Innovative Pneumatic Designs p. 42
Safety in Industrial Hydraulics p. 50
Material Matters: Understanding Wear Ring Benefits p. 54
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June 2018
Building a
world-class pump PAGE 30
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June 2018
Building a
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FluidLines Mary Gannon • Editor
No Kinks No Hose Twisting
Our future lies in engaging the littlest engineers among us My thoughts and face now grace this column in every issue, thanks in part to a surprise promotion by our VP, Editorial Director Paul Heney at the conclusion of our Women in Fluid Power Panel at our Fluid Power Technology Conference. He couldn’t have picked a more fitting time or venue. Although I am not an engineer by training, I have spent the past 13 years of my career learning fluid power and enmeshing myself in this industry. And at almost every conference or trade show I attended, one thing was very clear— there aren’t many women in this field. I was always in the distinct minority. Not so this year. Including the panel members themselves, there were perhaps 20 women in the audience for the panel—engineers, executives, students, and I’m sure marketing professionals—all there to say women are in this industry and we’re here to stay. Most of the discussion on the panel did not center around the #MeToo movement or sexual discrimination (although that is an issue everywhere). Instead, the common theme that resounded was the importance of bringing new engineers into the fluid power arena. How do we do this? Start young, everyone agreed. While the current STEM competitions in the fluid power space and engineering in general are great at the junior high school level and beyond, it’s critical we capture the attention of young children early in their elementary school years. We need to help them fall in love with STEM. If we continue to wait until they are preteens or teenagers like many current programs do, they may already have predisposed notions of what an engineering career may entail and may think it’s not cool enough. It’s critical to showing children the fun of engineering at a young age and make math and science exciting when their minds are still open to new ideas. Listening to my daughter and her many classmates say what they found most fun this past year at their kindergarten graduation made me smile. A majority of them— boys AND girls—said their favorite memory was working out math challenges and science experiments. If that’s not progress, I don’t know what is. Let’s keep going! It’s time to develop more fluid power introductory programs for the littlest engineers among us. We need mentors, manufacturers and industry associations to come together to begin planning the fun for our future.
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From the Field
Schmitz, new IFAS head, talks about opportunities for women in fluid power With over 3 billion parts installed and failure rates less than 1 PPM, SFC KOENIG is recognized for excellence in sealing and flow control. The original inventor of the pre-assembled metal-to-metal seal solution, we offer: • a variety of sizes, materials and pressures • engineering support • faster installation & fewer errors • proven effectiveness in a variety of precision high-performance applications.
This spring, Dr.-Ing. Katharina Schmitz was installed last month as the head of RWTH Aachen’s IFAS fluid power research arm in Aachen, Germany. This world-class research institution had been led by Dr.-Ing. Hubertus Murrenhoff for more than two decades, so being at the helm of IFAS is certainly a long-term endeavor. I met Schmitz in Aachen in March, and asked her to reflect on some of the opportunities and challenges relating to attracting more women into the fluid power realm.
FPW: What initiatives are taking place in Germany to encourage more young women to go into engineering and the sciences? Do you think this is enough? What, if anything would you change? KS: No, it is definitively not enough. It must be an important objective for all circles of our society to motivate young people to go into engineering and sciences. But it starts far before High School or University. The base work is to be done in Kindergarten and Elementary School. Parents and teachers should encourage their children and students to enjoy mathematics and sciences. Children are interested and open to it. This applies equally for girls and boys. Too often, however, it is said that girls just don’t understand these subjects. This needs to be changed urgently. It is a long social process. Our Western economy and with it our financial foundation is built on sciences and engineering, especially in Germany. As a matter of fact, the actual delivery bottleneck in the German machine building industry is due to a lack of engineers and other specialists. This will get even more severe due to the demographic change. The gender issue is only one additional aspect, but an important one. It has been discovered by our political and economic leaders some time ago and programs such as Girls-Days or Women in “MINT”-subjects have been established. A Girls-Day is one day of the year where universities and enterprises throughout Germany conduct an open house especially for girls aged 11 to 15 years to introduce them to fields and jobs that are typically male dominated. The attractiveness of the so called MINT (Mathematics, Information Technology, Natural Science and Technology) subjects is brought forward in many different programs. There is a positive development. At RWTH Aachen University, the number of students in Mechanical Engineering enrolling in first year Bachelor studies increased from 1173 in 2004 to 1626 in 2017. In the same period the percentage of women increased from below 10 % to more than 14 %. This is only a small achievement but it is encouraging to invest more time and energy on this subject. Wouldn’t it be good to see this number go to 25% or more in 2025? (continued on page 6)
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From The Field 6-18 FPW_Vs3 MG.indd 4
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From the Field (continued from page 4)
FPW: Are there any specific programs at RWTH that further encourage female engineering students to study fluid power? KS: At RWTH Aachen University, there are some programs that focus on encouraging females to start studying mechanical engineering and other MINT-subjects. Nevertheless, no such program focuses on fluid power here in Aachen. It is very close to my heart to motivate female engineers to join me in working in fluid power. In my opinion, the best motivation can be achieved by setting successful examples. This is my goal for the next years. I do not want to give up on any good male applicant but would like to see equally female applicants. FPW: What do you think are the biggest challenges to increasing the number of women in our industry? Do you think it varies from country to country, or are the problems somewhat universal? KS: Well, yes—it varies from country to country. In 2014, the share of female students starting to study mechanical, manufacturing and civil engineering was 21% in Germany and 24% on average in all OECD countries. It varies from country to country, depending on their society’s individual gender roles. The biggest challenge we are facing is to balance the business and the family worlds. Our industry as a part of the whole mechanical engineering community is still influenced by traditional thinking and roles. Today, it is not easy to find several role models of successful women in our industry. Again, there is some progress. The problem is identified and there are potential solutions. Our society cannot do without talented and well-educated and trained women. The challenges of human mankind force us to develop new methods and technologies and international competition add to the complexity. We all—with our political and 6
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economic leaders—must establish the frame and environment to balance job, career and family. We need a true holistic approach to get the buy-in of all social partners. FPW: How did you first become interested in engineering? And then, what drew you to fluid power specifically? KS: Starting in elementary school and high school, I was always very interested in subjects like mathematics and physics. These were fun subjects for me. After graduation from high school, I was looking for a subject to study that is based on mathematics and physics but also allows to balance theory and practice. This led to the real world of systems and machines … and consequentially to mechanical engineering. In addition, I got great support for this decision from my parents, who are both engineers, as well. During my studies, I set a focus of fluid mechanics and multiphase fluid flow. And again, it was my motivation to apply the fundamental sciences to real products and machineries that led me into fluid power. FPW: Did you encounter any particular challenges or push-back at any point of your engineering studies, simply for being a female in this field of study? KS: During studies there are always challenging situations. But it is difficult to distinguish between whether this happens because of your gender or because of your behavior and personality. Sure, I was confronted several times with typical role behaviour but never encountered any real push-back. Of course, most of my friends at university were and are male. Quickly we all learned that mutual respect is based on personality and performance and not on gender. Interestingly, it is my observation amongst my friends that, on a percentage
basis, more women than men have successfully passed their studies. FPW: What advice would you give to a young girl who thinks she might be interested in pursuing a technical career? And what advice would you give to her parents, so they can properly support her? KS: It is an important decision for young people. I would recommend that everyone, not only the girls, check their personal interests and capabilities. In the end, you must like what you do. If you love what you do, it is more fun and you can be successful in your profession. If you are interested in some mathematics— and not afraid of some nature laws and physics—you are half way through your engineering studies. But there is one piece of advice I would give to a young girl in particular: “Look for a mentor. Parents, other relatives, teachers or friends who are in science or engineering themselves. And, believe in yourself! Men and boys often seem more confident with their capabilities and their decisions and women appear sometimes too hesitant while weighing several options. In many cases, it is just a game. Therefore, believe in your own capabilities and believe in yourself!” FPW
Paul J. Heney VP, Editorial Director pheney@wtwhmedia.com
On Twitter @DW_Editor
www.fluidpowerworldonline.com
6/13/18 2:43 PM
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vol 5 no 4
June 2018
C ontents |
|
fluidpowerworld.com
•
6
•
2018
F E AT U R E S MOBILE HYDRAULICS
Building a world-class pump
Understanding what can go wrong ensures that pumps get built right.
PNEUMATICS Innovative pneumatic designs
Innovation in pneumatics is often found in the way components are put together to create subsystems, instead of within the components.
INDUSTRIAL HYDRAULICS Safety in industrial hydraulics
Safety is critical when operating hydraulic machinery, particularly with heavy weight presses that can easily cause a person harm.
SEALS Material matters: Understanding wear ring benefits
Wear rings can be an integral part of a hydraulic system, as they absorb side loads and eliminate metal-to-metal contact, extending system life.
30 42 42
50
D E PA R T M E N T S
02 FluidLines 04 From The Field 12 Korane’s Outlook
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14 Association Watch 16 Design Notes 22 Energy Efficiency 24 Distributor Update 26 Research and Development 28 Fundamentals 58 Products 63 Component Focus 64 Ad Index
A | S | B | P| E Fostering B2B editorial excellence
ON THE COVER
A gear cut and shaved vertically creates a tooth profile that runs more efficiently than do gears generated on horizontal hobbing machines, ensuring a world-class hydraulic pump.
