Fluid Power World October 2015

Select the right motor for your hydraulic applications p.50

www.fluidpowerworld.com

Reliability in industrial hydraulics p.56

Pneumatic system guidelines for success p.64

October 2015

Modern mobile

hydraulics: Not your grandfather’s loader Today’s engineer needs to understand the complexity of modern systems, from fuel consumption to load sensing. PAGE 40

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Kids, education and fluid power

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HYDRAULIC HOSE, FITTINGS & ACCESSORIES HYDRAULIC HOSE & FITTINGS Kuriyama of America, Inc.

You’ll likely notice that most issues of Fluid Power World have a particular focus on students and fluid power education. While it’s common to see “students are our future” type statements in most any industry, I think we can all admit that getting kids—heck, even college engineering students—interested in hydraulics or pneumatics is a big challenge. Fluid power is a mature industry that doesn’t capture the mainstream media’s imagination of what engineers do the way that bridge building or rocket designing might.

There’s been a big STEM push that’s been picked up by the media the past couple of years, and many people and schools are getting into the idea. We need to realize that we have some real avenues into the discussion. LEGO didactic kits are affordable, great ways to introduce children to the concept of pneumatics. Maybe a tax-deductable gift of some of the kits to your local elementary school would get the ball moving in your community. Maybe your company will even match the funds? And we all know that robots can incorporate fluid power actuation—and what kid isn’t fascinated by real life robots? (Mine sure are!) I was blown away by my visit to Dean Kamen’s FIRST Robotics championship in St. Louis this spring. It was great to see some fluid power companies (both manufacturers and distributors) sponsoring teams and providing equipment.

We understand the importance of encouraging fluid power education, and we cover it extensively in every issue, including our Training, Association Watch and Research & Development columns. Our Safety and Maintenance departments often have education-oriented topics, as well. This month, you’ll find an insightful feature story written by Assistant Editor Michelle DiFrangia that takes a look at the state of fluid power education, examining programs that have been undertaken by schools, universities, manufacturers and distributors, and even our industry associations.

The National Fluid Power Association actively wants to work with companies that have their own events—like Parker Hannifin’s Chainless Challenge, and we’d love to play a role, too, in promoting these events to the wider community.

I remember sitting at the NFPA Annual Conference earlier this year, and a map went up showing where fluid power companies were donating time and money to educational causes. There were some embarrassing gaps, including in my own state of Ohio, home of a lot of fluid power manufacturers, users and expertise. We need to fill in the map. How are you going to help this school year?

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vol 2 no 5

October 2015

C ontents |

|

fluidpowerworld.com

F E AT U R E S MOBILE HYDRAULICS

Modern mobile hydraulics:

Not your grandfather’s loader Today’s engineer needs to understand the complexity of modern systems, from fuel consumption to load sensing.

HYDRAULIC MOTORS

Select the right motor for your hydraulic applications

40 50

Although hydraulic pumps are more often talked about in system design, choosing the motor must come before pump selection.

INDUSTRIAL HYDRAULICS

Reliability in industrial hydraulics The key to a reliable hydraulic system lies in keeping it cool, clean and dry.

PNEUMATICS

Pneumatic system guidelines for success

64 D E PA R T M E N T S

56

02 Editorial 08 Korane’s Outlook 10

64

Students today, engineers tomorrow: Our future lies in their education Recognizing the need for immersive learning, manufacturers, distributors and associations are working toward getting students excited about careers in fluid power.

14 Association Watch 18 Distributor Update 20 Energy Efficiency 22 Design Notes

Following these design rules will ensure a successful machine automation application.

EDUCATION

10 Research & Development

28 Training

31 Fundamentals

72

34 Maintenance 20

38 Safety 84 Component Focus 86 Product World 88 Ad Index ON THE COVER

Modern mobile machinery, such as loaders, require in-depth understanding of complex hydraulic systems. Photo credit istockphoto.com.

