously running pumps, large hoses that often leak and require maintenance, and the energy consuming frequency of stopping/starting with valves repeatedly turning on/off, while transitioning from high speed (low force) to lower speed (high force). To solve this problem, motion control/actuation specialists Kyntronics, Cleveland, have developed a patent-pending HSHF (High Speed/High Force) All-In-One Actuator. Combining technologies from its servo-based SMART Hydraulic Actuator (SHA), coupled with a high-speed actuator and a high-force pair of actuators — the HSHF is a solution in a scalable, modular, ‘power-on-demand’ machine platform. The design is selfcontained with no hoses that eliminates the expensive leaky infrastructure. The dual cylinder system configuration delivers myriad benefits, resulting in lower operating costs and better performance across a wide range of OEM applications. This actuation technology is a step forward in modularity and takes advantage of hydraulics to overcome inherent issues with existing clamp and press mode technologies including: 20

CLAMP MODE: In this mode, rapid cycling times are needed while holding a lot of force (170,000 lb-ft / 756 kN) going back and forth. This mode is predominant in injection

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HSHF single “high-load” cylinder

and blow molding applications which require rapid back/ forth position and hold, which puts a lot of pressure on the actuator.

Traditional systems include hydraulics that feature check valves that lock in position. These types of systems require a large footprint and higher costs. Electromechani- cal is also an option but requires large and expensive components including motors, gearboxes, and roller screws/ball screws. Furthermore, the consistent metal-to-metal contact can result in reduced life.

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12/14/18 2:46 PM

DESIGN NOTES

PRESS APPLICATION: Typically, this mode is used for 20-80 ton presses which need to come down quickly, and do work within a small distance (1⁄4 -1⁄2-in. [6-13 mm]) for short periods. This application is dominated by hydraulic systems with huge power units, and excessive pumps and hoses. The HSHF system provides accurate force control for both clamping and press applications’ performance. This next generation of actuation has rapid movement with high force clamping and a high force press (small distance) — at a low cost, with no hoses, in a small envelope. The simplicity of this design eliminates oversizing methods and solves several of the issues associated with current options in a cost-effective package — representing upwards of 50% savings in equipment and operating costs. The reduced space and machine footprint are significant, as it eliminates the hydraulic infrastructure and all oversized elements — providing substantial cost savings. Because it only uses power-on-demand, energy savings are built-in. Because there is no cylinder or pump waiting for the cycle to start, the HSHF uses minimal energy for the long stroke and proportional energy for the load-stroke. Ease-of-integration with machine control systems and versatile control is also an inherent benefit, as the HSHF Actuator is compatible with Fieldbus, I/O (selectable indexes), and Analog (0-10 Vdc or 4-20 mA). The HSHF Actuator’s patent-pending concept mechanically connects a high-speed cylinder to a larger high-force dual cylinder. The dual cylinder combines a larger (high-speed zone) cylinder (e.g., a 6-in.) and a slightly smaller (high force zone) cylinder (e.g., a 5-in.) with a piston designed to seal in the smaller cylinder and move freely through the larger cylinder. The high-speed cylinder pulls (e.g., a 1-in.) the dual cylinder’s piston through the longer stroke, (e.g., oil flows freely around the piston) into the smaller cylinder, (high force zone) and seals the piston allowing for either the press or clamp mode. With SMART actuation, the system knows the exact position where the piston enters the smaller high force cylinder zone and creates a seal. As the smaller high-speed cylinder approaches the high force zone, the system slows down and seamlessly combines the fluid flow to both the high-speed cylinder (e.g., 1-in.) and the high-force cylinder (e.g., 5-in.) without stopping the motion. The system continues to press forward based on force or position. After the operation is completed, the high-speed cylinder retracts, pulling the unique piston back to the retracted position. The highspeed cylinder provides the speed to reduce the overall cycle times with minimal flow, force and heat reducing energy consumption. During a press mode, maximum power is required for a short period of the cycle (slower speed with high force) — minimizing the

motor and drive size along with the overall heat. During a clamp mode, minimum power is required to move the cylinder (extend/retract). During the clamping, zero power is required as the check valves in the HF cylinder lock the actuator in position, and the HS cylinder is placed in float mode to prevent cylinder damage. The all-in-one operation provides an optimal servo-controlled, closed loop-controlled force, as well as a closed loop-controlled position solution. Vertical market industries such as automotive, aerospace, packaging, and plastics, along with unique applications including injection molding, blow molding, toggle/platen clamping, metal forming, injection carriage actuation, trim press actuation, thermoforming platen actuation, will benefit from HSHF Actuator’s lower costs and higher precision. According to Kyntronics’ President, Wayne Foley, “The HSHF Actuator is a production enhancing product via cycle time reduction at a lower cost versus current alternative hydraulic and electromechanical options. Accurate position, force, and speed control move quickly under the low load, then the balance of the cycle (5-10%) retracts/ repeats quickly like nothing else on the market.” FPW

Kyntronics | kyntronics.com

HSHF two “high-load” cylinder combination

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DESIGN NOTES

Edited by Mary C. Gannon • Editor

Hydraulic control block ensures safety in marine winches

Winch systems on ships are used to wind up or wind out cables of wires when anchoring ships,

Winches are used for many applications on vessels both large and small, such as anchor hoisting, mooring of the vessel, and subsequent holding of the ship against the quay. To this end, Bosch Rexroth introduced the HIWCB, a control block developed specifically for high-pressure hydraulic winches, intended for deck mounting. Its modular design enables interoperability with almost any type of winch. The new control blocks for high-pressure hydraulic marine winches build on the developments underlying Rexroth’s existing control blocks. What sets them apart is that they are entirely assembled from standard components. In other words: because they employ proven techniques and technologies, reliability is guaranteed. This is further underlined by the fact that these blocks come from a production line which is also used to manufacture products for the mobile industry. All components

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depositing cargo on the bottom of the sea and more. Hydraulic control blocks from Rexroth ensure safety and reliability in these systems.

are carefully documented, and parameters such as tightening torques are measured, evaluated and documented. The incidence of component failure in the field is reduced to a minimum by this approach. And of course, standard components are less expensive than non-standard variants. What makes the HICWB unique is its modular design, which enables it to be combined with virtually any winch. This enables the vessel’s owner to hold fewer spare control blocks and offers more options for dealing with changes. This is an improvement over control blocks designed specifically for a certain application or winch. Moreover, the new blocks can be combined with both axial

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12/13/18 1:54 PM

The modular HIWCB control block for high-pressure hydraulic winches is intended for deck mounting, and can operate with almost any type of winch.

and radial piston motors, and with their light weight of just 44 kg, they can even be directly motor-mounted. In addition, each complete control block undergoes a specific treatment for maximum resistance to the extreme conditions offshore. The blocks themselves are galvanized and chrome-plated, and stainless steel is used for external moving parts such as the control lever and bushes. All adjustment elements have weatherproof covers. And as a final protective barrier, a triple coating is applied in layers of each 80 µm thickness. Besides the required standard functions like counterbalance, relief and anti-cavitation valves, these lightweight and compact control blocks offer a range of additional features. To start with, they can proportionally control the winches or capstans used to raise or lower the anchor. The so-called anchor break-off function of the block, in combination with a variable displacement motor, enables the anchor to be broken free in a controlled manner. A threeposition hand lever valve is used for this function: in the breakoff mode, up to 1.5 times the maximum rated load is permitted. The second position of the valve allows the operator to select minimum speed (which can be pre-set) at maximum rated load, followed by maximum speed with minimum load at the third valve position. A second important feature of the control block lies in the ability to maintain a constant tension on the mooring lines when the vessel is berthed. When the mooring lines slacken

due to vertical movement of the vessel, e.g. during tide, wave motion or loading/unloading, the winches will wind in to maintain line tension. When the lines are tightened by vertical movement in the opposite direction, the winches will pay out line. The system’s high responsiveness means that tension in the lines remains constant, avoiding overload and shock forces, and keeping the vessel firmly and securely moored against the quay. Lastly, a number of safety features are integrated into the control blocks. An extreme situation can potentially occur when the hydraulic supply is cut off (for whatever reason) to a winch holding a suspended load, and without a brake applied. Oil can then leak via the motor drain circuit back to the tank, resulting in insufficient hydraulic pressure to continue holding the load. Ultimately, the motor will cavitate, and the load will drop uncontrollably. To ensure a safe situation even in cases such as this, an extra valve is incorporated that responds to falling pressure by holding the oil in the motor, and blocking leakage to the tank. The motor will slow down, but will not cavitate, and the holding power remains assured. Integrating the various features into the control block has made it possible to assemble a block that is highly compact. Not only does it require minimal space on deck, it also simplifies the integration of functionality in the installation, since it requires considerably less piping, and with fewer external couplings, the risk of leakage is even further reduced. This approach also drives down maintenance costs over the long term. FPW

Bosch Rexroth | boschrexroth-us.com www.fluidpowerworld.com

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Mary C. Gannon • Editor

FUNDAMENTALS

Edward E. Herceg • Chief Technology Officer • Alliance Sensors Group a div. of H.G. Schaevitz LLC

Comparing cylinder position sensing technologies MHPE series of LVIT position sensors from Alliance Sensors Group