8
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FLUID POWER WORLD
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Photography by Derek Little
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JUNE 2018 • vol 5 no 4 • www.fluidpowerworld.com
VIDEO SERVICES
VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @dw_editor
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Associate Editor Mike Santora msantora@wtwhmedia.com @dw_mikesantora Contributing Editor Ken Korane kkorane@wtwhmedia.com @fpw_kenkorane
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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. 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. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates: U.S. and possessions: 1 year: $125; 2 years: $200; 3 years: $275; Canadian and foreign, 1 year: $195; only US funds are accepted. Single copies $15 each. Subscriptions are prepaid, and check or money orders only. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To order a subscription please visit our web site at www.fluidpowerworld.com FLUID POWER WORLD (ISSN 2375-3641) is published eight times a year: in February, April, May, June, August, September, November, December by WTWH Media, LLC; 6555 Carnegie Ave., Suite 300, Cleveland, Ohio 44103. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH & additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fluid Power World, 6555 Carnegie Ave., Suite 300, Cleveland, OH 44103
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Digital Production Manager Reggie Hall rhall@wtwhmedia.com
EDITORIAL
FLUID POWER WORLD
6 • 2018
6/15/18 9:24 AM
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Ko ra n e ’s O u t L o o k Ken Korane • Contributing Editor
Disrespect hydraulics at taxpayers’ peril Let’s face it, fluid power is not considered avant-garde or flashy. But it’s rugged, precise, safe, economical and, for decades, has proven to run reliably. That message has been lost on the U.S. Navy, which has spent a staggering $13 billion on its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. The ship launched 25% over budget and three years late, in large part because designers made the ill-advised decision to replace time-tested fluid power systems with cutting-edge—and expensive— electrical motion systems that, to date, don’t work as planned. Carriers are built to launch aircraft, a task steam-pneumatic catapults have done admirably for years. A shuttle connects the aircraft nosewheel to a piston in the deck, and opening a valve lets high-pressure steam push the piston down the deck and accelerate a plane fast enough for take-off. The Ford’s new Electromagnetic Launch System (EMALS) catapult was touted as being lighter and more durable than steam units. EMALS stores an enormous electrical charge in four heavy flywheel-generators and then quickly releases the current into massive electromagnets that propel the shuttle down the track. Unfortunately, its immature technology has not lived up to its promise. The system thus far fails about once every 450 launches, 90% worse than the 4,100 launches expected per specifications. Of course, jets need to land, too. Carriers have used hydraulically braked arresting systems since the 1960s. A hook on the landing aircraft catches a cable on the deck which, in turn, pulls the rod of a hydraulic cylinder inside the ship— 12
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Photo courtesy: U.S. Navy
essentially acting as a large shock absorber. Displaced fluid meters thorough valves to dissipate energy and bring the aircraft to a controlled stop. Yet on the Ford, an untested Advanced Arresting Gear electrical system replaced the hydraulics. The pull of the deck cable spins a paddlewheel inside a cylinder of water, connected to a large induction motor, to provide braking force. Reliability is so poor that it fails every 25 landings, 660 times fewer than the Navy’s requirement of 16,500. And the original price tag of $172 million has now ballooned to an astounding $1.3 billion. Making things worse, these systems can’t be electrically isolated, so crews can’t repair a catapult while continuing to launch planes from adjacent ones, which is routine on other carriers. Now, repairs have to wait, or all flight operations must stop. And the Navy just announced it will need another $120 million, in part to fix the electric linear-motor Advanced Weapons Elevators, used to move munitions to the deck. Previous carriers’
elevators use—you guessed it—hydraulics. None of the Ford’s weapons elevators are operational, but a couple are being tested to identify other “developmental issues,” said DoD officials. The new catapults, arresting gear and weapons elevators are all mission critical, but the propensity for breakdowns restricts the ability to launch sorties and makes the ship more vulnerable. Based on current poor reliability estimates, the ship is unlikely to be able to conduct the type of high-intensity flight operations expected during wartime, said a report from the Pentagon’s Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. The Navy and defense industry have rushed ahead with fragile, unproven technologies that cost more yet perform worse. For all those billions, Congress should demand that our service men and women have equipment that works. \FPW
www.fluidpowerworldonline.com
6/13/18 2:49 PM
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ASSOCIATION WATCH
IFPS Annual Meeting update
The International Fluid Power Society 2018 Annual Meeting will be held Sept. 17-20, at the Williamsburg Lodge and Conference Center in Williamsburg, Va. The event includes a variety of committe meetings, including education, membership, finance, certification, marketing and more. In addition to the annual dinner and board meeting, job performance testing will also be available on Monday, September 17. A special workshop will be held on September 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The workshop, “Effective Training Principles — Be Your Best You!” will be presented by Senior Training Specialist Denis Poirier, CFPAI, Eaton Corp. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Poirier will take participants on a deep dive into the science of learning and adult education, best approaches for preparation and course development, delivery techniques and internal and external evaluation.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Optional activities
Historic Jamestown Time: 1:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. Cost: $70.00 /per person • This tour will guide the guests onto the actual island where the first permanent English settlement of America resided. The settlement exhibits include reconstructions of the three ships that brought the settlers over to the New World, as well as the reconstructions of the Fort and the Native American Village.
Tuesday, September 18 Explore Colonial Williamsburg Time: 2:30 p.m. (on your own) Cost: Most attractions are free with admission ticket; several attractions require an additional fee. Step back in time and meet the people who made America— sing with them, dance with them, eat with them, and have fun with them. Explore historic trade sites and art museums, meet the nation’s builders, enjoy a leisurely ride, and much more! 14
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Ghosts Amongt Us Time: 8:30 p.m. departure, 9:30 p.m. return Cost: $18.00/per person This unique storytelling experience brings the past to life (and death) with ghostly tales of hauntings and horrors spun directly from 18th century sources. Wear your walking shoes!
Wednesday, September 19
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6/14/18 11:42 AM
ASSOCIATION WATCH
Hotel reservations must be made by August 22 to receive the discount price of $164.00 + tax / standard room or $179.00 + tax / deluxe room. • Registration Fees: Registration must be received by September 7 (after September 7, a $25 late fee will be applied.) • Delegate: $245.00 (includes reception, business meetings, lunches, annual dinner and admission to Historic Williamsburg) • Spouse: $170.00 (includes reception, lunches, annual dinner and admission to Historic Williamsburg FPW
IFPS | ifps.org
NFPA update: Two ISO standards published Standardization development continues in the field of fluid power systems and components. TC 131 – the technical committee directly responsible for fluid power has 224 published ISO standards to date. There are 49 standards currently under development. The following ISO standards were published this past month: Subcommittee 4 – Connectors (couplings) ISO/TS 18409:2018 Hydraulic fluid power—Hose and hose assemblies—Method of collecting a fluid sample for analyzing the cleanliness of a hose or hose assembly Subcommittee 7 – Sealing devices ISO 5597:2018 Hydraulic fluid power—Cylinders—Dimensions and tolerances of housings for single-acting piston and rod seals in reciprocating applications. NFPA | nfpa.com
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DESIGN NOTES
Sensors help fine tune autonomous vehicle applications Edited by Mike Santora, Associate Editor
DAVIS integrates the company’s extensive
application knowledge in hydraulics, elec-
tronics, sensors and cloud-based comm and interfaces to create an autonomous syste m.
Danfoss Power Solutions has debuted its autonomous capabilities with a technology demonstration at AGRITECHNICA in Hanover, Germany. DAVIS — a flexible technology solution — will allow OEMs to add autonomous characteristics to their off-highway machines. Introducing DAVIS at AGRITECHNICA showcased the capabilities of Danfoss components and invited conversation between Danfoss and its customers on how they can work together to build autonomous machines. “DAVIS has been an exploration project for Danfoss. We started on this journey with the intention of learning exactly what our customers need and how we can partner with them through the right products, sys-
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tems and support as we move into an autonomous age,” said Allan Hermanni, Senior Director of Portfolio and Innovation at Danfoss Power Solutions. The company already has the capability to introduce some autonomous functions, such as remote-control steering, to offhighway vehicles, but those ventures are distinct from DAVIS. The DAVIS demonstration highlighted the autonomous potential in the off-highway industry and is a promising first step in working with partners to create a market-ready solution. DAVIS integrates the company’s extensive application knowledge in hydraulics, electronics, sensors and cloud-based command interfaces to create an autonomous system. “The technology for autonomous vehicles is already there. What we want to do is fine-tune how sensors work with
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the technology and add value,” Hermanni said. “To continue to do this, we want to start a dialogue with our customers — to share our knowledge but also to learn from them. They are the ones building the machines, and we want to make sure we’re developing the right solutions for their most pressing needs.” With DAVIS, the following benefits could be added to existing machine designs: • Connectivity — DAVIS is connected to a cloud-based command interface, which is used for controls and data analytics. This allows for operator flexibility (as they can control the machine from anywhere), as well as insights into how to improve machine uptime and productivity. • Path planning — The machine can determine its most efficient path with localized algorithms, rather than through a cloud-based service. It factors in local maps to identify drivable areas and continuously evaluates local driving conditions. • Obstacle detection — DAVIS uses multiple sensors to detect both stationary and active obstacles in its path and will update the machine’s path accordingly. Through this function, the machine can track multiple moving objects at a time, increasing safety and productivity. • Sensor fusion — Multiple sensors are used in the DAVIS system to combine both global and local positioning data, resulting in a more accurate location reading. This increases productivity of the driving and work functions of the machine. • Intelligent Control — Multiple levels of machine control interface seamlessly through one common platform. The core of DAVIS’s functionality was built on the proven and easy-to-use PLUS+1 platform from Danfoss. This allows OEMs to successfully leverage years of machine expertise from Danfoss with added sensor integration. Furthermore, the PLUS+1 platform allows for easy integration and design flexibility.
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6/15/18 11:04 AM
DESIGN NOTES
Desiccant breather gets IIoT upgrade Edited by Mike Santora, Associate Editor
Des-Case Corp., a manufacturer of desiccant breathers and specialty filtration products, recently announced the launch of IsoLogic, the first IIoT connected desiccant breather. IsoLogic is Des-Case’s first entrance into the Industrial Internet of Things space, expanding on the launch of the first desiccant breather by the company in 1983 and its many innovations since. It is projected that 20.4 billion connected things will be in use by 2020, and 86% of respondents to a Bsquare survey already have IIoT solutions in place. By eliminating the subjectivity of color-changing desiccant media, the sensor technology in the breather provides a digital reading of remaining breather life, saturation direction and breather temperature. An accurate reading of breather status means the breather is never replaced too early or left on too long leaving an asset unprotected. The humidity and temperature sensors in the desiccant breather communicate through an RFIDconnected module, which synchronizes via Bluetooth to the corresponding IsoLogic app. Users are able to view current breather status through a visual dashboard on the app and monitor alerts related to breather saturation, temperature and battery life. These insights provide maintenance and reliability staff a predictive look into proactively managing equipment. Additionally, a web-based platform allows users to view system status as well as historical trend data related to one or many breathers with IsoLogic technology. This data offers decision makers essential information to manage critical assets and plant-wide reliability programs.
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IsoLogic technology is available on Des-Case VentGuard desiccant breathers. A suitable solution to protect low-flow applications with intermittent operations, VentGuard breathers have check-valve technology that isolates the system and only ‘breathes’ when necessary.