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FLUID POWER WORLD

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10 • 2015

10/1/15 9:30 AM

NFPA/JIC Tie Rod Cylinders • Hydraulic and Pneumatic • 1½” up to 24” bore • Interchangeable with all brands

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Heavy Duty Mill Cylinders • Hydraulic and Pneumatic • 1½” up to 50” bore, with strokes exceeding 300” As we continue to grow, we remain committed to accessibility. We want our customers to know they can call us anytime. Accidents are never convenient, which is why we offer emergency services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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

The stock market’s pressure on hydraulics

istockphoto.com

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

Even worse is the beating fluid power manufacturers and OEMs are experiencing.

No one knows whether more bloodletting or a major rebound is in the offing. But most experts point to three culprits underpinning the turmoil: slowing economic growth in China, fears of rising interest rates in the U.S., and slack demand for commodities that range from corn and soybeans to oil and coal.

Especially on the last point, that translates to bad news for manufacturers of everything from hydraulic pumps to agricultural and mining equipment. Economist Eli Lustgarten of Longbow Research, a featured speaker at NFPA’s Industry and Economic Outlook Conference (IEOC) in August, agrees that fluid power demand is falling in 2015 due to sharp declines in commodity sectors and sluggish economic growth.

Virtually all end markets for commodity-related capital spending are under significant pressure, he said. Prices of industrial metals like copper and iron ore, currently at five-year lows, are tied to economic growth in China and India. And opposition to coal in power-generation markets continues to grow. In turn, mining equipment production and sales are soft.

Excellent global crops the last two years have depressed agricultural commodity prices, meaning less cash in farmers’ pockets and less demand for ag equipment.

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10 • 2015

Finally, oil and gas investments continue to spiral downward as crude prices remain in the doldrums. As a result, said Lustgarten, 2015 production is down 45% for large ag equipment, 50% for mining equipment and 55% for China construction equipment, versus recent market peaks.

The depressing news is directly reflected in the stock market. Ag leader Deere is down 19% from its 52-week high.

Caterpillar and Komatsu, with sizeable footprints in mining, dropped 28 and 33%, respectively. And mining-equipment maker Joy Global has declined nearly 70%.

Fluid power stalwarts Parker Hannifin (-24%) and Eaton (-28%) likewise feel the pain.

Nonetheless, there may be a silver lining. For those with a long-term view, many consider stocks to be oversold. Fluid power markets may not be going gangbusters, according to economists at the IEOC, but they should hold their own with slow and steady growth. No one predicts the demise of oil, steel—or fluid power, for that matter—anytime soon.

As Warren Buffett once famously said, “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”

With the market beat down, now may be a good time to bet on the long-term prosperity of the fluid power industry.

FPW

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Mary C. Gannon • Senior Editor

CCEFP research aims to

improve mobile hydraulic efficiency

Professor Zongxuan Sun, co-deputy director of the CCEFP (center), works with graduate research students on the free-piston engine design at the University of Minnesota. This research project aims to create a modular design that combines the internal combustion engine and the hydraulic pump into one device.

Transportation is one of the largest segment users of energy in the U.S., consuming 30 quadrillion (quads) of BTUs a year. Making up this segment are light-duty and beyond-light-duty transportation vehicles. Light duty refers to the cars that Americans drive every day.

Beyond-light duty refers to everything else, from mobile machinery to large trucks.

Mobile machinery—used in agriculture, 10

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10 • 2015

construction, mining, and so forth—is a significant portion of this energy usage, said Zongxuan (Sunny) Sun, co-deputy director of the Center for Compact & Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP).

“In a report published by the Department of Energy, off-road (transportation) consumes about 2.4 quads per year, which accounts for 8% of the total transportation energy consumption and

17% of the non-light utility vehicle energy consumption,” Sun said. “This is even larger than even the marine or aviation markets.”

Because of this, CCEFP researchers are working to secure government support and form collaborations between academia, industry and the national labs to conduct pre-competitive research in off-road vehicles. A group from the NFPA, CCEFP, Association of Equipment Manufacturers

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and member companies recently participated in a meeting with the Vehicles Technology Office (VTO) of the DOE to demonstrate the differences between on-road and off-road vehicles’ energy use.