As demand for increased control and functionality has increased over the years, sensor-instrumented cylinders are becoming more important in heavy industry, subsea and mobile equipment. Position feedback sensors for hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders have most commonly used one of three technologies: Magnetostrictive (MLDTs), Variable Resistance (Pots), and Variable Inductance (LVITs) sensors. While other sensor technologies have occasionally been used, here we will compare these three most popularly used technologies. Ultimately, a user or systems integrator must determine the requirements of the application and which technology best satisfies it on a total installed cost versus performance basis. The strengths and weaknesses of magnetostrictive, variable resistance and variable inductance sensors are examined below, along with a chart for feature-by-feature comparisons. First, a point to be noted is that all of these three common sensing technologies utilize a long probe that extends into a deep, small diameter blind hole gun-drilled into the internal end of the cylinder rod. Magnetostrictive technology has traditionally been the preferred technology for use in high-accuracy applications. These sensors, often called LDTs or MLDTs, incorporate a stainless steel tubular probe and a short toroidal permanent magnet assembly around it that is installed in a counterbored recess in the piston. The most common package threads the sensors’ electronics housing into an O-ring port in the back of a cylinder, with the long slender probe inserted into the rod’s bore. 24

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This technology uses the “time of flight” principle to determine the magnet’s position with very high accuracy and moderate response time. In operation, the magnet is used to reflect a torsional mechanical pulse transmitted along a special wire called a waveguide inside of the probe. Typically each magnetostrictive sensor manufacturer has their own style of magnet with unique mounting features like the number of holes, the hole pattern, etc. Magnetostrictive sensors can consume a fair amount of power and are not the most mechanically rugged sensors. They offer electrical performance over mechanical robustness, because they often encounter shock and vibration issues. Yet, even with these potential drawbacks mechanically, a magnetostrictive position sensor’s package is tailor-made for port-mounted in-cylinder use. Variable resistance potentiometer-type sensors, commonly called pots, are usually selected where purchase cost is a driver and high accuracy is not paramount. A resistance pot is usually embedded into the cylinder’s rear end cap, as opposed to the port mounting of a magnetostrictive sensor. It uses an insulated round carrier attached to the internal end of the gun-drilled cylinder rod supporting an electrically conductive wiper that contacts the surface of a partially conductive plastic probe. As the wiper moves along this plastic element, its resistance changes in a linear fashion, making it fairly easy to

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12/17/18 11:43 AM

Comparison of Analog Output Linear Position Sensors for Industrial Applications Position Sensor Technology Range in inches (mm) Resolution

Repeatability / Hysteresis Non-linearity

Temp Characteristics Dynamic Response

Vibration / Shock Sensitivity Mechanical Overload Life & Reliability Installed Cost

Potentiometer

AC-LVDT

DC-LVDT

LVIT

Magnetoresistive

Magnetostrictive

0.12-20 (3-500)

0.02-20 (0.5-500)

0.1-20 (2.5-500)

0.2-36 (5-900)

0.1-20 (2.5-500)

6-120 (150-3000)

Good

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Excellent

Good

Excellent

Very Good

Fair

Excellent

Good

Very Good

Fair

Very Good

Good

Fair

Good

Fair

Good

Fair

Poor

Excellent

Very Good

Fair

Poor

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Very Good

Fair

Excellent

Good

Fair

Low

High

Medium

Low

Medium

High

determine the carrier’s position and, thus, the rod’s position. Pots have been seen as a good position measurement solution for use in cylinders because of their ruggedness, favorable stroke-tolength ratio, and their large analog dc voltage output, which is a large percentage of the input voltage. The major drawback to resistance pots is wearout, especially if the cylinder is actuated at high frequency, or more importantly, dithered over a short range to improve a system’s dynamic characteristics. Since a resistance pot is embedded into the cylinder, replacement of a wornout pot can be very time-consuming and expensive, and could even result in the need for a completely new cylinder. Linear variable inductance transducer (LVIT) position sensors have been used but have not had the industry-wide recognition of magnetostrictive sensors or resistance potentiometers. This noncontacting technology has advantages over resistance potentiometers regarding product life and long-term reliability, and usually can compete favorably with the performance of magnetostrictive sensors in terms of linearity, resolution and frequency response, but at a lower cost. Equally important is the fact that variable inductance transducers can withstand greater shocks and vibration, such as those found in heavy industrial fluid power and mobile equipment applications. LVIT sensors cover the middle ground between the higher level of performance and external port mounting flexibility associated with a magnetostrictive sensor and the better ruggedness and lower price of an embedded resistance potentiometer. These sensors operate by measuring the resonant frequency of an oscillator circuit of an inductive probe whose inductance is varied by the position of the conductive gun-drilled rod over it, using built-in electronics. Typically offered in full-scale ranges of 4 to 36 in. (100 to 900 mm), both port-mounted and embedded packages are available, with connector and cable terminations. LVIT sensors offer either an analog dc voltage or current output, with some types of digital output available for OEM applications. The LVIT sensor presents a contactless solution that does not require a ring magnet. In fact, if an LVIT sensor were installed to replace an existing magnetostrictive sensor, the magnet can be left in place in the cylinder rod end without interfering with the sensor’s basic operation. LVIT sensors are offered in a pressure-sealed version that allows a user to install the sensor and cylinder in subsea environments to depths of 10,000 ft (3,000 m), with 3,000 psig of internal pressure. Remote field calibration is a standard feature offered on many variable inductance sensors. This feature permits a user to scale the output of the sensor after it is installed on the cylinder. With a simple process to set the zero and the full-scale output points, the sensor will give the desired full-scale output over its newly set range, so it is

no longer necessary to scale the unit in the associated control system. Where there are still many fluid power applications where resistance potentiometers and magnetostrictive sensors are a good solution, these applications tend to fall to either side of a bell curve. Recent electronic advancements and the flexibility of package designs make LVIT variable inductance sensors cost effective for mainstream in-cylinder applications, especially those that tend to be near the peak of that bell curve. FPW

Alliance Sensors Group, a div. of H.G. Schaevitz LLC alliancesensors.com

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Ken Korane • Contributing Editor

Smart hydraulic cylinder measures force Supporting cylinder with integrated force measurement from Weber-Hydraulik is used to help stabilize mobile cranes.

The trend toward “intelligent” components, those with highly integrated sensors and control capabilities, is becoming increasingly important in hydraulic applications. Drive-systems with electronic control systems help maximize performance, energy efficiency and ease of use. However, control systems need to acquire information from various processes, which is often challenging, as sensors must be protected against harsh environments typical on construction, mining and agricultural sites.

The integrated measuring sensor detects cylinder position by optical recognition of a binary barcode applied on the piston rod, which has a unique code structure in every position. A redundant version meets more strict safety requirements. The compact sensor includes an exposure unit, a sensor unit to capture the image and an electronic module for image processing and communication. The exposure unit momentarily illuminates a section of the code which the sensor then detects. This takes place at specific intervals adapted to suit the maximum traversing speed of the rod. Images are analyzed individually to determine the respective position. The sensor mounts on the cylinder outside the pressure chamber and directly behind the wiper. It is thus an external sensor, albeit highly integrated into the cylinder design. In many cases the sensor doesn’t increase the retracted length of the cylinder. Due to the design, component reliability and safety measures implemented, the sensor meets requirements corresponding to PLe (EN ISO 13849). The maximum measuring

Weber-Hydraulik, based in Güglingen, Germany, has been at the forefront of developments involving highly integrated, reliable and reasonably priced sensors for hydraulic cylinders. In a presentation at this year’s IFK Fluid Power Conference held in Aachen, Germany, authors Roman Weidemann, Mehdi Javdanitehran, Torsten Winkler and Torsten Boldt discussed the company’s work on an optical position measurement system for hydraulic cylinders — now in mass production — and ongoing research into in-cylinder integrated force measurement. 26

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length for the current system is about 6 m. Weber-Hydraulik engineers are also actively involved in application-specific solutions for integrated cylinder force measurement. To monitor the stability of supported mobile vehicles such as cranes, aerial ladders and concrete mixer pumps, it would be advantageous to have information about conditions in outriggers and supporting arms. In practice, the load capacity of the supporting base is often unknown because surrounding conditions don’t allow for a complete outrigging of supporting plates, or the load carrying capacity of the ground is limited. An electronic monitoring system that measures both outrigger positions as well as the supporting load of each supporting cylinder would increase safety. The force of a supporting cylinder is commonly measured indirectly via internal pressure, but this method is not particularly precise and measurements can deviate by more than 20% under transversal loading conditions. To ensure safe operation, sizeable safety factors are required which consequently reduces the available load capacity of the system. The new design involves a supporting cylinder with an integrated force measurement