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6/13/18 3:24 PM
DESIGN NOTES
“While the precision and accuracy of IsoLogic technology is of definite value to customers, having the ability to detect and record the exact moment of sudden water ingress is what makes our connected breather an invaluable predictive maintenance tool,” says Mark Barnes, Des-Case Vice President, Reliability Services. Also, connected solutions like IsoLogic offer maintenance and reliability professionals a timesaving and safe way to monitor breather status on remote or hard-to-access equipment within a 100-foot range. Visual indicators on the module alert employees when the breather cartridge is ready to be replaced or batteries are running low. IsoLogic technology is available on VentGuard desiccant breathers. A suitable solution to protect low-flow applications with intermittent operations, VentGuard breathers have check-valve technology that isolates the system and only ‘breathes’ when necessary. Other applications for VentGuard breathers include gearboxes, high humidity and wash-downs. IsoLogic is now available in beta test and limited quantities. Des-Case is currently partnered with several organizations, spanning many industries, such as mining and minerals, food and beverage, pulp and paper, and general manufacturing. FPW
Des-Case | www.descase.com/isologic
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Users are able to view current breather status through a visual dashboard on the app and monitor alerts related to breather saturation, temperature and battery life.
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DESIGN NOTES
Accumulator cylinder boosts efficiency of farm equipment Edited by Mike Santora, Associate Editor
One advantage of this new accumulator cylinder is its material: aluminum. The use of this lightweight metal, which is processed with the cold forming method, reduces the machine’s overall weight by about 50 kg compared to conventional steel designs.
The larger a tractor’s footprint, the less it compacts the soil. To minimize compaction, global machinery manufacturer CLAAS has introduced a tractor with a track drive that integrates newly developed accumulator cylinders from Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. They combine the functions of a hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic accumulator in a single system. This makes installation easier and lowers the risk of leakage. The use of aluminum also reduces the system’s weight. In agriculture, ever-larger cultivation and harvesting equipment requires huge tractive forces—and that means heavier, more powerful tractors. In combination with intensive field use, they lead to greater soil compaction, which makes working the land less efficient. Rain runs off it less easily, making the soil muddy, and tractors with conventional drive systems sink too deeply. But with the pilot version of the AXION 900 TERRA TRAC, CLAAS has now introduced a tractor with a suspended track drive. The vehicle was awarded a silver medal at the 2017 Agritechnica trade fair in Hanover (Germany). The CLAAS machine offers improved propulsion along with a larger footprint for less ground contact and soil compaction. Newly developed accumulator cylinders from Freudenberg Sealing Technologies are a key contribution to its objectives. Accumulator cylinders combine the functions of hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic accumulators and are standard in hydraulic systems. The disadvantage of earlier solutions is that tubing connects hydraulic compo20
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nents, cylinders and accumulators, making the systems hard to install. The tubing can also lead to hose or line breaks, resulting in leaks. This is especially true in mobile applications where vibrations can damage connections. The formerly individual parts have now been bundled into a single system whose components flawlessly interact with each other. Another advantage of the new accumulator cylinder is its material: aluminum. The use of this lightweight metal, which is processed with the cold forming method, reduces the machine’s overall weight by about 50 kg compared to conventional steel designs. Thanks to its compact construction, including integrated hydraulic control, the new accumulator cylinder is also suited to small installation spaces. In all, three accumulator cylinders are built into the AXION 900 TERRA TRAC. Two of them function as suspension cylinders for the drive and guide wheels; the third provides the right amount of tension to the rubber track – and the required frictional contact. The new lightweight component is based on an existing system that was further developed in close cooperation with CLAAS. FPW
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies | www.fst.com
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6/13/18 3:25 PM
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6/13/18 2:20 PM
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Ron Marshall • For the Compressed Air Challenge
Compressed Air Fail: Forgotten dryer setting A food processing plant purchased an energy saving, externally heated purge type dryer to save compressed air system energy. This dryer is designed to consume only 7.5% purge flow, compared to 15% for a standard heatless dryer, and was purchased with an onboard energy management system (EMS). The internal dewpoint-dependent switching system is designed to detect the moisture content of the air—and turn off the wasteful dryer purge when it was producing dew point levels lower than its rated -40 level. On dryers that are loaded at less than the rated capacity, and experiencing cool and dry ambient conditions, this saves quite a bit of energy. The dryer in question was loaded to about 20% flow when all things were considered. A compressed air auditor was called in to do an assessment of the plant. During his data collection phase, the auditor noticed the dryer was producing air at -163° F. A quick check showed that the internal energy management system had been turned off for some reason. Rather than consuming 7.5% purge about 20% of the time due to the low load, the dryer was continuously purging non-stop on a 24 x 7 basis. Because of this, the dryer was unnecessarily consuming about 38% of the compressor’s average compressed air output, plus its 4-kW rated heater power—equivalent to about $9,000 per year in extra operating costs. The dryer is designed so that the energy management setting is internal to the control, not an external switch that is obvious to operators. Thus, the status of the EMS setting can easily be forgotten. A few quick pushes of buttons had the dryer back to normal, saving energy once again. The auditor noted that this was the third dryer he had checked in the last three months that had this problem. The auditor recommended that the operators regularly monitor the dew point display—and take action if extremely low values are observed.
The operators forgot to activate the internal dewpoint control setting of this dryer, resulting in significant energy waste.
FPW
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| istockphoto.com
Ron Marshall is a compressed air energy efficiency expert at www. compressedairaudit.com. Join us at the Compressed Air Efficiency discussion group at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12065406
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6/13/18 3:05 PM
Hydraulic Servo &
Proportional Valve Repair
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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(800) 824.0808
6/13/18 2:19 PM
DISTRIBUTOR UPDATE
A day in the life of a fluid power sales professional
W
Steve Sonner • Hyspeco Inc.
When I first considered writing an article about a typical day in the in the life of a fluid power salesman, my first thought was, “It’s pretty boring!” But as I have dwelled on the idea, it is anything but boring. As I have dedicated over 40 years of my life to this field, I have had the absolute time of my life assisting my customers achieve the results they require in their manufacturing and service needs. I am a list-maker. (There, I’ve said it!) I am at my desk every morning at 6 a.m., and immediately make a new list of the five to 10 things I want to accomplish that day. 6 a.m. works best for me, as I am probably able to get more productive work done in those two hours before the others arrive than the rest of the day. I plan out my day from my weekly itinerary, and I try to have two to four pre-set sales calls set up with firm appointments. This gets me started. I also use this early time as a quiet time for myself, reading a devotional and doing some introspection. During that early alone-time, I send out Thank You notes to the people I saw the day before. (I have just recently migrated to e-mails instead of hand-written notes, because of the sensitivity of time!) I also send out information that was produced out of the calls I had made the day before. If a customer has a need for a quotation, I send that to our quote cell, so they can prepare a formal quotation. I work closely with my inside support team, and try to keep them well informed on the quotes and orders we are working on together.
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I have a strict timeline for being out of the office, 9 a.m. sharp. Of course, it does not always work out that way, but I understand the importance of being in-front of the customer during those “Golden hours” of selling. I tend to be a bit old school, but I prefer to hand-deliver quotes back to the customer, so I can be assured he or she has personally received the proposal and I can make sure we are on the same page. Sometimes I will actually walk out with a PO#; I know I am probably the first salesperson to get back to them, and sometimes just following up with a customer will get you the order. I started by saying my job was never boring, and that is so true. We have such a broad range of offerings from factory automation, maintenance and reliability products, as well as parts distribution. This week, I was involved in troubleshooting a German-built hydrostatic pump at an amusement park, assisting a customer with a specimen gathering assembly process, and making a special delivery trip out to one of our technicians, so he could finish a job I had sold earlier. A big part on our business is fluid connectors, so I am working with a local crane builder. I am trying to gain their hose and fittings business, so I am identifying metric threads, so we can cross over their European parts to our Parker brand. As our customers’ systems and processes are getting more sophisticated, we have to keep up with the changing trends. The Internet of Things is
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6/15/18 11:08 AM
Breather caps for hydraulic systems providing us with huge opportunities. Our Parker SensoNode condition-monitoring devices are really finding a niche. Machine maintenance is being replaced by reliability (predictive and proactive) maintenance processes, and sometimes we have to help a customer understand that he has a real need for this approach. At this point, we are teachers instead of just salespeople. Another part of my day is meeting with our factory representatives, as their expertise is required with some of our customers. If I have been successful in the past, it has been putting together the various people and teams (internal and external) to serve the customer. Our customers can probably buy everything we sell on the internet, but they cannot get ME! I therefore provide value to the parts I sell to the customer that he cannot get from buying from the catalog houses. The need for a local distributor is becoming greater, and the expertise we provide is becoming more in demand. As I have said, I try to have a couple of firm professional sales calls set up and this allows for a couple of cold calls to be made in the area I am travelling. Being that I am local here in Kansas City, this gives me the opportunity to drop in on prospects—but in a big city, appointments are sometimes mandatory. I see more and more “Sales by Appointment Only” signs being posted, so just getting access to the customer and past the gatekeeper presents a challenge. This is why I like to make occasional deliveries, as this gets me in the back door. I can see what’s really going on in a plant and can get better intel than from just looking them up on Google. I live on the east side of our town, so I try to work my way back home, to avoid sitting in traffic. It is difficult to see most people after 3:30 p.m., but I still try to make one or two additional calls. If you kiss enough frogs, one of them might become something. When I get home, I check my e-mails and texts messages, and respond as needed. I try to close my laptop at 6 p.m. No two days are alike, and this is what I love about my job—I get paid to help people!
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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Paul Heney • VP, Editorial Director
The red and blue test bench shown in this photo of the IFAS lab features two radial piston pumps to simulate a wind turbine. This is part of a 1-MW wind energy plant testing program that the lab is conducting.