Clearly, the biggest difference is that in on-road vehicles, internal combustion engines are used, while most of the energy produced by off-road vehicles goes through hydraulic power. Additionally, off-road vehicles are one input (ICE) and multiple output (drivetrain and working functions) systems with different hardware architectures and duty cycles than light-duty vehicles, said NFPA’s CEO Eric Lanke.

And not only are their drivetrains different, there is currently no dedicated program or offices in the federal government that fund the pre-competitive research in this area. Additionally, energy efficiency and productivity are key drivers for global competition in this area. Couple all this with the fact that NFPA’s research showed that the average efficiency of fluid power systems is only 22%, and you clearly can see there is a significant opportunity to improve efficiency in this area, said Sun.

In the meeting with VTO, Sun said the group highlighted four areas for potential research, with a fifth objective being the continued support of research by CCEFP universities.

1. Efficiency of fluid power systems enabled by more efficient components, such as modular power supplies, and optimized system architectures.

2. A tighter integration of fluid power systems with combustion engines, such as hybridization and Sun’s research into free-piston engines.

3. Develop connected and automated off-road vehicles to improve efficiency and productivity by reducing the losses of sub-optimal operations.

4. The development of systematic modeling and analysis tools to continue to develop new architectures, user interfaces, controls and connectivity.

Further details were given to the VTO about the free-piston engine and even Caterpillar’s hydraulic hybrid excavator to give the members of the VTO real-life examples of

12

FLUID POWER WORLD

10 • 2015

these efficiency improvements.

The free-piston engine combines the internal combustion engine and the hydraulic pump into one device, eliminating the crankshaft altogether. A linear engine moves back and forth, working combustion energy into fluid power directly.

“This device would enable efficiency improvement on both the engine side and the fluid power side,” Sun said. “Because you do not have a crank shaft, you have independent, individual modules so you could potentially place these modules at different locations of your vehicle so that you not only get improved efficiency, you also get a lot of flexibility in the design and packaging of your machine.”

Caterpillar’s hydraulic hybrid excavator is already commercially available, and offers significant improvements compared with its non-hybrid version of the same size excavator.

This machine uses recovered energy from the swing to load trucks while using up to 33% less fuel than Caterpillar’s own 336D machine doing the same amount of work.

The CCEFP is also conducting research on a similar hybrid design, but Sun said they highlighted the Caterpillar product to demonstrate that manufacturers see the need in the industry and it’s not just a pipe dream created by professors.

“We also want to show that there are commercial products on the market that clearly demonstrate that with the right technology, you could significantly reduce energy consumption and emissions,” Sun said.

“I think the key really is that fluid power is a dominant method for power transfer in this field and there are significant opportunities for improving energy efficiency. The CCEFP is working together with industry members to try to promote the pre-competitive research in this area.”

FPW

CCEFP ccefp.org

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

www.fluidpowerworld.com

9/30/15 2:36 PM

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

Mary C. Gannon • Senior Editor & Paul J. Heney • Editorial Director

Eli Lustgarten reminded the audience at the NFPA IEOC that the U.S. is one of the bright spots in the global economy, and should continue to see stable growth for a few years.

Photo courtesy of the NFPA

NFPA IEOC roundup: Slow growth spurred by low energy prices Throughout the Industry & Economic Outlook Conference (IEOC), presented by the NFPA in August, most economists echoed their thoughts from last year, saying the country, and the fluid power market in particular, is on track to round out the rest of 2015 at a slow pace and experience moderate growth rates of about 2 to 2.5% in the coming year.

Each year, the IEOC features five keynote presenters.

Returning this year were NFPA favorites Alan Beaulieu, of ITR Economics; John Walker, of Oxford Economics; Eli Lustgarten, of ESL Consultants; Jim Meil, of ACT Research; and geopolitical strategist and forecaster Peter Zeihan.