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12/14/18 2:50 PM

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

system in the piston rod: force is measured directly on the ball head. Measurement signals are transmitted directly through the cylinder and end cap to the crane control system using a standard interface. Consequently, sensitive cable connections outside the piston rod are not required. Various methods like strain gauges to piezoelectric crystals have been developed to measure loads. Strain gauges are widely used in industrial and mobile applications, but the contacting point in this technique is a major disadvantage, especially when the component is overloaded. A contactless measurement system developed by Trafag GmbH, based on the magnetic induction principle, is beneficial because the measuring cell does not touch the component. The sensor is not directly subjected to forces, so the possibility of mechanical damage due to the loading (especially shock and vibration) decreases drastically. Consequently, the design prevents degradation of performance due to fatigue. Planar coils generate magnetic fields which penetrate in the component and receive the resulting magnetic field as a measurement signal processed directly in the electronics. Ferromagnetic materials are principally suitable for contactless inductive measurement. The magnetic

properties of the material change as the part deforms under load. This alters magnetic flux in the signal coils which, in turn, affects the induced current. The sensor calculates the force by measuring these changes. By applying multiple sensors in a suitable arrangement, one can measure multiaxial loading conditions (such as compression and bending). In preliminary tests, the sensor was adapted to measure the forces of a hydraulic cylinder with a 110-mm piston diameter and 90-mm rod diameter. Two different versions were considered. In one, the sensor housing attaches to the piston rod next to the rod head. Up to four sensor modules are placed circumferentially orthogonal in the housing to consider the effects of the lateral forces. There’s a gap of up to 1 mm between the rod surface and the sensor modules. In a second version, the sensor housing mounts at the cylinder gland while the piston rod slides freely in the housing. This assembly is beneficial in many applications as the signal/power transmission line doesn’t have to compensate for length changes during cylinder extension and retraction. Functional tests with sensors attached to the piston rod have shown promising results in terms of linear deviation and

A COMPLETE RANGE OF SENSORS:

RELIABILIT Y IN MOBILE HYDRAULIC CONTROLS!

repeatability. Rest magnetism and irregularities in the piston rod hamper the short-term implementation of the cylinder gland execution, which is beneficial from various aspects. Despite the disturbing factors, researchers plan to follow up and investigate different compensation methods. The goal of further developments of this system is mainly to reduce sensitivity to transversal loads as well as enhance robustness in the field. An exemplary goal is increasing allowable transversal loads from 10% to 20% of the axial supporting load. In addition, hydraulic cylinders with integrated force measurement are not solely suited for supporting applications. There are other applications that can benefit, such as forcecontrolled manufacturing processes that enhance finish quality. Thus, the company is not only investigating a new generation of supporting force measurement systems, but also the development of a universal integrated solution of force measurement for cylinder applications. FPW

Weber-Hydraulik www.weber-hydraulik.com Institute for Fluid Power Drive and Systems www.ifas.rwth-aachen.de

Gefran, a leading global designer and manufacturer of sensors for position, pressure, temperature, and force measurement, now offers a complete range of devices for earthmoving and lift equipment.

Gefran sensors use leading edge technology (Hall effect, MEMS, and magnetostrictive) to achieve the demanding requirements in operator and vehicle stabilization, rotation, reach, and inclination.

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Ron Marshall • Contributing Editor

5 habits that make you a smooth compressed air system operator There are a handful of useful habits that always keep compressed air systems running smoothly. It pays to develop these habits — as well as exercise them on a regular basis — to avoid problems that may cause unplanned shutdowns, lost production and other similar (and unwanted) challenges. Become adept at the following, and you’ll be considered a smooth compressed air system operator!

Keep it clean — Compressor rooms are like vacuum cleaners: the flow of air into the compressor cooling systems and intakes draws in plenty of dust and debris. Smoothly running compressor rooms are always kept clean, tidy and free of unrelated equipment.

2 Keep it cool — Air-cooled compressors need a good supply of cool and clean air to keep the machine temperatures down. Excessive temperature ranges cause compressor lubricant to break down faster. It also will lead to early machine failure if not properly addressed. Hot compressors are less efficient, fail more often and send overly moist air to the air dryers, which can overload them. Operators of smoothly running compressed air systems always check compressor room and machine temperatures ... and they always take action when there are problems.

3 Drain it — The condensate drains in a compressed air system are very important, but sometimes overlooked. Failed drains can cause dryer overloading, causing wet air to contaminate downstream piping, processes and machines. Smooth operators always regularly check the drains at the compressor after-coolers, wet receivers, dryers and filters. 28

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4 Measure it — Poor systems have no way of measuring

compressed air flow and compressor power consumption. Smooth operators always have flow, pressure, power and dew point meters installed. What’s more, they regularly check the readings for issues with energy efficiency, transient pressure problems, leakage, moisture problems and unexpected changes. The coolest operators always have these readings available on their computers or smartphones.

5 Maintain it — Smooth operators always maintain

their compressed air equipment to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Changing out lubricants, filters and other consumables in a timely manner will head off problems before they start. This maintenance also extends to related system like cooling fans, drains, system leakages, lubricators, instrumentation, and other items that are important to correct system operation.

FPW

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ISO 9001 Certified

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Hydraulics in mobile mining machinery is unique. Just as any intelligently designed hydraulic circuit must consider efficiency, performance and reliability, so too must the hydraulics within the mining industry. However, the consideration for safety in mining is often the top priority, and therein lies the unique nature of hydraulics in this industry. Mining as a profession makes any top 10 list describing the most dangerous in the world. Some of the top dangers in mining are unrelated to machinery, such as dust, vibration and noise, but mining is a machinery dependent industry, and a great majority of those machines are hydraulically powered. So, what makes mobile hydraulics in mining machinery different from construction or forestry? Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in conducted their study, Machine-related injuries in the US mining industry and priorities for safety research1, and found machinery related accidents accounted for 41% of all severe accidents in mining operations, in regards to being struck by or caught in the machine.

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H Y D R A U L I C S

| stockphoto.com

M O B I L E

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M O B I L E

H Y D R A U L I C S

“Mining is a machinery dependant industry, and a great majority of those machines are hydraulically powered.”

Although being struck by a vehicle such as a dump truck that happens to be equipped with hydraulics is unfortunate, it often is not the hydraulics in itself that causes the harm; the dangers related to machinery occur on so many levels. Hydraulic machine-related accidents occurred in high volume with conveyors, haulage, milling, dumping (from both loaders and shovels), tunnel-boring, crushing and forklifts. The danger potential comes from so many directions in mining. Aside from injury related to mostly hydraulically powered machinery, explosion-related injury and death have played an unfortunate role in mining’s history, especially with coal. The worst year on record was 1907, when more than 3,200 deaths were attributed to explosions. Data as recent as 2012 show that explosion-related deaths have dropped to less than 20 per year, an extraordinary achievement. Hydraulics played a massive role in the reduction of explosion-related injury and death, but I’ll get to that later.

The power density of hydraulics is necessary for use in massive mining machinery, like the CAT 6090. | Image courtesy of Caterpillar.

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Hydraulic components used in mining use explosion-proof designs with sealed coils, like this solenoid valve from Hengli. Benefits of hydraulics are huge in mining So, what makes hydraulics so good for mobile machinery in mining? To start, hydraulics are perfect for mining for the same reason it’s perfect for any other industry; power density, controllability, reliability, and serviceability. One could be so bold as to claim mining machines are hydraulics raison d’être. “Big Bertha,” the CAT 6090 and the Belaz 75710 are all mammoth machines of legend, capable of workloads no other machines can match. And they wouldn’t be possible without hydraulics. Mining is big business requiring the processing of earthen material on a scale difficult to describe in words. Just have a look at the CAT 6090, which is driven by a 4,500-hp engine running eight variable displacement piston pumps each flowing 250 gpm, which doesn’t include the six swing pumps flowing 130 gpm each. The total volume of hydraulic fluid in the machine is almost 3,500 gallons. Operating at over 5,000 psi, its bucket payload is 103 tons – or about a hundred 1990 Honda Civics. The hydraulic circuit on the CAT 6090 is as complex as any injection molding machine or hydraulic press, if not more. There is closed-loop control of pressure, flow and temperature, and with horsepower limiting pumps. The focus of the hydraulic circuit is productivity and efficiency, an approach that ensures a high level of output even in extreme conditions. For example, even if the 1,000+ gpm cooling circuit with hydraulic motorpowered coolers isn’t enough to keep hydraulic fluid within an acceptable range, the sophisticated control system will reduce pump flow to lower input power, thereby reducing heat load. As you can imagine, such a massive machine capable of astounding productivity has potential danger. This is where the inherent qualities of hydraulics are put to play to improve controllability and safety. The track’s wheel motors use hydraulic

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H Y D R A U L I C S

retardation valves to prevent overspeed while traversing downhill, enabling the 1,400-ton excavator to descend a 44% grade without running away. And although not a function of hydraulics alone, the 6090 has sophisticated kinematic control, enabling functions such as constant-angle bucket guidance, automatic roll-back prevention and constant boom momentum control. Mining machinery is made safe not only by the techniques applied to circuitry but also in the quality put into component construction. I’ve done design work on the hydraulic cylinders used in mining applications, and you’d be shocked at the level of quality control that goes into a traditionally commonplace component. The first step in quality control is to ensure the steel alloy is pure and free from defects. The raw material is sent for third party MTR testing, which confirms grade, hardness and mechanical test properties. Once the raw material returns from testing, the rods are machined and sent back out for further non-destructive testing. The magnetic particle test is performed on the threads, and the integrity of the entire rod is confirmed using ultrasonic scanning. If welding was involved to join the barrel to the caps, or perhaps to

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Hydraulics has played a part in reducing coal mine explosion-related deaths from thousands to just a handful in the past hundred years.