A tour of the RWTH Aachen IFAS fluid power labs As part of the 11th IFK Fluid Power Conference in Aachen, Germany, IFAS (the Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems) conducted a series of research lab tours. IFAS, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, is also undergoing a large change at the top, with a new leader. “It’s a very interesting time for the whole institute,” said Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katharina Schmitz—incoming Executive Director of IFAS. The “official handoff and handshake,” as she put it, took place on Wednesday evening, when longtime head
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Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hubertus Murrenhoff, officially stepped down, after 24 years. Arnav Ajmani, a member of the academic staff who is a relative newcomer to IFAS, led the tour and explained that the lab is currently home to 30 research assistants as well as about 70 additional students who also use the lab. Two years ago, a fire in an adjacent building caused damage to the lab that’s in the final stages of being rebuilt—they are hoping that everything will be back up to speed by November. Some portions of the lab, including an atmospheric/
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6/14/18 9:49 AM
temperature chamber and an acoustic chamber, are still offline. That said, there are a fascinating number of projects being worked on, many with major industrial partners like Ford Motor Company. Following are summations of some of the most interesting research areas: • Marine wave energy test rig. This technology is still in the concept phase. Producing electrical power from ocean waves often involves oscillating buoyant bodies as energy converters—here, hydraulic cylinders attached to the wave energy converter (WEC) transfer the wave power into mechanical energy. A quartersize mockup of a system towers over part of the lab and represents 1 MW of power. IFAS is focusing on efficiencies for the WEC, as well as the actual power take-off that would be used from the hydraulic cylinder to the electrical generator. Central to their system is an accumulator bank, which aids in power smoothing. • Dynamic damping. In conjunction with Ford, IFAS developed a test bench being used to investigate various types of vibration dampers, including the ability to characterize new types as they are introduced. The test bench uses a hydraulic cylinder and piezoelectric force sensor,
allowing for measurements of up to 10,000 N. For static loads, gas or pressure measurements are able to be carried out. • Remote control teaching of pneumatics. A pneumatics lab was created to help new students with some of the fundamentals of fluid power. The number of students interested in studying this technology has been outpacing the hiring of new professors, so the Institute developed this test bench to demonstrate the fundamental functionality of pneumatic drive technology. This includes the dimensioning of drives and proper sequencing control. • Railroad braking with hydro-mechanical closed-loop control. This project is looking into the development of a railway disc brake with a hydro-mechanical braking torque control. Hydraulic brakes are common on local transport, thanks to their high force density and compact size compared to pneumatic brakes. On this design, any changes of the friction coefficient between the brake pad and disc—due to humidity, dust, or other environmental factors—can be compensated for, due to the closed-loop control.
A COMPLETE RANGE OF SENSORS:
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• Pneumatic pressure booster. IFAS built a novel pneumatic radial piston motor and a radial piston compressor, to see whether an energy efficient local pressure boosting system was possible. The compressor is passively controlled by two check valves per cylinder connecting the chamber to the supply and outlet. • Hydraulic hybrid system for excavators. Efficiency on mobile machinery is critical nowadays, thanks to fuel prices and ever-increasing demands made by environmental regulations. The STEAM system developed by IFAS is a holistic approach to both energy efficiency and performance. Volvo Construction Equipment is a partner here, and a prototype machine has been built that contains both a standard load sensing hydraulic system and STEAM. This way, objective comparisons can be conducted. STEAM thus far is showing a 30% increase in efficiency. FPW
RWTH Aachen IFAS | ifas.rwth-aachen.de
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19/02/16 09:04 FLUID POWER WORLD 27
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FUNDAMENTALS
Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor
What pump type is best for my HPU design? The type of pump you choose for your power unit affects the nature of the HPU build. Pump choice boils down to cost, complexity and performance. There are three major types of pumps: the gear pump, the vane pump and the piston pump. There are other, less common pumps, but we’ll stick to these three for this discussion. Gear pumps are economical, but on the low end of the efficiency range. They’re reliable and durable, but efficiency tends to drop over time. Remember, a pump’s job is to convert incoming mechanical energy into hydraulic energy, and the more efficiently it does so not only allows you to choose a smaller motor, but more efficiency saves you money over time. Traditional spur gear pumps average about 80% efficiency, meaning your 10 input horsepower will net you 8 hydraulic horsepower. Gear pump advantages: economical, reliable, easy to install Gear pump disadvantages: inefficient, noisy Vane pumps reside in the middle ground between gear and piston pumps. They’re more efficient than gear pumps, but less so than piston pumps. Vane pumps are quiet, making them popular for industrial applications. They’re also available with myriad control options, such as pressure compensation, load sensing and displacement control. Vane pumps typically cannot handle highpressure circuits, however. Vane pump advantages: quiet, moderately efficient, many control options Vane pump disadvantages: low pressure Piston pumps take up the premium end of the range. They’re capable of very high pressure, and have nearly infinite methods of control, including pressure compensation, load sensing, servo control, horsepower control, etc. They’re also very efficient; some designs are capable of 95% efficiency, allowing you to get the most from your prime mover. Their downside is cost, both for initial investment, and for service and repair. 28
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Although costly, piston pumps offer the highest efficiency and pressures of the three most common pump designs. Piston pump advantages: efficient, high pressure, many control options Piston pump disadvantages: costly, complex, noisy Before you select a pump for your HPU, however, you must calculate your pressure and flow requirements. To calculate flow required by your hydraulic pump, you must know the size and velocity of the actuators it will power. It is important to calculate the maximum flow required during simultaneous actuator operation, such as a motor and cylinder working in tandem. You must always factor efficiency in your calculations, so as not to lead to disappointment during commissioning. Hydraulic motor flow requirement is generally easier to arrive at than cylinders, which cycle with differential volumes. Simplified motor flow calculations are as follows: gpm required = cid x eff x rpm / 231 cid = cubic displacement of the motor eff = the motor’s efficiency rating rpm = revolutions per minute 231 = constant representing 231 cubic in. in one gal Example: 2.5 in2 x 0.8 x 1200 / 231 = 10.4 gpm *note: some motors efficiency rating changes with speed and pressure … do your homework.
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6/15/18 11:11 AM
STFF-3
Cylinder flow requirement is more difficult because of multi-step math. We must first calculate two volumes: the volume of the cap side and the volume of the rod side of our cylinder: Cap side volume = (πr2) x stroke Rod side volume = cap side volume – rod volume (the space the rod takes up) Example: 4 in. bore x 12 in. stroke and 1 in. rod Cap side volume = π22 x stroke = 150.8 in.3 Rod side volume = 150.8 – (π0.52) x 12 = 94.2 in.3 Now we must calculate the volume required to get the cylinder to stroke in the time we desire, let’s say 3 seconds in this example. First, we must convert seconds into minutes, which reflects our pump’s gpm description = 3/60 = 0.05 minutes to stroke.
gpm required = (V / T) / 231 V = volume T = time Example cap side = (150.8/0.05) / 231 = 13 gpm Example rod side = (94.2/0.05) / 231 = 8 gpm You’ll notice it takes less flow to retract the cylinder in 3 seconds rather than to extend this. However, if you must absolutely meet a maximum stroke time, you will need at least 13 gpm (more if you wish it to accelerate quickly). Bonus points if you can figure out how quickly the cylinder will retract with 13 gpm. As I mentioned earlier, you must now add all the combined volumes together of every simultaneously operating actuator to arrive at your ideal pump flow. You may find this is where you have to compromise. FPW
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Building a world-class pump Ken Korane • Contributing Editor
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6/15/18 10:38 AM
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Understanding what can go wrong ensures that pumps get built right. Every OEM says it wants quality, but the reality is that machine builders can choose from countless hydraulic components that vary widely in performance and price—from cheap, “throw-away” parts to high-quality and, more-expensive, products that are built to last. How does an engineer sort out the various offerings? Here’s a look at one fluid-power manufacturer’s unique philosophy on making a well-crafted pump, thanks to a keen understanding of how poorly built pumps fail. Mechanic mindset Most pump designers begin with theoretical concepts of fluid power and mechanical engineering to create a product that should suit the customer’s needs. Hydraulics manufacturer Permco Inc., based in Streetsboro, Ohio, has taken a different tack on the route to building high-quality parts. Permco’s roots began in the early 20th century as a small shop servicing Appalachian mining equipment. “Unlike most traditional manufacturers, we got our start in this industry on the repair side. We had
Permco’s in-depth understanding of how pumps fail has a direct impact on the engineering and manufacturing of high-quality gears. | Photography by Derek Little
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Making a well-performing pump involves meticulous prep work and assembly to tight standards. | Photography by Derek Little
the chance to start at the opposite end of the learning curve—with failures—and looked at all the things that could possibly go wrong,” said Robby Shell, the company’s chief operating officer. It’s hard to imagine worse operating conditions for hydraulics than in underground coal mines, he explained. Mechanics routinely dealt with units with internal parts burned due to overheating, seized from lack of lubrication, fouled with contaminants or damaged due to overpressure conditions. They also learned firsthand a sense of urgency to make a repair right the first time and get machines up and running quickly, as the cost of unexpected breakdowns can run into the tens of thousands of dollars an hour. “So from that rebuild failure analysis experience, we got to see what impact engineering design, manufacturing processes and quality control, as well as operating
conditions and servicing, played on the overall performance and life of components,” Shell continued. “By virtue of our background, we got to see what worked and didn’t work, and what failed under normal circumstances. Therefore, when we started to manufacture these parts, we had the benefit of touching thousands of failed units before we ever made our first new one,” said Shell. Manufacturing edge “Take our gear pumps. We looked at many designs and the best gear design, based on our experience in differentials and transmissions for these applications, has a gear tooth that is shaped vertically, and then shaved after the shaping process,” he said. Why? Well, cutting a gear tooth vertically produces little tiny cut marks, he indicated. Left as is, those imperfections would
grind against each other, generate noise and wear debris, and hurt efficiency. A post-machining shaving process, however, removes the marks and smooths the face for quiet operations, and it also ensures parallel contact between the housing and gear profile. In contrast, virtually every other competitor cuts their gears on horizontal hobbing machines, said Shell. “Just by the nature of a hobbing tool, those gears will have a crowned profile from end to end. When new, the difference isn’t noticeable.” But over time, as the gears rotate against each other and the housing, a crowned gear creates leak paths. Pumps with vertically cut gears, in contrast, have a straighter tooth profile and wear more uniformly, and thus maintain efficiencies longer, he said. “We were gear cutters in the old days, and that background taught us to implement design features that enhance the operation of our pumps. The way we shape and shave our gears creates a better tooth profile.”
Many OEMs are opting for pumps that are 100% tested. Ensuring quality results in a lower total cost of ownership. | Photography by Derek Little
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KEEPING AMERICAN INDUSTRY MOVING, ONE CYLINDER AT A TIME Yates Industries continued their expansion into the Southeast when they opened a third manufacturing plant in Austell, GA to complement their existing facilities in Decatur, AL and St. Clair Shores, MI. The Austell facility offers a new line that includes the Welded Heavy (WH), Welded Medium (WM), and Welded Pneumatic (WP) series cylinders, along with the ability to repair any make or model cylinder from 1½” bore up to 50”, with strokes exceeding 300”. The new line of welded cylinders produced in the Austell facility live up to the standards of quality that customers have come to expect from Yates Industries for over 45 years.