With most traditional fluid power markets down and not expected to see a major comeback for several years, it would seem like a lot of gloom and doom. As all four indicated, agriculture, mining and industrial machinery will not see much growth in the coming years as those markets continue to pull

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10 • 2015

back. But we should see a silver lining as lower energy prices, higher employment and non-durable goods help to pick up the slack.

One of the key statements Beaulieu made is that nothing is as bad as the press makes it out to be. As he forecasted last year, he expects 2016 and 2017 to be up, with a mild recession coming in 2019.

Oxford was, as usual, fairly optimistic. While he said he sees the short-term forecast as “deeply troubling,” he expects mid-term growth rates of between 4 and 5%. He said the U.S. economy is relatively good, with a weaker dollar hurting exporters but helping to boost consumer spending power.

Lustgarten honed in on the U.S., calling it an oasis in what is to be modest global growth, as things have started picking up and will continue for the next couple of years. As each one pointed out, the U.S. is on stable ground while other world

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ASSOCIATION WATCH

powers, such as China, Russia and Europe, struggle.

However, all four agree that durable goods, particularly those filled heavily with fluid power components, will lag behind more consumer-driven growth. But as energy prices, including oil, natural gas, and electricity, continue to stay low, said Meil, we will see a pick-up in activity as we start to “see the plus side in the energy price shock.”

Zeihan echoes these sentiments, more forcefully saying that the U.S. is a country uniquely positioned in the coming decades, which bodes well for manufacturers. Most importantly, the continual technological advances in fracking are bringing about some interesting changes. The costs are dropping and will continue to do so.

Currently, prices are approaching the levels

of Middle Eastern oil production. Zeihan said that the U.S. can expect 30 years of cheap natural gas, and realistically, it’s probably much closer to 60, simply with the technology we have currently. But add on to that the fact that people drive less as they age and retire—and the bubble of the boomer generation means we’re looking at a minimum of 20 years of year-on-year decline in energy needs. He said that by 2017, we will be energy independent as a country.

Zeihan said that there are some bright spots in various industry sectors, due to this continued lowering of domestic energy prices. Ones related to natural gas are midstream/downstream production, petrochemicals, fertilizers, desiccants, plastics and moldings, paper, tires, glass, insulation, antifreeze, detergents,

cosmetics, paint, diesel, adhesives, fire extinguishers, water treatment and distribution. And ones related more directly to electricity are retail consumption, chemicals and plastics, petroleum refining, paper and paperboard, metals manufacturing, food processing, plastics and rubber, and aluminum.

FPW

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DISTRIBUTOR UPDATE

Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Tom’s Toolbox series: Short videos, big impact Just about everyone is aware of the dominance of video content on the Internet. Just to be on the net at all demands that you be aware of it. The trend doesn’t show signs of slowing down either.

Cisco, for example, predicts that 69% of all consumer Internet traffic will be video by 2017. If you want to stay competitive and serve your consumer base well, video needs to be a big part of your business.

Distributors in the know have taken notice.

Motion Industries, a distributor of industrial maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) replacement parts is already known for their popular MiHow2 series of instructional videos. Many have tuned-in for the tutorial video How to Set a Pressure Reducing Valve in a Hydraulic System. The video covers how to install an Eaton/Vickers pressure reducing valve in a hydraulic system. The video How to Select the correct Power Team Cylinder has also become a widely viewed resource for fluid power professionals. But for those looking for a shorter, more concise video experience, there is also the Tom’s ToolBox series.

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The video series follows the same format as MiHow2, but in shorter time snippets. A new video, for example, Demonstration of Milwaukee’s New Innovative Fluorescent Lighting Tester, was filmed with the help of Milwaukee. It’s a quick video shedding light on the Lighting Tester’s efficiency and uses. The video can now be viewed on the new MiHow2.com under the Tom’s Toolbox heading.

Each Tom’s Toolbox video is filmed in a workshop or appropriate off-site setting and features Motion Industries’ host, Tom Clark. The series is also available for viewing on Facebook and YouTube.