attach a rear clevis, the weld joints are coated with a penetrating dye. Welding defects, such as excessive porosity, show up from the dye. Should the welded components fail this DP test, the parts are rejected and remanufactured. Safety in mining must be considered at every conceivable level, from manufacturing of machine components right through to installation and implementation. Coal mining, especially when underground, is perhaps the most extreme of mining conditions. Underground mining has its own series of challenges; the space constraints are obvious, making the close proximity of machines and personnel an obvious hazard. If you’ll recall, I mentioned hydraulics played a part in reducing the coal mine explosion-related deaths from thousands to just a handful in the past hundred years. Hydraulic energy transmission occurs without the requirement for electrical energy transmission. Early electrical components were veritable Zippos in a mine, and would ignite coal dust easily. The term explosion-proof appeared to describe components that would not cause ignition via a spark. Obviously, a bit of a misnomer – if you throw a ton of C4 at a solenoid valve, it’ll explode no matter its explosion proof rating. Perhaps the phrase “electrically inert,” would be more appropriate, but I digress. It goes without saying, hydraulics are explosion-proof by their very nature. Hydraulic machinery was pivotal in mining to ensure

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References Machine-related injuries in the US mining industry and priorities for safety research, Todd Ruff, Patrick Coleman and Laura Martini, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Mine Safety and Health Research

productivity was high while remaining safe. Modern hydraulics with electronic controls are able to be used in mining with no safety concern thanks to the advent of explosionproof electrical components. These are coils and switches with sealed electrical connections and contacts that are not exposed to exterior ambient air, where a spark could ignite coal dust. Regardless if for power or safety, hydraulics will always play a lead role in mining. As I’ve mentioned many times, there are markets electrification will never supplant hydraulics, and mining may be the best example of that. The loads and forces involved in mining make hydraulics a perfect match, and the chase for productivity and profitability will not rest as mining becomes more competitive. I imagine CAT is working on a 6100 hydraulic shove as you read this.

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Improving the reliability of hydraulic cylinder sensors How to maintain uptime in difficult conditions.

Chris Heberlein • Sales Director Machine & Plant Engineering • Balluff Inc. • Florence, Ky.

Reliability is always important in the hydraulics industry and maintaining uptime can be especially challenging in the rugged and hostile applications typical of sawmills, foundries, steel mills and mobile machines. For fluid power engineers, that has become a more critical issue with the widespread use of sensors on hydraulic cylinders. Feedback devices let users ensure precision, track performance and spot faults before they turn into major breakdowns. Unfortunately, from a durability standpoint, sensors and electronics are often the weak links in a hydraulic control circuit, but with proper planning your systems can stay up and running. Let’s look into the obstacles that engineers face and a strategy to help ensure uninterrupted and trouble-free operation in harsh and difficult settings. Specially ruggedized linear sensors are designed to withstand impacts and vibration typical of sawmills. www.fluidpowerworld.com

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Cylinder sensing In simple and undemanding applications, equipment designers have a lot of options when it comes to specifying cylinder sensors. Two basic positioning methodologies are end-of-stroke sensing and continuous sensing. End-of-stroke sensors, such as Hall-effect devices, are typically economical but only tell whether the piston rod is fully extended or fully retracted. Continuous position sensors, such as LVDTs (linear variable displacement transformers), optical encoders and magnetostrictive sensors cost more, but provide significantly more information. Users know precisely where the cylinder rod is at all times. When continuous hydraulic cylinder position feedback is needed in severe applications like lumber mills and tire presses, magnetostrictive cylinder sensors are widely used. They are preferred over alternatives due to their high accuracy, wide temperature range, wear-free 17-1864_Kaw_Horz_9x5.25.pdf

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operation, and tolerance of shock and vibration. In this design, the sensing probe mounts inside the cylinder, so much of the unit is well protected. (See more details in the sidebar, “Magnetostrictive sensors 101.”) But regardless of the type of cylinder sensor specified, highly demanding applications push the limits of survivability for standard products and potentially lead to premature sensor failure. Here’s a look at some common problems, and ways to increase uptime despite adverse operating conditions. Extreme heat Extreme temperatures can be challenging for any sensor. For example, operating near steel blast furnaces, continuous casters and hot rolling lines subjects equipment to

hot ambient temperatures that will stress electronic components and hasten failure. Users must deal with conduction, convection and radiation heat transfer. To combat the situation, evaluate the installation and possibly mitigate exposure of the sensor to heat sources. In the case of conduction, if possible, relocate the sensor as far from the heat source as reasonably possible. Or if the cylinder has a rear clevis that directly connects to a heat source, you can install a thermal barrier (insulator) to break that conduction path. Alleviate convection by installing heat shields to deflect hot air flow away from the sensor housing. Often, the same guards will block radiated infrared energy too, although some heat will likely re-radiate from the back side. Next, look at the sensor itself. Standard

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Magnetostrictive sensors 101 cylinder sensors typically have a maximum specified temperature rating of 75° C (167° F), but enhanced versions are available that withstand up to 100° C (212° F). And don’t forget that not all cables are equal. Standard polyurethane cable materials will quickly deteriorate or melt at higher temperatures, however, specialized cable-jacket materials such as PTFE can withstand up to 200° C (392° F). There’s also what we call the sacrificial cable strategy. If you are running a 20 m cable between the transducer and control box and the cable fails, you would need to rewire the entire 20 m. Instead, insert a short sacrificial cable from the transducer to the main cable. If it fails because of high heat, technicians can quickly unplug and replace it without rewiring the entire home run cable. Still too hot for electronics to survive in severe environments? In these cases, mount the sensor in a protective enclosure designed for an air- or water-cooling system. And companies like Milwaukee Cylinder, for example, make water-cooled hydraulic cylinders that will reduce sensor temperatures.

Frigid cold The opposite condition is often seen in oil and gas operations in arctic regions, where temperatures can fall to –40° C (–40° F) or below. At these temperatures, polymers used in seals and gaskets, cable insulation and outer jackets, and sensor-element damping materials can become brittle. Semiconductor materials start to lose conductivity and circuits can behave unpredictably. Special hydraulic cylinder sensors with low-temperature polymer formulations are designed to operate as low as –50° C (–58° F). To combat electronic malfunctions, the

Magnetostriction is a property of ferromagnetic materials that change their shape or dimensions in the presence of a magnetic field. Practical applications of magnetostrictive actuators range from high-force linear motors to active vibration control systems, and the magnetostrictive effect is well suited for use in industrial linear position measurement sensors. The sensors have an iron-alloy sensing element, typically referred to as a waveguide. The waveguide is usually encased inside a stainless steel pressure-resistant tube or an aluminum extrusion. A position magnet is attached to the piston of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder or the moving part of a machine. Applying a short electrical pulse (1 to 3 µsec) to a conductor attached to the waveguide generates a magnetic field that travels along the waveguide. The magnetic field from the position magnet interacts with the generated magnetic field which, in turn, creates a mechanical pulse on the waveguide. This mechanical pulse travels at a constant speed to the end of the waveguide, where it is detected by a signal converter. The time elapsed between the initial electrical pulse and the received mechanical pulse accurately gets converted to the absolute position of the position magnet and, ultimately, that of the machine or hydraulic cylinder.

In practice, the cylinder head and rod shaft are often gun-drilled and the stainless steel tube, which contains the magnetostrictive sensing probe, gets inserted inside. Thus, the sensing element is well-protected. The transducer electronics housing mounts to the cylinder end cap. Magnetostrictive cylinder position sensors offer many advantages over other options. The design is inherently rugged, and there is no mechanical contact or wear between the magnet and sensing element. And the sealed unit is unaffected by dirt, dust and other potential contaminants. The sensor is quite accurate. It can detect position changes as small as 1 µm and provide absolute positional accuracy to ±30 µm. And they are available in numerous sizes and configurations to handle many different applications. They also offer different analog and digital interfaces. Common analog output signals include 0-10 Vdc and 4-20 mA. Digital output options include SSI, Ethernet, IOlink, CAN Bus and many others. Because magnetostriction relies on the interaction of magnetic ﬁelds, very strong external magnetic ﬁelds near the sensing element can cause problems. Likewise, proper shielding is necessary to protect the signals from electromagnetic interference.

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manufacturer may specify that the electronics are powered continuously below -40° C. Heat dissipation warms the electronics and keeps them within proper operating range. Physical impact Falling logs in sawmills, rocks flying up in mobile vehicles, and workers simply using cylinders as steps when climbing on equipment are all typical causes of mechanical impact. Generally, hydraulic cylinders are robust and built to handle such abuse. The same can’t be said of sensors. Standard cylinder position sensors typically have an exposed, extrudedaluminum housing. To improve a sensor’s chances of surviving impact loads, take the guard, embed and upgrade approach. •

Guard. Many cylinder manufacturers provide accessory

guards for cylinder sensors. A large end cap — essentially a length of steel pipe — mounts over the back end of the cylinder to protect the transducer inside. A disadvantage is that they must be removed

Balluff’s BTL profile-style magnetostrictive linear position sensor contains a waveguide protected by an aluminum housing.

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to service the sensor, and all too often, they are left off after servicing, leaving the sensor vulnerable to impact. •

Embed. Instead of mounting the

sensor outside the cylinder, compact sensors can be embedded inside the cylinder. Thus, the rugged cylinder itself protects the sensor from damage and only the electrical connection is exposed. Such sensors are often installed in welded cylinders for mobile hydraulic applications, and they are suitable for stationary industrial applications as well. •

Upgrade. Cylinder sensors with

especially robust housings are an upgrade over standard types. These designs feature low-profile, robust stainless-steel construction that are attached with several bolts. The housing serves almost like its own protective guard.