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7750 The Bluffs Austell, GA 30168 Phone: 678.355.2240 Fax: 678.355.2241 salesga@yatesind.com
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Unlike many hydraulics manufacturers, Permco tests and certifies every pump prior to shipment. | Photography by Derek Little
Beware of copycats Some hydraulics manufacturers rely on their own foundries and pour their own housing castings. “Well, in the foundry world, technology is really, really expensive. Upgrades are very costly, so there is a natural reluctance against constantly investing in the newest systems,” noted Shell. Companies like Permco aren’t boxed in. They have the luxury of choosing foundries that rely on the latest and best technology. Not only are there cosmetic differences between state-of-the-art castings versus older offerings. It also results in higher density and fewer porosity issues, which translate into better mechanical integrity and machinability. Another differentiator among pump manufacturers, in Shell’s view, is that some make high-quality, well-engineered products, and others either don’t understand the basics or simply don’t care. “For instance, some years ago Permco developed a game-changing thrust plate called a diverter plate,” he said. When
subjected to system pressure, the gears in a pump tend to flex and move toward the low-pressure side. To compensate, company engineers developed thrust plates incorporating precision grooves that create a minute flow path to divert high-pressure fluid to the inlet side. In turn, that helps balance bearing loads. When the patents expired some competitors copied the plates and, without understanding why the feature is there, went one step further and introduced a birotational version—with flow paths in both directions for running a pump clockwise and counterclockwise. They surmised that if the diverter works in one direction, a design suited for both directions would be even better. In reality, the bi-ro design doesn’t work because it creates too many leak paths and efficiency drops severely.
But unsophisticated pump builders don’t know that. “We see a lot of those types of issues. They don’t understand the nuances of what this groove really does. They know it has 14° a chamfer on it. Why 14° not 16°? They can’t tell you those things,” said Shell. Assembly and testing Not only do such differences matter in design and manufacturing, they hold for how pumps are assembled, too. Building a high-quality pump is meticulous work, stressed Shell. “Our people do prep work very similar to what you would see in a good engine rebuild shop.” For instance, they might take a honing stone or emery cloth and kiss a few areas on the gear before installation. That’s because when gears are pulled from a warehouse shelf and moved to the assembly station, it’s not
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unheard of to accidentally bump and nick a gear. If that gear gets assembled as is, and it subsequently rides on the soft bronze plate, the burr will cut a groove and create a leak path. Left unchecked, that pump will run inefficiently and underperform. Few manufacturers take such a hands-on approach to quality, emphasized Shell. “But probably the biggest thing that differentiates us is we test every pump that goes out of this building. For peace of mind from the customer’s standpoint, that’s huge,” he stressed. Each pump gets assembled with new parts to create a tight package. Then it’s run up to 2,000 psi pressure, where the components flex and the gears will take a take a slight wipe—removing perhaps 0.0005 to 0.001 in. of material from the housing. That’s acceptable, notes Shell, because filters on the test benches trap the wear particles, instead of remain-
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ing behind to contaminate a customer’s hydraulic system. Tests confirm leak-free and quiet operation and that flow meets design specs. And any problem gets flagged immediately, not at the customer’s site. It’s a significant undertaking. That’s why most other manu-
A gear cut and shaved vertically creates a tooth profile that runs more efficiently than do gears generated on horizontal hobbing machines. | Photography by Derek Little
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6/27/18 9:37 AM
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The hydraulic dump pump is a mainstay for lifting and lowering truck and trailer beds. | Image courtesy Permco
facturers only test 1 in 10 or 1 in 50 units, said Shell. Finally, the approved product is assigned a serial number that includes the initials of the assembler—as a further sign of the workmanship that stands behind a high-quality pump. Stressing quality “I guarantee you many other manufacturers don’t take the extra care we put into these units,” said Shell, and it shows when they test competing products. “Some of the dump-truck pumps coming in from offshore sources—mainly China—have failure rates upwards of 10 to 15%. Ours is less than one quarter of 1%.” It’s due to a different mindset behind the way they build pumps, versus Permco’s philosophy, he emphasized. Some manufacturers feel units made to less-stringent standards are acceptable because often, they only see light duty. Take the case of a typical dump truck: the duty cycle for the hydraulics is often quite limited, he noted. Generally, a truck gets loaded, transports material to a site, and only then is the pump switched on—where it operates for perhaps a minute to raise, dump and lower the bed. And the cycle might get repeated perhaps a dozen times per day. So, in theory, a dump pump designed and built to handle just light, intermittent 38
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duty should be more than adequate, he continued. But the world isn’t perfect— many things can and will go wrong, said Shell. For instance, the operator keeps the pump on too long and it overheats; or it runs low on oil; or the truck bed is overloaded, and a pump with no margin of safety is overtaxed and fails. A well-engineered, high-quality pump can overcome many of these issues; lesser products can’t, he said. “We understand how offshore units are built and we can predict, generally speaking, how they will fail.” Almost all of these areas of weakness get addressed in Permco’s engineering, manufacturing, assembly and testing processes—steps that are missing in pumps coming from offshore sources. But those manufacturers justify an increased failure rate because their pump costs $50 less to make, said Shell. “We saw the invasion of these offshore dump pumps a few years ago, and we had plenty of opportunity to make this same pump in China. So we had two choices in that market. Either join it, and it’s just a race to the bottom. Or offer something that differentiates us from the rest of the market.” That’s where the American Champ, Permco’s pumps like the Gemini series comes in, he explained. The pumps are engineered and manufactured based on Permco’s years of
experience, and assembled in the U.S. from globally sourced, world-class components. What’s interesting is that many of the pump components are made not only in the company’s Ohio plant, but in Permco’s manufacturing operation in Tianjin, China. “There’s virtually zero difference between our China and U.S. products, and there’s a reason for that,” explained Shell. Instead of relying on subcontractors or joint ventures, 16 years ago the U.S. plant manager (now with 44 years of experience) moved to China to set up a gear manufacturing plant, with processes identical to those in the domestic plant. By installing the same types of machine tools, instituting the same procedures, and with in-depth training and constant supervision, the Chinese workers have come to understand how important quality really is. “It’s all about a different way of thinking. Again, we came out of the mining component repair world. When a Joy mining machine breaks down and sits idle for 16 hours, and a rebuilt transmission gets carted six miles underground to make the repair, it is imperative that when power is switched on, the work was done right.” The focus is on getting the equipment up and running again, not on saving a few dollars on a pump that might fail in short order, or may not work at all. FPW
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6/27/18 9:37 AM
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M O B I L E
H Y D R A U L I C S
Dump-pump sees double duty Dump pumps, as the name indicates, are routinely used in hydraulic circuits for lifting and lowering dump truck and trailer beds. The basic design typically includes a pump section, a directional control valve and a relief valve incorporated into the pump as a complete package, with internal fluid connections to the components. They have been around for more than 50 years and are common throughout the industry. A notable innovation is now shaking up that market. Permco has developed a unit that sets it apart from conventional dump pumps. The Gemini DG-20/RG-20 is designed for dual-use applications, thanks to a second set of relief valves and selector valves. That lets the Gemini not only control a dump bed, it can also control a walking (live) floor. Walking floors are used on trailers that do not tip, like a dump trailer. Instead, slats on the movable floor transport and “walk” the load off the end. They’re frequently used in the refuse industry, in landscaping to handle mulch and wood chips, and in other areas where height restrictions would severely limit the capability to raise a dump bed. Walking-floor trailers tend to operate at higher pressures than hydraulics in dump applications. Traditionally, that has meant a fleet operator with dump trucks requires separate tractors for walking floors. Now, thanks to the Gemini pump, an operator can run a dump truck, and then switch the same tractor to a trailer with a walking floor. Equipping the vehicle with a Gemini pump system lets the operator easily change pressure settings on demand, and eliminates the need for a dedicated rig that can easily cost $150,000. Another notable engineering feature is that the Gemini also incorporates a load check feature into the valve design, letting the operator raise the bed and then hold the load in place—say when spreading asphalt. To enhance reliability, the design differs from conventional units in that it’s direct-acting. Typical designs incorporate a load check into a pilot-operated relief valve. As a result, the tiny orifice pilot senses operating
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Permco’s American Champ Gemini series pumps are assembled in the U.S. from globally sourced, world-class components. | Image courtesy Permco
pressure before it activates, but the orifice can easily get plugged by contaminants and the valve fails. The Permco direct-acting relief valve eliminates orifice plugging issues. The load check and relief are also self-cleaning. Because it mounts in the flow stream, and clearances are sufficiently large, contaminants are flushed away—so there are few occurrences where the relief valve can’t open or close and a bed drifts or hangs up. That, according to Permco officials, offers a distinct advantage over competing designs. The Gemini is rated for 37 gpm at 1,800 rpm and runs at two pressures, low (2,000 psi) for dump bodies and high (typically 3,200 psi) for live floors. Operators can easily switch from low to high pressure using cab-mounted controls. The pump includes dowelled construction and is assembled in the U.S. and 100% factory tested. In addition to use on dump trailers and walking floors, the Gemini is also suitable for gooseneck transporters, dump trucks, crane-equipment vehicles, roll-off trucks and refuse collection applications.
www.fluidpowerworld.com
6/27/18 9:38 AM
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Innovative
pneumatic designs Innovation in pneumatics is often found in the way components are put together to create subsystems, instead of within the components.
Pat Phillips • PE, Product Manager for AutomationDirect, Fluid Power and Mechanical Product Div.
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P N E U M A T I C S
Pneumatics have been used in industrial machines and manufacturing plants and facilities for decades, so most of the basic components are tried and true, with significant innovations few and far between. But, there are many innovative ways to combine these different components to produce pneumatic subsystems. This article will look at four pneumatic subsystems (Table 1), and will show how combining basic pneumatic components in novel ways improves operation, maintenance and safety. Table 1: Basic Pneumatic Subsystems Air preparation Double-acting cylinder Continuous cycling Two-hand control The first subsystem we’ll look at is air preparation, appropriate because air should be prepped before it is used in any other subsystem. Air preparation subsystem A single-point pneumatic air connection should be used on most automated machines, starting with an air preparation subsystem as depicted in Figure 1, with its components listed in Table 2. Table 2: Common Air Preparation Subsystem Components, Figure 1 Manual shut-off relief valve, VLV01 Filter, FIL01 Regulator with gauge, REG01 and GUA01 Soft-start/dump valve, VLV02 Pneumatic distribution block, not shown Lubricator, if needed, LUB01 A fairly recent innovation is combining some or all of these components into one unit, which can be purchased from a vendor with a single part number. This is often much more convenient and cost-effective than buying individual components and assembling them into a unit.