Additional MiHow2 and Tom’s Toolbox videos are scheduled to be posted in coming weeks.

Motion Industries has more than 550 operations, including 15 distribution centers throughout North America and serves more than 150,000 customers from the food and beverage, pulp and paper, iron and steel, chemical, mining and aggregate, petrochemical, automotive,

wood and lumber, and pharmaceutical industries. The videos are integral to the company’s growth.

“We have outstanding relationships with our suppliers. They see the benefit of having their products represented on Tom’s Toolbox, and in most cases, can’t wait to be part of our promotional activities,” said Randy Breaux, Motion Industries’ SVP, Southern U.S. Operations, Corporate Marketing and Strategic Planning.

This is especially true for the fluid power sector of their business. “Motion is one of the leaders in fluid power product sales. Our fluid power products offering continues to expand and the expertise we provide our customers through our product specialists and branches are keys to our success in fluid power,” said Breaux.

FPW

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Ron Marshall • For the Compressed Air Challenge

The wet storage dilemma

A metal products manufacturer was well aware of the benefits of large storage receivers installed on its system of load/unload compressors. The receivers act as a quiet zone where water and lubricant can settle out of the air before entering the system dryers. In this zone, the air is cooled—making it easier to dry. And the significant storage reduces the compressor’s load/unload cycle frequency, which reduces the energy consumed.

The processor purchased a 1,060-gal storage tank, which was placed on the wet side of his refrigerated air dryer.

All was well for many months until the maintenance personnel noticed the compressors cycling excessively. The air dryer was also performing poorly, allowing water into the downstream piping, fouling air-operated tools.

An experienced auditor was called in to take a look at the system. After checking the compressor settings, the dryer and filter differential, and examining the piping, he had a look at the wet receiver condensate drain. For some reason, the automatic drain had failed. A manual valve was opened—and about 1,000 gal of water was released after draining the tank for 20

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what seemed like hours. A failed drain had caused the tank to completely fill with condensed water over a period of time, making the receiver ineffective in improving the system. The free water that gurgled out was overwhelming the air dryer.

The plant engineer was concerned, as the completely full tank was extremely heavy and could have caused mounting structures to collapse. The drain was replaced and compressor operation returned to normal. The plant now has a regular maintenance schedule to test the drains.

FPW

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DESIGN NOTES

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Surgical assist robot goes pneumatic

Two pneumatic cylinders are used to move EMARO forward and backward (200 mm); up and down has a -3 to 47° range of motion; and for rotation and right and left movement, EMARO moves from -90 to 90°.

Surgical precision saw a major technological boost in the early 1980s when robots began accompanying doctors in the OR. In recent years, minimally invasive operations have been gaining popularity over traditional surgery because of faster post-operative recovery and less scarring.

Many of these endoscopebased surgical operations present unique risks, such as camera shake or communication difficulties between the operating surgeon and the scopist. New equipment is needed to overcome these problems. At the same time, conventional motor-driven endoscope manipulating robots are not ideal in terms of operational subtlety and delicacy. That’s why Riverfield, a Tokyo-based venture company, built EMARO—the world’s 22

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first pneumatically controlled surgical assist robot.

Launched by the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), EMARO resulted from more than 10 years of research on pneumatic, ultra-precision manipulation. Associate Professor Kotaro Tadano of Tokyo Tech’s Precision and Intelligence Laboratory and Professor Kenji Kawashima of TMDU’s Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering conducted the research.

EMARO controls the endoscope by sensing the vertical and horizontal movements of the surgeon’s head through a gyroscope that is worn on the forehead. The endoscope has four degrees of freedom for movement: forward and backward (insertion and removal), up and down, left and right, and rotation. The surgeon directs this motion by controlled movements of his head and by operating switches with his feet.