Shock and vibration Shock and vibration are probably the number one challenges to reliability under severe operating conditions. Often, they are unavoidable. Shock is inherent to many applications — that’s why hydraulics is chosen over electric motor drives — but sometimes the feedback device can’t survive the abuse. Here is some ammunition if you are running into really problematic applications. One, look at the hydraulic motioncontrol system. If an application suffers from a high sensor failure rate due to shock, first determine if machine operations can be tweaked to reduce shock loads. For example, can the motion-control profile be tuned to deliver less violent

acceleration or deceleration and enable softer starts and stops? The key to reducing shock is to lower the peak amplitude of the g-forces and stretch out the transient time so the acceleration gradient is less severe. A 100-g peak shock delivered over 6 msec is less severe than the same load delivered within 3 msec. Next look for sensors with morerobust specifications. Most sensors in the field are rated for at least 100 g shock. Some go beyond that, with ratings up to 150 g. And sensor suppliers may offer specially engineered variants not published in their catalogs. Also consider the connector. The added mass of a sensor-mounted connector can make the sensing system more vulnerable to severe shock, flexing and cracking. Replacing broken connectors with so-called “pigtail” or “inline” connectors that have 200 to 300 mm of flexible cable running from the sensor to a quick-disconnect is a simple fix to extend cable life from six weeks to five months in a violent hydraulics application. Vibration is a fact of life in industrial and mobile settings and eliminating it can be difficult or impossible. In most cases, enhanced sensor design is required to improve sensor survivability when exposed to extended high-vibration environments. An effective design and testing methodology to ensure sensors can withstand extended exposure to vibration is called HALT, or Highly Accelerated Lifetime Test. Products undergoing HALT are

subjected to accelerated aging during their development to pinpoint and eliminate weak points. Look for sensors with excellent specifications for vibration. EN 60068-2-6 provides a good guideline. Liquid ingress Outside of shock and vibration, moisture ingress is another major headache. Much like solving heat-transfer problems, first look at relocating the sensor to a moreprotected area or add a protective splash guard. Then consider the sensor’s ingress protection (IP) rating and make certain the design fits the task. Standard sensors are designed to withstand liquid ingress for a period of time but are not rated for constant immersion or exposure to wet conditions. Continuous exposure lets water, coolant, and oil eventually bypass the gaskets found on many standard sensors rated to IP67 or less. In these cases, consider sensors with higher IP ratings. IP68 sensors handle complete submersion; and IP69K sensors withstand

BTL5 rod-style transducers are often housed inside a cylinder piston rod.

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pressurized washdown. Some sensor housings are hermetically welded to provide a 100% leak-proof assembly. But again, don’t forget the cable. Often a user will select an IP69K sensor and then mistakenly connect it with an off-the-shelf IP65 cable. You must also protect the cable. Cuts or nicks can let liquid bypass the cover and enter the sensor housing. It’s a good idea to install protective tubing over the cable to ensure that it remains intact despite incidental contact or abrasion. Corrosion Equipment exposed to corrosive chemicals can degrade sensors and lead to premature failure. For example, aluminum sensor housings can face attack from substances like road salt, sea water spray and acidic fruit juices. In such cases, housings made of 303 and 304 stainless are a great alternative in most applications. In areas where salt water or salt spray is present, 316L stainless steel is preferred.

Cylinder sensors and cables used in steel mills must be built for high-temperature conditions and shielded from the heat. position sensors contained in a single enclosure. Each sensor has its own connector. The advantage is ease of installation in a standard cylinder port, without the need for external mounting brackets. A potential disadvantage is that damage to the magnet or pressure tube would cause all the channels to fail, although in practice that rarely occurs.

Additional options Despite all the best efforts to protect cylinder sensors in extreme conditions, sometimes failure is inevitable. If you need to keep equipment running in a critical application, here are three options. •

Redundant sensors. Run a dummy

cylinder with a transducer next to the main cylinder. Or install one or more redundant sensors externally with mounting brackets that hold the sensor in place and connect the target magnet to the moving equipment. The sensors operate in parallel. Should one fail, the others continue functioning. •

Redundant outputs. This is

extremely popular in power generation applications, where downtime is unacceptable. Specialized cylinderposition sensors are available with two or three entirely separate

•

Rapid repair. Lastly, in the event of a failure, how fast can you get the equipment back up and running? Sensors are available with modular electronics that can be quickly removed and replaced while the pressure tube stays in the cylinder. In a rapid repair unit, the flange remains threaded into the cylinder, which keeps all the hydraulic fluid inside and prevents contaminant ingression. Technicians need only replace the wave guide in the electronic housing and the unit is again operational.

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Another rapid repair strategy: install a sensor with redundant outputs but connect only one channel for control. Cover the unused connectors to protect them while not in use. If the control channel fails, simply move the connecting cable to another channel and resume operations. The sensor unit with a failed channel can then be repaired during a planned maintenance shutdown. FPW

Balluff | balluff.us

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Vacuum generation

for handling technology

Future trends point to mobile, autonomous and energy efficient systems. Harald Kuolt • Functional Coordinator Pre-Development J. Schmalz GmbH • Glatten, Germany

Automated production is the key for marketable products. Automation

technology makes it possible to cut process costs, increase output and productivity, and raise quality—all of which lead to highly efficient production and better, less expensive and readily available products. That is why the market for automation systems and industrial robots is on the rise.

And in any automated production system, handling is a critical function. In general, users are interested in process-safety with suitable accuracies without influencing or damaging the workpiece. Add to that are high uptime for equipment, short cycle times, and lower up-front investments and running costs. Especially for gripping and clamping of workpieces, vacuum automation plays an essential role across virtually all industry segments for just these reasons. The core part of a vacuum gripping system is vacuum generation, and pneumatically driven vacuum generators have for years been widely used in handling applications. That may be changing. Recent technological developments have led to new types of automated systems, such as mobile handling platforms and human-robot collaboration. Such applications will make compressed-air powered vacuum systems less desirable or unavailable. Here’s a look at how electrically driven vacuum generators can overcome the challenges and increase the energy efficiency

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Recent developments in automated systems, including mobile handling platforms and cobots, will demand new types of vacuum systems.

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of future handling systems, and also influence new forms of work.

New approaches are needed to generate vacuum without compressed air.

Vacuum handling efficiency To ensure customer value during a vacuum handling process, first, the workpiece has to be placed quickly and safely at its target position. Therefore, suction cups must be supplied with the required fluid power. This is influenced by short evacuation times, good sealing conditions, minimal leakage, short lengths of tubing and hoses, and low flow losses within the vacuum gripping system. All these factors also play an important role regarding energy efficiency and operating costs. Energy efficiency in the field of vacuum handling technology is still low, due to the need to convert electrical energy into compressed air, and then compressed air into vacuum. In addition, the infrastructure, workpiece, suction cups and, of course, the process parameters all influence energy consumption of a vacuum gripper. Efforts to improve the energy efficiency of vacuum handling systems are still relatively unexplored. A handful

of research projects have delved into this topic, and pneumatically driven vacuum generators as a key component have been the focus of a number of studies. But due to features like air-saving functions that can influence the handling process, these research results are not suitably meaningful to evaluate entire handling processes under real production conditions. Trends in automated production Nowadays, the borders between fully automated processes done by machines and manual handling tasks done by humans have become blurred. Instead, many activities now involve what is called “human-machine interaction.” This means that production personnel and machines are working (temporarily) together in the same physical space. Robots used for these kinds of applications are typically small and with a lightweight construction. In the field of “autonomous warehousing,” they are even used on mobile platforms to handle goods, for example for stocking shelves or pulling products for shipment.

A typical vacuum gripping process includes a robot, ejector, suction cups and workpiece. The closer a suction cup is to the vacuum generator, the more the size and weight of the generator affects the moment of inertia and the total weight of the gripper.

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gripper

robot / handling device

center position on gripper / flange on robot on gripper

gripper peripheral

center position at robot

nipple

single suction cup This graphic shows possible positions for vacuum generators on a robot (left) or a gripper (right). Due to weight and performance restrictions, standard electrical-driven vacuum generators like pumps are not suitable for direct use on the gripping system.

In the scope of vacuum handling there is one important restriction: mobile applications cannot carry a compressed air line. The same situation holds for stationary, lightweight robots with builtin sensors. It is not possible to mount a compressed air line at the robot, because this would influence the sensors and would interfere with the robot’s functions. So when operators of handling technology want to use vacuum handling and its benefits in the future, new approaches are needed to generate vacuum without compressed air. An initial technology study carried out by Schmalz in 2013 showed approaches with no external energy supply for handling applications. The core element was a so-called “pushpush mechanism” including a piston actuated by robot movement in a vertical direction, when the gripper was placed on the workpiece. To set the workpiece at its target position, the mechanism had to be actuated again. This solution worked well 48

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when handling airtight, rigid workpieces without leakage. However, for industrial applications where leakage or other effects influence the vacuum handling process, other designs are necessary. Actual solutions Before mobile robot platforms came on the market, users believed that electric-driven vacuum generators were only practical in handling solutions if the performance— primarily the vacuum level and flowrate—is comparable to that of pneumatically driven vacuum generators that operate based on the venturi principle. In general, standard air-powered vacuum generators can be mounted on the robot structure, connecting arms or peripherals, or even near a single suction

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The ECBPi CobotPump from J. Schmalz GmbH represents a new generation of electrical vacuum generators that do not require compressed air. It is particularly suited for use on lightweight robots in mobile applications as well as for stationary tasks when handling airtight and slightly porous workpieces. The ECBPi provides energy and process data via IO-Link, and condition-monitoring capabilities identify deviations and faults. Maximum suction rate is 12 lpm, vacuum level is to 750 mbar, maximum noise level is 57 dB, and the unit weighs just 700 g.