Pneumatic components in food, bev and pharma plants must often meet washdown requirements. | all images courtesy of AutomationDirect
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Moden compact valve manifolds are an excellent choice for factory automation applications because they take up less space and simplify installation. While the order of these pneumatic devices in an air preparation subsystem is debatable, a good design practice is for the first component connected to the plant air supply to be a machinemounted, manual shut-off relief valve, or a pneumatic isolation/ lockout valve. This valve removes the supply of all compressed
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Figure 1. Air prep circuit diagram: This air preparation circuit, often called an FRL (filter, regulator, lubricator), is commonly used on many machines, and its use is recommended as a good design practice. 44
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air from a machine for servicing, and relieves downstream pressure at the machine. Although not shown in Figure 1, the manually rotated shut-off knob can be locked in the off position. If the shut-off valve is mounted downstream of a filter, as in some installations, filter service is difficult. If dirt and debris are a concern upstream of the shutoff valve, the filter can be installed upstream of the valve instead of downstream, but it will be necessary to install a 3-way shut-off ball valve with a muffler in the compressed air system supply pipe to safely remove air. This valve provides an alternative to shutting off all plant air pressure to change a filter. Downstream of the shut off valve is a filter to remove particulates and separate moisture from the air supply. The triangle at the bottom of the filter symbol indicates it includes either a manual, semi-automatic or automatic liquid drain. The type of bowl, such as all-metal, is not indicated on the figure, but a pneumatic panel layout drawing may include this information, as well as mounting brackets. The regulator is next in the air flow and it is good practice to note the maximum pressure and working pressure range in the circuit diagram. A pressure switch, not shown in Figure 1, can be included in the air prep subsystems to monitor pressure just downstream of the regulator. The triangle symbol at the upper left corner of REG01 and REG02 indicates the regulator is a relieving type. A good design practice is to always use a relieving-type regulator to ensure pressure is removed downstream of the regulator when upstream air is exhausted. When installing, air flow direction is important because regulators have input and output connections. The clean, filtered air exiting the first regulator is split through a pneumatic distribution block, not shown on the diagram, to supply an unlubricated and lubricated air supply. The electrically operated soft-start/dump valve is usually the last device before air cylinders, actuators and other motion-causing pneumatic devices, which typically don’t need lubrication. It provides a means to dump motion-causing air pressure when an emergency stop is activated. A lubricator is often installed in the air supply line to air tools.
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6/18/18 11:02 AM
SUPPLY
Double-acting cylinder subsystem Figure 2 depicts a 4-way solenoid valve (SOL01) controlling a double-acting cylinder (CYL01). This is one of the most common pneumatic functions on an automated machine controlled by a PLC. The air supply to the solenoid has already been filtered by the air preparation unit. The valve solenoid symbol indicates a single-acting, springreturn valve. The triangles in each side of the valve indicate it is pilot-activated as well. While this pilot air makes the valve more efficient, it also requires a certain amount of pressure. For example, supplying less than 20 psi can stop the valve from functioning, so users should check the valve specifications for minimum operating pressure. The spring on the left side of the valve pushes the valve spool to the right when the solenoid is turned off. This supplies air out of port A that free flows through the flow control to the left side of CYL01, causing the cylinder to retract. While retracting, air on the extend side of the cylinder is exhausted through a flow control device, then through port B on the valve to a muffler at port S. When solenoid SOL01 is energized, typically by a 24 Vdc PLC output, the valve switches, supplying pressure out Port B, which
R PS
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Figure 2. Double-acting cylinder circuit diagram: Double-acting cylinder circuits are typical on many PLCcontrolled machines.
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free flows through the flow control to the extend side of the cylinder. It may be helpful to imagine the circuit symbol sliding to the left, to understand the air flow paths when the valve is energized. As the cylinder extends, the air exiting the retract side of the cylinder is controlled through the flow control device, and then exhausts through port A to port R, and finally through a muffler.
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Continuous cycling cylinder subsystem Figure 3 illustrates how pneumatic components can be combined in an innovative fashion to create a continuous cycling cylinder. No electronics or PLC is required with this novel design, just compressed air supplied to valves VLV02, VLV03 and VLV04. To start the system cycling, with CYL01 physically retracted, SOL01 is energized to provide pilot air to VLV02, a directional control valve, which extends or retracts the cylinder, similar in method to the double-acting cylinder discussed above. One-way flow control valves are used to control the cylinder speed by controlling the air exhausted out of the cylinder. When the cylinder extends, it operates VLV03. This supplies pilot air to VLV02 switching its position and reversing the direction of CYL01, retracting the cylinder. Once retracted, the cycle repeats if SOL01 remains energized. The design of this pneumatic circuit ensures that when SOL01 is de-energized, the cycle always ends with the cylinder retracted. Key components for this pneumatic logic are the 4-way airpiloted valve (VLV02), and the two 3-way roller-actuated valves (VLV03 and VLV04). Instead of springs and electrical solenoids controlling the position of the valve spool, air pilot pressure alone operates VLV02. The roller-actuated valves, configured like the mechanical arm on a limit switch, actuate VLV03 and VLV04, each of which is spring-returned when not actuated. Cams or flags on the cylinder actuate the valves.
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Figure 3. Continuous cycling circuit diagram: This continuous cycling cylinder circuit shows some of the control capabilities of pneumatic components.
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Figure 4. Two-hand control circuit diagram: This two-hand control circuit shows how manual pneumatic buttons can be used to improve safety when operating heavy machinery such as a press.
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The Right Gripper for Your Part
Two-hand control subsystem Figure 4 depicts a two-hand safety control circuit for a press application. This circuit provides a good example of the inventive use of manual 3-way valves (pneumatic buttons, VLV01 and VLV02), and an air-piloted 4-way valve (VLV03). The design of this circuit allows small manual valves to operate a large pilot-operated valve with high air flow requirements to drive a large press cylinder. This circuit does not include anti-tiedown checks or control reliable design, which may be needed for safety. The design of this circuit requires the operator to press both buttons simultaneously. Once this is done, pressure is cascaded through the two hand valves, supplying pilot air to actuate the 4-way valve. When activated, the double-acting press cylinder (CYL01) extends. The use of a 4-way, spring-return valve retracts the press cylinder when either button is released to its normal, relaxed position as air is supplied to the retract side of the cylinder. A one-way flow control valve throttles the press cylinder extend speed. A second speed control could be added to regulate the air exiting the cylinder and the retract speed. It may be necessary to flow control air into the cylinder instead of out of the cylinder if all air from a cylinder is exhausted during normal operation. An air regulator, not shown, can also be added to control press force. This press force can be monitored with a pressure switch, also not shown. This pressure switch could provide an input to a PLC to indicate press force attained for error-proofing purposes. These four pneumatic subsystems show some of the functionality available by combining common pneumatic components in innovative ways. Additional combinations can be used to create other subsystems, limited only by the imagination. FPW
- Robotic end effector solutions - Angular & parallel, many sizes and options available - Unique solutions available - For handling various sized parts
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It’s not a web page, it’s an industry information site So much happens between issues of Design World that even another issue would not be enough to keep up. That’s why it makes sense to visit designworldonline.com and stay on Twitter, Google plus, Facebook and Linkedin. It’s updated regularly with relevant technical information and other significant news to the design engineering community.
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Safety
in industrial hydraulics
T
The history of labor unions dates to the late 1800s when
employees worked in often wretched conditions with little or no regard paid by employers for safety, fair wages and reasonable workaday hours. It’s hard
Josh Cosford Contributing Editor
to argue the level of productivity achieved prior to the amelioration of unions, and some would wager the great railroads would yet to be completed had the laborers not worked the dangerous conditions they did. Many lives were lost before unions strong-armed employers and lobbied the government to ensure conditions were safe and in a well-paid, 8-hour day.
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H Y D R A U L I C S
| stockphoto.com
I N D U S T R I A L
Everyone owes the high standard of living we experience today to the first couple-hundred-years of rapid industrialization and progress which was, for the most part, unimpeded by regulation. However, that same high standard of living is also owed to labor unions, which for the past century have given us the high-pay, safe jobs and the reasonable hours we experience today. Whether labor unions have relevance or not in 21st Century North America, I won’t side either way, but I’m happy manufacturing in the industrial environment is now quite safe.
I’ll be the first to admit the hydraulic industry isn’t nearly as regulated as its mechanical and electrical engineering counterparts. Those who care about safety in the electrical industrial environment, for example, successfully lobbied to ensure a minimum level of education was combined with equal parts law and industry regulation to keep workplace electrical mishaps to a minimum. Because electrical equipment proliferates commercial and residential environments, it makes sense to ensure incompetence and poor ethics don’t lead to civilian harm.
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Safety is critical when operating hydraulic machinery, particularly with heavy weight presses that can easily cause a person harm.
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Pneumatic or electric rod locks will shut down in case of power loss, so they will automatically clamp down on the rod, preventing the press and its dies or platens from dropping. | courtesy of Advanced Machine and Engineering Co.
The hydraulic industry isn’t without regulations and rules regarding safety, however. There are some regulatory bodies, such as the NFPA, IFPS, Hydraulics Safety Authority and the CSA. These groups are associations, however, and have little ability to create binding statutes. However, some like the CSA, require engineer approval prior to your hydraulic machine start-up because they’re given authority to regulate standards and certifications in various jurisdictions. Their authority is much like the TSSA, and although they regulate mostly electrical components and systems, they’re one of the only North American associations controlling fluid power with government backing.
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Begin with common sense and simple safety mechanisms Regardless of when, where or by whom, safety in industrial hydraulics is important, and should be executed properly at all costs. The best practices spelled out by any given authority or association, regardless of region, were created for a purpose, and that’s to ensure when you show up for work in the morning, you also go home at the end of the day (with all your appendages). So what techniques are employed to safeguard a twenty count on your fingers and toes? Before I get into the specifics of circuit design or component selection specific to industrial hydraulics, let’s cover the (hopefully) obvious universal measures first. If something is moving and is strong enough to hurt you, stay out of the way. It’s an obvious command, but not always heeded. People get comfortable with the machine they’ve been operating for years, especially if they work in rhythm and time with the machine cycles. But complacency is dangerous, and that’s when people get hurt. Another measure, which should be gospel for service technicians, is to lockout the machine when it’s being worked on. Some technicians may have the same comfort level as operators in the previous paragraph, but there’s absolutely no reason to work on a live machine, except for diagnostics. Putting your personal lock—a lock in which you carry the only key—on the electrical lockout of the breaker panel guarantees the machine isn’t powered on and run by anyone unaware of your squishy body near the dangerous bits of a machine.