Until now, pneumatic manipulation technologies have not been able to provide the smooth and continuous movement needed for highly precise control of surgical devices. Professors Tadano and Kawashima overcame this

hurdle by creating an advanced model with continuous air pressure control and an original manipulation technique. Their success owes much to Tokyo Tech Professor Toshiharu Kagawa, who has had impressive results over decades of research in the field of fluid measurement and control.

Two pneumatic cylinders are used for moving EMARO forward and backward (200 mm); up and down has a -3 to 47° range of motion. For rotation and right and left movement, EMARO moves from-90 to 90°. Two rotary type pneumatic actuators are used for left and right and for rotation. All actuators are driven by a five-port, spool-type servovalve.

Pneumatic driving makes it possible for robots to move gently and smoothly. It has been used extensively in industrial robots, particularly for grasping and holding objects. Moreover, the pneumatic approach makes it possible to create a compact and lightweight design; sufficient power can be obtained by injecting or extracting air through a cylinder no larger than a standard syringe— about 10 mm in diameter.

Consequently, the operating surgeon can receive clear endoscopic images without

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camera shake, resulting in more precise surgeries. In addition, EMARO provides haptic feedback for the user and, taking the role of a scopist, can be useful in smaller hospitals that have a shortage of doctors, allowing more patients to undergo laparoscopic surgery.

EMARO is the first in a series of surgical assist robots that will use ultra-precision pneumatic manipulation technology.

Development is now underway for a system that uses the pneumatic drive design and incorporates forceps. As its primary feature, this system will be able to detect the force exerted on the forceps through air pressure, and will feed this sensory information back to the operating surgeon. This is called force sensing.

With surgical assist robots, the surgeon sits in front of a console placed off the patient and operates the controls with both hands. While observing endoscope images, the surgeon can manipulate forceps and the endoscope. With force sensing, the surgeon will feel as if he were directly working on the patient, which is likely to help improve surgical accuracy.

There are no plans to bring EMARO stateside yet, but it’s not off the table. “We have not planed this yet, but if there is a good opportunity, we will deliver EMARO to the U.S.,” said Kawashima.

FPW

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DESIGN NOTES

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Technical Specs

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Bluetooth embedded amplifier for proportional cartridge valves goes wireless If you are of a certain age, you might remember when nearly every electronic device had a cord. You also might remember having been tripped, or tangled in those wires as well. In your home, the stakes were fairly low. That’s not usually the case in the field, where they can also pose real safety concerns.

As engineers working with fluid power cartridge valves, it’s important that you’re able to get close and observe machine operation during machine setup and calibration.

Configuring without wires means the end of special cables, connectors and the need for a PC in the field.

It’s easy to imagine industrial applications that would benefit from Bluetoothconfigurable valves. With a 30-ft range, Bluetooth reaches places that might otherwise require climbing with programming equipment, 24

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exposure to hazardous environments and increased time to connect and configure valves. With Bluetooth you can reconfigure installed amplifiers quickly and easily.

In 2007, Sun Hydraulics introduced its first embedded amplifier products. At the time, the best communication approach was an IR link for ease of connection and electrical noise immunity. But with the explosion of smartphone usage, Bluetooth communication made its way to the top of the short list for new connectivity options.

The Sun design team saw this opportunity early on; the concern was how to make it a reality.

Perhaps the biggest challenge Sun faced during the design process was how to go wireless and add better software configurability without expanding the size

of the embedded amplifier. It wasn’t until the introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and its effective miniaturization that Sun was able to include it in its embedded amplifiers.

For this project, Sun’s design team turned to its sister company, High Country Tek, which creates digital electronic controls for the fluid power industry. With High Country Tek’s experience designing and building totally encapsulated controllers, the Sun team was able to complete this complex product design while maintaining complete in-house control of the process.

To keep within the same form factor, they used a Bluetooth chipset and switched to a 16-bit processor coupled with a 10-bit A/D converter to enhance resolution and software configurability.

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LEDs allow the user to determine the status of the amplifier from a distance. The Power/Status LED blinks to provide visual indication of the amplifier selected, then provides further feedback regarding the real-time operational status.