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cup. The closer a suction cup is placed to the vacuum generator, the more the size and weight of a vacuum generator affect the moment of inertia and the total weight of the gripper. An additional benefit of placing the vacuum generator near to the suction cup is that less airflow is required to manage the handling solution. If the suction cup is near the vacuum generator, less inner volume of the hose has to be evacuated compared to when the distance between cup and generator is greater, especially if multiple suction cups are supplied with vacuum. Standard electrical-driven vacuum generators—for instance, a piston pump or rotary blower coupled to an electric motor—are not suitable for direct use on the gripping system. They can only be placed near the robot due to the weight and performance. However, this only applies if performance is based on the maximum air flow rate at free flow. As mentioned, a correspondingly greater airflow is necessary to achieve short evacuation times and, based on that, short cycle times in the application. But if the volume to be evacuated can be limited by reducing the inner volume of suction cups, hoses and other components, smaller electrically driven vacuum generators like membrane pumps can achieve comparable—or at least acceptable—evacuation and cycle times. The smallest pneumatically driven vacuum generator based on venturi nozzles generates a suction flow of about 35 lpm at free flow. Small, lightweight membrane pumps, which are generally suitable for a vacuum application near the suction cup, can generate a maximum airflow of about 50% of this value. Especially if supplying compressed air to a machine is difficult or even impossible using traditional means, there are new applications using electrically driven vacuum generators which were previously not possible. Further, such developments are leading to new discussions concerning energy efficiency and necessary airflow-rates in “standard” applications. Even in conventional cases where compressed air is readily available, engineers can reduce the airflow rate in free flow conditions without a loss of performance if application requirements can be satisfied, much like standard solutions. Another consideration is that in standard vacuum ejectors based on the venturi principle,

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Collaborative robot (all common cobot models)

compressed air is flowing at sonic speed. The flow conditions in ejector nozzles can generate tremendous noise emissions. When there is no additional silencer mounted on the ejector, this can lead to hearing impairment of workers. That is why regulations typically mandate the use of silencers. Silencers reduce noise, however they also influence performance because a silencer creates a flow resistance. In applications where humans and robots are working together, a pneumatically driven vacuum ejector with a high noise emission level could be dangerous in the immediate proximity of the worker. Also in such conditions, small electrically driven vacuum generators have benefits in comparison to standard ejectors, because membrane pumps do not have extremely high flow rates and noise emission levels are lower than those of ejectors.

Robot flange for mechanical connection of the ECBPi electrical vacuum generator Flange adapter plate Plug connection or terminal block provides the digital interface between the CobotPump and robot Flange for gripper connection

Future outlook Pneumatically and electrically driven vacuum generators are routinely used in automated production processes. However, standard electrically driven vacuum generators are considerably larger and heavier than are ejectors with a comparable performance. That is why these kinds of electric-drive vacuum generators cannot mount directly on a gripping system. Normally, these generators are installed near the robot or handling device. In such cases, vacuum hoses are necessary to supply the suction cups on the gripper system, with vacuum generated next to the robot. This leads to greater volume inside the hoses and other components, which must be evacuated during each cycle of the handling process. In mobile applications this kind of vacuum generation is not possible. Thus, other approaches are necessary. Engineers should first determine which electrically driven principle is suitable for a given handling application, so the gripping system ensures a sufficient vacuum level and the highest possible airflow rate. Basically, the air flow rate at free flow is not particularly important in an application. It is just necessary that short evacuation times and, in the end, short cycle times can be achieved. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why smaller electrically driven vacuum generators are suitable if the application performance is comparable or acceptable in comparison with the standard solution.

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Modular, configurable grippers from the VEE family of vacuum end effectors

The ECBPi CobotPump quickly combines with common lightweight robots. Adapters minimize the time required to switch grippers. An integrated speed-control function regulates pump performance to suit the process or workpiece. Simple parameterization on the device is via NFC or IO-Link. The NFC interface lets users display process data, operating instructions and error messages on their smartphones.

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VALVES FOR EVERY APPLICATION From our humble beginnings in 1977 as a high technology supplier of high pressure compressors for submarine life support systems and special pneumatic controls (for the U.S. and Canadian Navies) to our present status as a World Class Manufacturer of Fluid Power Products, Valves and Machine Tool Accessories, Lexair, Inc. delivers the best products possible for today’s global market needs. We offer excellent customer service, product engineering, component machining and manufacturing in our modern state-of-the-art facility.

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Car Wash Equipment and Machinery Utility Facilities Foundry Equipment Sandblasting Equipment Oilfield Equipment Water or Wastewater Treatment Plants Corrosion Resistant Valves for Maritime and Off-Shore Applications • Valves for Railcar Service

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We also provide rapid design, prototyping and manufacturing of custom or modified products. Because of our engineering design team, our decades of experience in the Fluid Power Industry and our expert in-house machining capabilities, we are able to design, manufacture and deliver these products quickly and efficiently.

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The overall design matters, too. The closer a suction cup is placed to the vacuum generator, the lower the volume inside hoses, suction cups and other components, which all must be evacuated. This is especially important in mobile applications because gripping systems can be built smaller and with less weight. This is also the focus of future work concepts, like human-machine-interaction, where people and robots work together safely without protection devices. The need for vacuum handling in cobots, mobile platforms, and similar applications will increase tremendously in the future. Successful installations are just not possible with traditional pneumaticpowered vacuum systems. Therefore, electrically driven vacuum generators are necessary and, fortunately, are now ready for the market. FPW

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The American Champ Dump Pump

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LunchBox

learning about fluid power

Paul J. Heney • VP, Editorial Director

Carl Dyke, left, founder of LunchBox Sessions, with his long-time Senior Hydraulics Consultant Mark ‘Manyletters’ Pszczolkowski

FLUID POWER WORLD

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T R A I N I N G

CD Industrial Group’s LunchBox Sessions uses interactive

simulation technologies to give students a hands-on training

experience even while learning online.

In 1999, Carl and Lenore Dyke launched an industrial education and consulting business in Calgary. Dyke took his earliest career experiences as a millwright in the sawmill industry and his seven years of teaching welding/fabrication and electronics/robotics at the high school level and sought to create a unique enterprise to help solve learning problems in heavy industry. In the first year, Dyke was the only trainer, and he conducted all of his own classes by travelling to various corporate clients and working out of their classroom spaces. These classes were almost exclusively for the pulp and paper industry. He conducted 30 classes from 0.5 to 2 days in length on mechanical maintenance skill topics, mostly in Western Canada. In addition to teaching, he would be asked to build machinery operations and maintenance training programs for use by the client’s in-house trainer. This forced Dyke to learn pulp and paper processes from end to end. Today, the small garage startup has grown into CD Industrial Group Inc. (CDIG). The company employs nine people, including three trainers. There are currently 39 different courses offered in a variety of heavy industries including pulp and paper, sawmill, oilfield, mining, construction, civic machinery fleets, shipping terminals, and electrical utilities.

Going online CDIG develops a lot of high-quality materials for its instructors to use that are never seen outside of its classrooms. The company fields inquiries about training from people who will never be able to attend a class — either because they live too far away, or because they’re students who can’t afford a full-blown workshop.

The company figured that by putting its learning materials online, it could reach people anywhere in the world. And because the online audience is so much bigger than a typical classroom audience, CDIG offers this type of media at a much lower price. Normally, it wouldn’t be possible for a training company to take their in-person, instructor-led training courses and put them on the Internet. So much of the learning process is a dynamic backand-forth exchange between the students and the instructor. Learning is not a linear, one-dimensional, static process. But CDIG’s training courses, which it calls “LunchBox Sessions,” aim to be a bit different (lunchboxsessions.com). From the outset, the company wanted all students to have a hands-on experience, even if they were doing computer classwork rather than getting their hands on physical simulators. To keep them active and engaged, CDIG developed its own interactive simulation technologies. So even though trainers aren’t able to be there in person to help everyone learn, the goal is to make sure that the learning media is similarly dynamic, interactive, engaging, and non-linear — like a real classroom experience would be. It’s not just technology, though. Dyke said that a big part of the instructional design of LunchBox Sessions is rooting these educational lessons in a person-centric approach. “Our lessons are full of characters and stories,” he said. “When we teach troubleshooting, we use these characters to take the learner through actual scenarios they might encounter on the job. We don’t say ‘Do this, do that, and if that doesn’t work, call for help.’ We make sure that people get to see the whole chain of reasoning — how to figure out what you know and what you don’t, and how to understand each piece of the puzzle as you explore the problem space.”

www.fluidpowerworld.com

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T R A I N I N G

LunchBox Sessions combines a variety of videos, simulations and straightforard lessons to teach subject matter.