Another technique to keep a hydraulic machine safe is the employment of physical guarding. Cages should be erected around the back and sides of a hydraulic machine to prevent personnel from entering without first opening a locked door or gate. In the areas of the machine requiring human interaction, such as where the material is handled or parts are placed into and pulled from the machine, light curtains should be mounted where any hand or arm that crosses their path will fault the machine into safe mode. The safe mode then shuts down the machine, and also prevents further movement of the press, platen or robot. Safety begins at the design phase In any event, there are various techniques used in both circuit and machine design to ensure industrial hydraulic machinery is both actively and passively safe. The concepts are this: ensure no person or their limbs can enter the space being occupied by machinery capable of pinching, dismembering or killing them, and then ensure if such interaction is possible, safeguards are in place to protect the persons. Hydraulic presses, whether shears, brakes or punches, have specific hydraulic safety requirements to prevent limbs from entering the pinch point during operation. The CSA, for example, has an entire regulation called Z142 that dictates the safe operation of power presses. The regulation covers control reliability, circuit design, cycle initiation, interlocks, redundancy and monitoring.
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Control reliable means the hydraulic circuit is set up in such a way that a single fault does not cause a failure or condition with potential to cause harm. An accumulator safety circuit should be set up with a 2/2 normally open solenoid valve which requires constant electrical power to keep closed and allow stored energy to be available to the working circuit. When the emergency stop is depressed, the power drops to the solenoid, and all accumulator energy is dumped to tank. If the machine is in current operation and the accumulator dump valve fails, it fails open (flowing) and all stored energy is relieved to tank. This brings us to the second point of press safety; circuit design. The valve configuration should be arranged with redundancy to ensure accidental operation of the press function cannot occur. For example, it is common for presses to use two directional valves in series or parallel (① and ② in fig A) so that fluid must travel through two intentionally operated valves before press function can begin. These redundant valves can be stand-alone press safety valves plumbed after the pump, or they can also be the primary directional valves for the press cylinder itself. Valve ② is normally open to tank, and pressure function cannot occur until it closes. Another circuit trick is to use a normally closed solenoid valve ③ in the rod port(s) of the press cylinder(s). Should there be a power failure, fluid would be blocked from exiting the rod side of the cylinder, trapping fluid and preventing the platen from dropping. Although this type of function is not a standard requirement, it is a preferred addition to just counterbalance and PO check valves alone. Continuing in the same vein of redundancy, we can add mechanical devices to the press to ensure it is physically impossible for the press to accidentally close. Pneumatic or electric rod locks ④ require continuous air or electrical power to keep the locks open. Should the machine experience failure mode, and the locks lose power, they automatically clamp down on the rod, preventing the press and its dies or platens from dropping. To tie the whole safety package together, the safety critical valves and components should be installed with monitoring to ensure the PLC always knows the machine status, preventing operation in unsafe modes. Directional valves should include electronic spool position monitoring to confirm by the PLC they successfully open or close. It’s one thing to put two valves in series, but spool monitoring ensures the valves aren’t stuck, confirming the press is truly in safe mode. Monitoring can be used on every type of spool or poppet in a hydraulic press, including directional and dump valves. After a century of caring about employee safety in the workplace, we must still realize we can never take it too far; there is no such thing as too safe. The responsibility lies with the government, employer and employee to ensure those who show up to the workplace also leave to see their family at the end of the shift. Hydraulic designs, components and circuits are yet to guarantee their failures never result in lost work days, but it’s up to you and me to strive for that guarantee. FPW
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MATERIAL MATTERS: UNDERSTANDING WEAR RING BENEFITS
HiMod Slydring wear rings have high compressive strength and wear resistance even at elevated temperatures, provide low friction performance in lubricated settings, and are easy to install due to their simple closed-grooved design. 54
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Wear rings can be an integral part of a hydraulic system, as they absorb side loads and eliminate metal-to-metal contact, extending system life. Tom Zozokos • Product Manager • Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Streamwood Beth Figliulo • Fluid Power Segment Manager • Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Americas
Wear rings, whether metal, thermo-
plastic, thermoset or PTFE-based, can be an integral part of a hydraulic system. At their most basic, wear rings absorb the side load forces in a piston and/or rod hydraulic cylinder, while eliminating metal-to-metal contact. Generally speaking, wear rings can extend the life of a hydraulic system: it’s faster and less expensive to replace a wear ring than an entire cylinder. Although there are applications where metal wear rings are appropriate, there are numerous benefits of non-metallic rings for hydraulic cylinders in fluid power applications such as off-highway, material handling, industrial machines, mobile hydraulics, and agricultural equipment. These are: • High load-bearing capacity • Favorable friction behavior • Damping of mechanical vibrations • Good wiping effect
• Protection of seal against “dieseling” (hydraulic fluid flowing too quickly across the cylinder) • Elimination of local stress concentrations • Easy installation • Less downtime, due to less dam-age to rods or pistons, and longer product life Non-metallic wear ring materials include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based compounds, as well as thermoset plastics and thermoset options. Each has its own specific characteristics. PTFE-based wear rings provide extremely low friction within systems and are particularly well suited in dry-running applications. They can be mated with steel, aluminum and cast iron. The smoothness of PTFE-based wear rings means such little abrasion takes place that, in some cases, www.fluidpowerworld.com
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less expensive hardware can be used in a system. Additionally, PTFE-based rings, due to their low friction characteristics, help lower the incidence of stick-slip when starting up the system. Common uses of PTFE-based wear rings include equipment operating at high temperatures and pressures. Thermoset rings have outstanding wear resistance properties and are designed to offset heavy loads at low speeds. They address application demands for strong, light, durable rings. Although thermoset rings are dense, they are elastic in comparison to metal rings. Wear rings are available up to 60 in. in diameter, and larger diameters can be manufactured from strip. Most of the rings can be mated with steel, hard chrome plated surfaces and cast iron. Example applications include tensioner cylinders, injection molding hydraulic systems and aerospace landing gear. Thermoplastic wear rings are the workhorses of hydraulic systems, and in many systems, they are temperature resistant and can provide a high level of performance at a more affordable price than PTFE-based or thermoset wear rings. Most can be mated with steel, hard chrome plated surfaces and cast iron. Two popular applications for thermoplastic rings 6 • 2018
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are for internal valves and compressor components. Selection is the name of the game Choosing the best material for your application is a matter of evaluating the type of application, the size of the load within the system, the installation space, and the mating surface. Usually, wear rings are supplied as split rings or strip material offered in a roll or precut to size. Chamfered edges are an op-
tion that facilitate installation and prevent edge forces from becoming too high in the corner radii of the grooves. There are several types of split designs: • Scarf cuts (also called angle cuts) are standard for the hydraulic applications. The angle reduces the edge loading on the ends of the ring and is preferred for linear systems. • Straight cuts (also called butt cuts) are often seen on strip or net molded rings and are most often used in rotary applications. • Step cuts provide the best wear ring coverage and can act as a buffer in the system against pressure spikes, but usually at an additional cost. Maximizing surface contact Since thermoplastic rings are injection molded, it is not uncommon to see parts
Trelleborg’s wear rings eliminate local stress concentrations, fretting, and seizure, while damping mechanical vibrations and protecting against dieseling and hydrodynamic pressure problems.
shrink unevenly during the cooling process, especially if the tooling design is not optimal. The shrinkage can cause a shape that’s thinner in the center than on the ends (often referred to as “dogboning”). One way to quickly test a wear ring for dogboning is to lay it against a flat surface and visually assess it for daylight shining through. Of course, dogboned wear rings can be easily discovered during prototype tests. In extreme cases, dogboned rings cannot be installed. In less extreme cases, they cause higher friction than expected and/or act as a wiper, so hydraulic fluid doesn’t flow properly. It is always best to work with a reputable supplier that can avoid dogboning in their design and tool making processes. Understanding wear rings’ performance Some wear rings that are on the market are made for volume commercial applications. This can, in certain circumstances, mean that the tolerance to which they are machined may be wide, typically up to 0.005 in. of the total wall. Tight machining produces wear rings with tighter clearances and less buildup of tolerances. In terms of total cost of ownership, this expense in some applications can pay dividends; for example, within systems that will be marketed as high performance and judged on their longevity. For systems that are not expected to be used for long periods, cost savings may be achieved by specifying larger-tolerance commercial rings rather than precision ones. In either case, the quality of the injection molding is an important aspect to consider when choosing a wear ring supplier. Consistency in wear-ring performance means faster installation and increased life between changeovers, something hydraulic cylinder manufacturers strive for. Consider also that selecting the best wear ring for your application can greatly increase its effectiveness. It is always best to work with a supplier that can advise you based on a high degree of expertise in fluid power sealing systems. FPW
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions tss.trelleborg.com
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www.fluidpowerworld.com
6/13/18 3:44 PM
It’s not a web page, it’s an industry information site So much happens between issues of Fluid Power World that even another issue would not be enough to keep up. That’s why it makes sense to visit fluidpowerworld.com and stay on Twitter, Google plus, Facebook and Linkedin. It’s updated regularly with relevant technical information and other significant news to the hydraulics and pneumatics community.
fluidpowerworld.com
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PRODUCT WORLD
Dry vacuum pump for industrial use
AV system optimized for installation in control cabinets
Leybold leybold.com
Aventics aventics.com
VARODRY oil-free, air-cooled screw vacuum
Simple handling is one of the most important features of the AV valve system series.
guarantees the required operating pressure,
Pneumatics specialists have taken this approach one step further. With outlets on the bottom,
a short cycle time and ultimately high system
the AV system is optimized for installation in control cabinets.
availability and robustness – especially in
moist or dusty processes. It is also easy to
efficiency. If users want to install it in a control cabinet, the tubing no longer has to be guided
install and connect. Thanks to its compact
out of the cabinet separately, reducing the mounting effort for the new solution significantly.
design, it can be easily integrated into new or
Both sizes, AV03 and AV05, feature bottom-ported connections, allowing the valve system with
existing systems.
up to 32 valves to be mounted directly on the wall of the control cabinet. A foam rubber gasket
seals off the system.
Equipped with complete air cooling,
The valve system is flexible in application, extremely lightweight, and offers high energy
the pump makes water cooling completely
Alternatively, the user can use a metal transition plate, which serves as a pneumatic
superfluous. Its benefits include low
multipole. Quick installation and deinstallation of the valve system no longer require countless
maintenance requirements, emission-free
push-in fittings to be disassembled and re-mounted. Instead, the valve system can simply be
ventilation and minimal operating noise in
removed from the transition plate and replaced completely.
average daily operation. It is absolutely dry and clean, thus preventing oil and particle emissions or oil leaks as well as oil migrations in the vacuum chamber or into the products and processes.