Building it better According to Dyke, right from the start, they had the idea that they wanted people to come to the website, make an account, and begin exploring CDIG’s growing library of simulations and lessons. “We knew we wanted to help people keep track of what they’d learned. There was already a ton of Learning Management System software out there in the world, and we were determined to be better than that.” Typical online courses have what Dyke calls the “page-turning model,” where you click through a bunch of screens, and there’s a test at the end. One of the core goals in building LunchBox Sessions was to improve upon that concept. He said that it took them a long time — from 2007 to 2015 — to really figure out what “better” looked like. Here are three critical takeaways that CDIG realized early on:

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The learner has to be free to chart their own course. LunchBox Sessions is full of hundreds and hundreds of pieces of media. Some people will want to see all of it. Other people will want to skip most of it, and just focus on the stuff they’re interested in. So, CDIG designed the entire experience around people having the freedom to choose what they learn, and what order they learn it in. That’s really hard. It means the trainers can’t write their advanced content assuming people have done the basic content. Some students won’t know where to begin, and they’ll want some guidance. It took a long time to strike the right balance, but they eventually found a way to lay out the content like a transit map. This encourages people to start from the top (basics), to progress downward to the more advanced concepts. But students are

never blocked — CDIG always leaves it open for them to jump straight to the bottom, and the company is careful not to do anything to suggest learners have to do things in any specific order.

Learning is an ongoing process, not a one-and-done. Dyke explained that they are all firm believers that the learning process is never finished. “Throughout your life, you’re constantly faced with new challenges and new opportunities, and by adopting the ‘lifelong learner’ mindset you can make the most of them,” he said. “LunchBox Sessions was built especially for people who want to keep learning and growing. This focus on continual learning means that we’re going to constantly be creating new learning content for the website, and fixing up existing content, so

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The organization of the LunchBox Sessions is such that learners are free to chart their own course through the subject matter.

that there’s always new information. It also means that when we come up with our lessons and activities, we try to design them so that people can use them again and again — and get continual value from them.” Studies about learning and memory have shown that the more times you’re exposed to an idea, and the more ways you encounter that idea, the better it sticks in your mind. So, for every critical idea that is taught on LunchBox Sessions, CDIG tries to figure out multiple ways of presenting it. Inside the sessions are lessons that explain key ideas with writing and illustration, videos that take you inside 3D render-

ings of industrial components, interactive simulations and puzzles that let you explore system behavior and make you demonstrate to yourself that you understand. All of these types of content serve to reinforce the idea of the session. And when a learner comes back to that session after a few weeks or months to refresh their knowledge, the variety helps keep the material feeling fresh.

Quizzes are another learning tool, not a final test of knowledge. CDIG needed an assessment tool to help people measure how well they’re learning. The company designed

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IF YOU USE HYDRAULIC FLUIDS

You NEED Flow Ezy! Flow Ezy Filters, Inc is the leader in supplying filters, strainers, and accessories for hydraulic applications. If you need it, we have it. Our product line includes: • Sump Strainers • In-Line Filters • Tank Mounted Strainers • Tank Breathers • Suction Screens • Flow Diffusers • Lube Oil Filters • Spin-On Filters • Cartridge Filter Housings • Interchanges for Parker, Marvel, Schroeder, Vickers, and many others...

T R A I N I N G its own quiz system. Critically, it had to encourage and reward the ongoing, continual learning process, and not encourage people to stop once they had taken the quiz. There are many subtle design choices that contribute to this, but one of the most obvious ones is that the quizzes can be taken over and over, and they’re different every time. For each subject, CDIG’s team of writers create a huge pool of possible questions. Taking a quiz means answering a handful of them, and then getting a chance to review how you did. The review step is also important, since it helps people have an indication of where their knowledge is well developed, and where they might need to study more. Finding success As the years wore on, Dyke and his team figured out all the ways they could make LunchBox Sessions categorically better than all the other training solutions on the market, and they gradually started rolling out access to a few corporate clients. “This was a really exciting time for us,” he said. “Before long, we had people from around the world using the site 24 hours a day, and we started to see the first signs that our hard work was going to pay off. Not only were people logging on and learning, but they were coming back, month after month and (eventually) year after year. Many of our earliest users, who joined during our first beta back in 2014, are still using the site today.” After a few years of limited access for the company’s corporate clients, in 2017, CDIG opened up the site to the general public. Around the same time, they started making YouTube videos where Dyke would teach a lesson using some of the simulations. These YouTube videos spread like wildfire — more than 6,000 people per day watch the videos. Then many of those come to the LunchBox Sessions website and get to use all the simulations themselves.

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LunchBox Sessions draws from its team’s personal experiences working in the field. 58

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“It’s been a fantastic way to get the word out, and it’s such a thrill to see our work resonate with so many people around the world,” said Dyke. The current site includes 22 hydraulic sessions, as well as 19 focused on electrical, and 11 on machinery. There are approximately 10,000 users from 91 different countries. The vast majority of users are in the United States, with second place going to Canada. Rounding out the top five are the Russian Federation, Australia, and Kazakhstan. The future is bright Dyke explained that content-wise, they tend to go where their clients request training. “If, for example, we suddenly were hired by NASA for a series of custom courses, a bunch of training around launchpad and zero-gravity hydraulics systems might show up, with proprietary information removed, of course,” he said. “Look for some cool material soon on wind turbines. And we’ve added a brand-new topic called ‘Machinery,’ where we are starting to share select Live Schematics we’ve built for CDIG Classrooms.” These Live Schematics have driven a lot of the CDIG’s classroom content. According to Dyke, they make a big difference in being able to read a schematic and beginning to use it as a systems-analysis tool. “We’ve created hundreds and hundreds of Live Schematics over the years to illustrate the exact workings of all kinds of hydraulic systems, and now our users get to take the controls and run this highly interactive content themselves,” he said. “Evergreening existing content will always be an ongoing concern. As technology changes, we need to keep our existing content modern. For example, when we began building content, it was a given that users would have access to a mouse and probably a keyboard as well. Now we have to accommodate touch devices, like phones and tablets. Plus, we’re always learning new things we can add to our existing content.”

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12/13/18 2:30 PM

PRODUCT WORLD

Composite air cylinders for medical and foodgrade applications

Thermoplastic hydraulic hose Kurt Hydraulics kurthydraulics.com

Compact Automation compactautomation.com The Composite Cylinder series is a linear actuator with a durable hollow rod option enabling use in vacuum pick-up applications in end-of-arm tooling. Designed in an equivalent size to Compact’s standard inch and metric series, the Composite Cylinders are 25-30% lighter than standard cylinders. This solution makes it possible for operators to either downsize a

Thermoplastic

robotic application or simply handle heavier loads. The

hose is designed for medium to high-

cylinder’s design also features a corrosion-resistant

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plastic, FDA-approved food-grade material ideal for

configurations. The product line covers SAE 100R7,

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SAE 100R8, and SAE 100R18 thermoplastic hose with an operating temperature

from –40° to 212°F. The urethane protective covering is abrasion, ozone, and

It is also suitable for medical and food grade

applications or where lightweight, washdown and

weather resistant.

corrosion resistance is required. They are available in

both imperial and metric sizes which makes them easily

such as machine tool applications and lift equipment. The R7 hydraulic hose is

configurable and repairable. Sizes include: Inch series –

rated between 1,000 and 3,000 psi working pressure, and 40,00 and 12,000 psi

⁄2, 3⁄4, 11⁄8, 13⁄8, 15⁄8, and 2-in. bore, round and square

minimum burst pressure and is available in eight sizes between 1⁄8 and 1 in. I.D.,

body styles with strokes lengths up to 4 in. Metric

and is also available in twin line hoses.

series – 8, 12, 20, 25, and 40 mm bore, rectangle style

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pressure hydraulic systems, and suited for use in agricultural, plant maintenance

available, as are Standard, Half-Husky and Full Husky

equipment, construction equipment and similar applications. They are rated

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between 3,500 and 5,000 psi working pressure and 14,000 and 20,000 psi

minimum burst pressure. The R8 hose is available in four sizes from 3⁄16 to 1⁄2 in.

They are rated for operating

SAE R100R7 nylon hose is ideal for medium pressure hydraulic systems,

SAE 100R8 and SAE 100R18 thermoplastic nylon hoses are ideal for high

I.D., and is also available in twin line hoses.

pressures of 125 psi for ½-in., 8, and 12 mm bores and 150 psi for 3⁄4 – 2-in. and 20 – 40 mm bores.

FLUID POWER WORLD

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

End-of-arm sprue grippers are ideal for handling plastic materials FIPA Inc. fipa.com The updated Series 90, 100, and 130 grippers now bear the red FIPA dot, which makes the gripper components immediately identifiable in installations. The series 90 grippers reliably grip small sprues due to their high closing force, wide jaw opening, and compact design while the series 100 grippers are designed to securely grip medium to large sprues, with gap-free closing for gripping thin, flat sprues.

The Series 130 grippers feature strong gripping force and a wide jaw

opening, making them suitable for large sprues. FIPA grippers have a long life cycle due to their high-strength aluminum alloy housing and jaws, with a durable, corrosion-resistant anodized coating. They are rated for pressures from 2.5 to 8 bar (36.3 to 116 psi).

FIPA also offers grippers with and without “part present” monitoring. Grippers with direct monitoring feature

large-area, mechanical sensor operation to detect positive gripping, regardless of the sprue dimensions or the part’s position in the gripper. Grippers with indirect part monitoring send a signal if no component has been gripped. Some models are equipped with programmable sensors with two teachable outputs. Alternatively, many sprue grippers are available with magnetic sensors. All sensors are available with either PNP or NPN switching output.

These grippers feature hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) soft pads that are wear-resistant and

temperature-resistant up to 160°C (320°F) and are free of paint-wetting impairment substances (PWIS). These soft pads leave no scratches or damage even on sensitive plastic parts.

Rotary connector conveys compressed air for rotating components Eisele Connectors Inc. eisele-connectors.com BasicLine ball bearing rotary connector conveys compressed air from a rigid component to a rotating component. It can rotate freely around its own axis thanks to a hybrid stainless steel ball bearing with ceramic balls, which is approved for rotational speeds of up to 800 rpm. Stainless steel versions that are suitable for other operating media will follow. The rotary connector, which is designed for an operating pressure range of -13 to 232 psi, is suitable for all applications that are compatible with nickel-plated brass. The seals are made of NBR and FKM. The rotary connector is available in a straight, an angled and a T-shaped version for tube diameters of 8, 10, and 12 mm. The screw-in end is equipped with G1⁄4 threads.

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PRODUCT WORLD

Combination valve offers complete mobile motor control Webtec webtec.com CV120 series combination valve provides a complete solution to hydraulic motor control for mobile machinery. It reduces space and pressure drop in machinery used for mining, quarrying, construction and agricultural applications. In addition, costs can be reduced thanks to the lower number of hoses and fittings required. It combines a variable priority flow divider with a directional control valve in one body.

Single-turn hand dial permits fast visual adjustments to the pre-determined ‘Priority’ flow. CV120 valves offer a maximum operating

pressure of 250 bar (3,600 psi) and a total flow capacity of 120 lpm (32 gpm), while regulated flow capacity is 0-95 lpm (0-25 gpm). Porting choice is either 3⁄4 in. BSPP or 11⁄16 in. -12UN #12 SAE ORB thread sizes, although other thread sizes can be made available for special orders.

Readily biodegradable hydraulic fluids Lubriplate Lubricants lubriplate.com

Ralston ralstoninst.com Ralston Quick-test USN line of hoses and adapters are made from

Bio-Synxtreme HF series high-performance hydraulic fluids are designed for demanding industrial and marine (Vessel General Permit) applications requiring environmental sensitivity, water solubility, fire resistance, and excellent anti-wear properties over wide temperature ranges. These Polyalkylene glycol (PAG) based fluids are available in three viscosity grades (ISO grades 32, 46 and 68) and are anhydrous (water-free).

Quick-test hoses and adapters

They do not break down to form sludge, and

they do no hydrolyze in the presence of water. Furthermore, because of their high viscosity indices and excellent low temperature characteristics, one

military-grade 316 stainless steel and provide access to existing high-pressure ports with a click-in, click-out quick-connect without the threat of accidental disconnection. System pressure locks the quick-connect to eliminate disconnection where live pressure puts the technicians at risk. USN Adapters were designed for use on US Navy aircraft carriers and submarines and are now available at the commercial level for converting NPT, AN/JIC 37° flare and high-pressure ports into industrial-style quick-connects. Light and flexible USN hoses are designed to handle fluid, gas, or pneumatic media up to 10,000 psi.

viscosity grade fluid may replace two or three viscosity grades.

They are available in 5 gal pails and 55 gal drums.

FLUID POWER WORLD

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Ron Marshall • Contributing Editor

COMPONENT FOCUS

Why should you use caution with emergency compressors? In the heat of summer, it is common to have heat-related problems in an industrial facility. When these problems include the failure of the air compressor, the only option is often to bring in a motor-driven portable rental compressor. The use of these gas or diesel units can cause huge problems in a plant unless proper preparations are made. There are usually lots of fuel-driven compressors of all sizes at the local equipment rental store; typically a unit can be obtained that is about the same size as your failed unit. However, you should be aware that these units are often missing a very important component — an aftercooler. The compressed air produced by any compressor is very hot when it leaves the compression element, but typically stationary compressors have an internal air- or water-cooled aftercooler that removes most of the heat in the compressed air — and lowers it from about 200° F to a temperature slightly higher than ambient. Portable compressors without aftercoolers inject this very hot air into your plant, often overloading the air dryer and causing moisture problems if adequate secondary cooling is not provided. Compressed air at 120° F or higher entering the plant from a diesel compressor with no aftercooler contains more than four times as much moisture as compressed air at 70° F (room temperature). This excess water is

This cooler is set up to condition incoming emergency air. far more than can be processed by an ordinary air dryer, often resulting in dryer failure and excess condensed moisture forming in the pipes and machinery inside the plant. At best, this water, lubricant, dirt and rust mixture will be drained out by well placed condensate drains located at low points in your plant piping system; at worst, it will deposit on your finely produced product, causing contamination.

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Some plants plan for emergency diesel compressors by installing permanently mounted coolers (see photograph above) through which hot emergency air is passed, lowering the temperature and removing moisture so the air dryers can work properly. Others will rent coolers or pass the emergency air through large receiver tanks to provide cooling — something to think about on hot summer days. FPW

12 • 2018

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AD INDEX

Aggressive Hydraulics................... 7

Main Manufacturing................... 10

AMETEK DFS................................ 19

Marken Manufacturing............... 11

AutomationDirect......................... 1

Murrelektronik, INC.................... 25

C-Change Inc............................... 57

Nitro Steel..................................... 3

Delta Computer Systems............ 52

O+P SrL.......................................... 4

DMIC........................................... 29

Permco, Inc................................. 53

Flow Ezy Filters............................ 58

PHD Inc........................................ 49

FluiDyne Fluid Power.................. 42

Prince Manufacturing Co............ 17

Gefran......................................... 27

Rota Engineering Ltd................... 59

Holmbury, Inc.............................. 13

RYCO Hydraulics.......................... 35

Hunger Hydraulics....................... 40

Servo Kinetics............................. IBC

Hy-Pro Filtration.......................... 33

Spartan Scientific........................ 34

Intertraco.................................... 15

Super Swivels................................ 2

Kawasaki Precision Machinery.... 38

Tompkins Industries.............. IFC,10

Kuriyama....................................... 6

UNIFLEX-Hydraulik GmbH........... 47

Lexair Inc..................................... 51

Veljan Hydrair.............................. BC

Lillbacka USA, Inc.......................... 9

Zero-Max, Inc................................ 5

LEADERSHIP TEAM Co-Founder, VP Sales Mike Emich 508.446.1823 memich@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_memic Co-Founder, Managing Partner Scott McCafferty 310.279.3844 smccafferty@wtwhmedia.com @SMMcCafferty EVP Marshall Matheson 805.895.3609 mmatheson@wtwhmedia.com @mmatheson

Follow the whole team on twitter @FluidPowerWorld

fluidpowerworld.com pneumatictips.com mobilehydraulictips.com sealingandcontaminationtips.com hoseassemblytips.com

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Hydraulic Servo &

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Servo Kinetics (SKI) has been in business for 40 years, before many of the competitor’s even existed. Our capacity for servo and proportional valve repair far exceeds any of our competition. SKI serviced the NASA Houston Shuttle Simulator for 25 years, through three major upgrades of the Electro-Hydraulic, closed loop motion system.

The shuttle used 12 servo valves on “closed Loop” precision actuators. We suggest you visit our website for further details on our complete services, there are reference letters there you can read from FedEx, L3, Cedar Point, Fidelity and Delta Airlines. If you want/need a vendor that can meet any hydraulic challenges you have, SKI can do that for you. We know how to meet your needs.

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INITIAL RUN-IN PERFORMANCE/FAILURE ANALYSIS THAT IS DOCUMENTED AND INCLUDED ON FINAL TEST REPORT SENT BACK WITH YOUR VALVE.

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FINAL PERFORMANCE TESTING INCLUDES TOTAL INTEROGATION OF ALL THE VALVES ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS.

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DYNAMIC PLOT OF INPUT VOLTAGE VERSUS OUTPUT FLOW SENT BACK ALONG WITH COMPUTER GENERATED FINAL TEST REPORT.

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DATA OF ALL PLOTS AND TEST REPORTS ARE RECORDED AND RETAINED FOR FUTURE REFERENCE IN OUR TESTING DATA BASE.

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FLUID POWER WORLD DECEMBER 2018

Articles inside

Why should you use caution with emergency compressors?

December 2018 Products

LunchBox learning about fluid power

Vacuum generation for handling technology

Improving the reliability of hydraulic cylinder sensors

How do hydraulics ensure safety in mining machinery?

5 habits that make you a smooth compressed air system operator

Smart hydraulic cylinder measures force

Comparing cylinder position sensing technologies

December 2019 Design Notes

December 2018 Association Watch

Are acquisitions killing fluid power innovation?

Tackling HR questions, old and young

Don't leave humans out of the Industry 4.0 equation