It is offered in two pumping speed
Electrohydraulic cylinder with advanced feedback sensors Eaton Eaton.com
classes VD 65 and VD 100.
Electrohydraulic cylinder has a highperformance industrial cylinder, precision feedback transducer and control valve in one package to create a single-source solution offering significant cost savings over custom assemblies. The electrohydraulic cylinders are offered in NFPA tie rod, mill duty, welded or threaded styles, and are available with a range of mountings, bore sizes and rod diameters. An Eaton proportional, servo, directional control or AxisPro valve can be mounted onto the configured cylinder and adjusted to customer specifications. Features: • Reduced setup time: Simplified plumbing and electrical connections, along with the programmability of the AxisPro valve, eliminates repetitive set-ups. • Waste elimination: Infinite positioning with high repeatability can improve yield in the production cycle. • Increased production: Programmable motion control enables faster cycles than conventional hydraulic circuitry. 58
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GoldenCrimp 420 for harsh environments and high crimping force Manuli Hydraulics manuli-hydraulics.com
Designed for Hydraulic Hose Cut-Off Bevel Edge & Wavy Scallop M2 Steel for Longer Blade Life Re-sharpenable Satisfaction Guaranteed
Manuli Hydraulics Goldcrimp 420’s robust design is suitable for transport and operation in harsh environments such as open-pit and underground mining. Protected cylinders ensure trouble-free operation in high dust environments. Offering a high crimping force of 420 tons
Hyde Industrial Blade Solutions
and large opening suitable for large-bore hoses, the GoldenCrimp
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420 comes with an extensive range of dies to suit crimping of both industrial and hydraulic hoses. Its split design architecture allows for
Phone: 800-872-4933 www.hydeblades.com
easy handling and transportation. Features: • Easy die setup with ergonomically designed quick-change gun • Option for convenient die storage table • Easy access for maintenance • Long master dies • Low noise level • Easy maintenance due to foam pads and dust collector The GoldenCrimp 420 has been designed for changing environments. When in its standard configuration the GoldenCrimp 420 is a convenient, self-contained unit with the crimping head set at an ergonomically optimal height to allow safe, comfortable working. Combined with a minimal unit footprint, it can be easily positioned wherever it is required with only electrical connection required.
INDUSTRIAL MICROHYDRAULICS
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Simple One-Piece Construction No O-rings or Threads Slips into a Drilled Hole Press to Lock and Seal Pre-tested for Bubble-Tight Leakage
Innovation in Miniature
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The Lee Company 2 Pettipaug Road Westbrook, CT 06498 USA Tel: 860-399-6281 sitemanm@theleeco.com www.leeimh.com
5/3/18 1:09 PM 6/14/18 3:17 PM
PRODUCT WORLD
Marine-safe, biodegradable hydraulic oils
New proportional valve line Kraft kraftfluid.com danfoss.com
Lubriplate lubriplate.com
Kraft Fluid Systems Inc., which represents Danfoss Power
Marine-safe hydraulic oils from Lubriplate
Solutions products in 12 states in
are inherently biodegradable and non-toxic
the Midwest, is expanding with
to aquatic life, exceeding U.S. EPA LC50 and
the Danfoss PVG 128 and PVG 256
U.S. Fish and Wildlife requirements.
product line and build center.
Formulated with USP white mineral oils
and a zinc-free anti-wear additive package,
two high-flow proportional valves to its
these hydraulic fluids meet or exceed the
PVG portfolio—PVG 128 and PVG 256, expanding its range of
performance requirements of most types
low to high-flow capabilities for OEM customers with demanding
of hydraulic equipment while providing an
applications. The valves are designed to easily integrate with the
additional level of environmental safety.
existing line of Danfoss high performance proportional valves—
These oils also pass the U.S. Coast Guard
PVG 16 and PVG 32—allowing modularity from low to high
Static Sheen Test Requirements and meet
hydraulic flow within the same valve stack.
the service requirements of Vickers, Racine,
Denison HF-0, HF-2 and Cincinnati Milacron
hydraulic flow within the PVG series up to 300 lpm (79 gpm) with
P-68, P-69 and P-70. They offer excellent
the PVG 128 and up to 400 lpm (105 gpm) with the PVG 256.
oxidation stability and extended fluid change
A special turbo version of the PVG 256 valve is also available,
intervals. They are available in 5 gallon pails
increasing the hydraulic flow up to 500 lpm (132 gpm).
Danfoss Power Solutions has added
The addition of the high-flow valves extends the range of
and 55 gallon drums, in ISO grades 32, 46 and 68.
Flexible vacuum gripper Piab piab.com
60
Piab’s Kenos KCS gripper enables a cobot that is a
lightweight 3D printed material, it can be
flexible “co-working” tool. Combining Piab’s proprietary
easily moved to perform different jobs in
air-driven COAX technology for efficient vacuum
different parts a facility.
ejection with an easily replaceable technical foam that
molds itself around any surface or shape, it can be
configured for new tasks within seconds,
used to safely grip, lift and handle any object. Standard
improving productivity and reducing downtime.
interface (ISO) adapters enable the whole unit to be
Rounded edges and silencer make for safe and
attached to any cobot type and, with a body made in a
user-friendly human/robot cooperation.
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Quick-change system allows it to be
www.fluidpowerworldonline.com
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For further information about products on these pages visit the Fluid Power World website @ www.fluidpowerworld.com
HJS24 dual-xis controller OEM Controls oemcontrols.com OEM Controls has introduced the new HJS24 controller. Its primary purpose is used as a friction or hold in place position for throttle type applications. The construction is similar to the company’s other products with heavy-duty cast metal housing, but what makes the HJS24 so special is the extremely rugged friction hold assembly. It continuously adapts to potential wear and maintains the ideal friction hold assembly. The shaft is a large 12-mm diameter capable of running multiple wires down and utilizing virtually all of our multi-function grip handles. Examples of types of applications include—but are not limited to—rollers, aggregation, combines, and sprayers.
Stainless steel braided hose Fairview Fittings fairviewfittings.com PTFE hose is useful for almost all problem applications, including hydraulic fluids, steam, solvents, fuels, and chemicals. It is vibrationabsorbent, has an extra-long shelf life, and high temperature and pressure ranges. Features: • construction is braided outer cover • tube is a PTFE inner tube • cover is stainless steel (type 304) • temperature range from -65° to 450° F • packaged as bulk coils • fittings are SR400 reusable ends and SCT400 one-piece clamp
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PRODUCT WORLD
Position sensor for hydraulic and telescopic cylinders SIKO siko-global.com The SGH50 uses a cable mechanism for absolute measurement up to 5 m of hydraulic or telescopic cylinders. Target applications are agricultural, forestry and construction machines, municipal vehicles, piston accumulators and other industrial applications.
standards, which are also used for testing helicopter turbines,
With measurement lengths between 0 and 5 m, the SGH50 has the
The SGH50 meets the specifications of extreme vibration
largest measurement range of the SGH series to date. Its durable design
and easily copes with shocks 100 times the force of gravity.
is made possible with a special plastic developed for the purpose, which
Unlike rod-based sensors, its flexible cable completely absorbs
is characterized by an extension of fluid temperature resistance from
vibrations. The hydraulic medium provides additional damping
85° to 105°C.
of any vibration.
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Mary Gannon • Editor
COMPONENT FOCUS
How are motion controllers used in fluid power? Motion controllers are used extensively on industrial machinery, but specific controllers exist that are dedicated for use on electrohydraulic machinery. They provide closed-loop control of electrohydraulic and pneumatic applications from single to multi-axis systems. Common applications can be found in materials, aerospace, forestry, energy, metals, entertainment, and more. Like all motion controllers, these computational devices reduce system error by taking an input command, comparing it to a feedback signal and helping to bring the position or output in line with the input or required position. They ensure precise pressure and force control while smoothly transitioning from position to force control. This precise and repeatable motion improves productivity by reducing mistakes in manufacturing. Additionally, the multi-axis design of most controllers helps to reduce system design costs by allowing for synchronization, tight control of gearing through system changes, and camming of the gear ratio so the relationship between slave and master axis is expressed as a nonlinear equation. Most motion controllers work in concert with position and pressure transducers and sensors, which send signals from data logging devices to the controllers. They can accept analog voltage or current signals. Additionally, they receive positional signals from encoders and may also output PWM (pulse width modulation) signals. In hydraulic designs, using a motion controller that provides analog control signals to drive proportional valves is best. In a hydraulic system, these controllers ensure synchronous motion by controlling a servo or proportional valve. The controller then needs to work with the feedback devices, like encoders or pressure or position transducers, to create command trajectories for the motors to follow. The controller uses this data to create a motion profile to tell the motor where the load should be positioned and when and how fast it must move and when to stop. Finally, easy programming of most motion controllers allows users to simply use built-in commands for complex motion profiles. Using advanced controllers and software allows easy graphical programming of control profiles.
Special standalone motion controllers can control anywhere from 1 to 32 motion axes in hydraulic systems. Delta Computer System’s RMC150, pictured, can simultaneously control up to eight motion axes.
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Connect with quality - Connect with Holmbury
FFC Series
H90 Series
Replacement Cartridge Couplers for Faster 4BD4FH/I Blocks
90 Degree Flat Face Couplers
HDB Series
Full Replacement Skid Steer Hydraulic Block Introducing Holmbury’s range of hydraulic products specifically designed for skid steer loaders. Significantly reduce your servicing costs by choosing Holmbury replacment parts for your skid steer. For full details see our website or contact us using the details below. Tel: +1 (866) 465-6287 Fax: +1 (440) 578-1073 Email: couplings@holmburyusa.com Web: www.holmbury.com/us Skid Steer Advertisement HBI v2- A4 Full Page.indd 1
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HOLMBURY INC. 33801 Curtis Blvd, Suite 104 Eastlake, OH 44095 United States of America 11-May-17 3:33:03 PM
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1 bilit Repeata
2 5 psi!
y of ±0.1
4
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NEW! “DR-2” Miniature Precision Regulators NEW! Pinch & PTFE Isolation Valves Complete Line of Directional Control Valves 7 mm SubMiniature Electronic Valves NEW! Proportional Electronic Valves with Flows to 100 L/min! 6 NEW! 8 mm SubMiniature Electronic Valves 7 NEW! Miniature Pneumatic Pinch Valves 8 Value-Added Oxygen Clean Valves Assembly 1 2 3 4 5
Introducing More PRECISION Flow Controls 6
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8 CINCINNATI • BRUSSELS • SHANGHAI Innovative solutions for today’s engineering challenges. 877-245-6247 • www.clippard.com
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