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To account for environmental concerns, the Bluetooth embedded amplifiers were fully encapsulated for vibration, shock and environmental protection. They were also sealed to IP69K (with Deutsch DT046P connector) and IP65 ratings (with DIN 43650 A connector). They were CE certified, including the 30-V/m automotive standard per Directive 2009/19/EC. The amplifiers were tested on X, Y and Z axes over a frequency of 33.3 Hz at an overall level of 6.8 g for a total of four hours each. The end result was four Bluetooth Embedded Amplifiers meeting the same requirements as eight IR embedded amplifiers—all in the same form factor.

The next step was the interface for the new technology. This new version of the company’s embedded amplifier is configured by an iOS or Android app called AmpSet Blue.

The app made updates easier and eliminated the need for firmware updates.

Customers would no longer have to download and install updates from a website.

The latest versions would be available by opting to update the app from a mobile device. The Bluetooth embedded amplifier was designed with two indicator LEDs labeled “Power/Status” and “Active.” These LEDs allow the user to determine the status of the amplifier from a distance. When the app opens, the Bluetooth scan locates the amplifiers within range and supplies a list of available amplifiers. Once they select an amplifier, the Power/Status LED starts blinking, providing visual indication of the amplifier selected, then gives further feedback regarding the real-time operational status.

The design team also added the security options you find on most other mobile apps. Features include optional password protection to limit access of the amplifier’s configuration settings to authorized users only. Plus, the amplifier has a time-out feature that disconnects after a period of inactivity.

FPW

Rota Engineering Ltd

UK Tel: +44 (0) 161 764 0424 US Tel: 972 359 1041 info@rota-eng.com www.rota-eng.com

Sun Hydraulics sunhydraulics.com/bluetooth

Wellington Street, Bury, Manchester, BL8 2BD, UK

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TRAINING

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

Image: istockphoto.com

Aeration versus cavitation When designing a hydraulic system, it is important to understand the difference between cavitation and aeration—and understand the damage they can create.

As previously discussed in our April issue, it is critical to maintain proper fluid levels in the reservoir to ensure the Net Positive Suction Head Available (NPSHA) is greater than the Net Positive Suction Head Required (NPSHR) by the pump.

Anytime the NPSHA is equal to the NPSHR, the flow instabilities in the fluid moving to and through the pump will be affected to the point cavitation can (and will be) generated.

Aeration is a process where air is circulated with, mixed with or dissolved in the hydraulic fluid. It is created when air leaks into the system through the pump seals, pipe fittings and unions, which are all areas where air leakage is common.

Aeration accelerates degradation of the fluid and causes damage to system components through loss of lubrication, overheating and burning of seals.

Cavitation, on the other hand, is the formation of gas bubbles that create vapor cavities in a liquid. It occurs when the gas bubbles in the liquid are subjected to rapid changes of pressure. This higher pressure causes the air bubbles to implode, which generates an intense miniature water hammer (shock wave). This shock wave creates significant wear as the gas bubbles implode on or near a metal surface, causing 28

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cyclic stresses through repeated implosions.

The result of these implosions will cause surface fatigue and damage to the metal surfaces. This type of wear is called “inertial cavitation.”

Cavitation occurs when the volume of fluid demanded by any part of a hydraulic circuit exceeds the volume of fluid being supplied. This causes the absolute pressure in that part of the circuit to fall below the vapor pressure of the hydraulic fluid. This will result in the formation of gas bubbles.

The difference between the two is in how the air is getting into the system.

Cavitation is caused by NPSHA, and can be stopped by simply slowing the fluid flowing through the system. If the problem is aeration, on the other hand, you have to locate and isolate the air leaking into the system, so resolving the problem can

be more time-consuming. The damage by both is equal, however.

The following are the most common detectable symptoms that give warning of cavitation and aeration: Abnormal noise in hydraulic systems is often caused by aeration and/or cavitation.

Air in the hydraulic fluid makes a banging or knocking noise when it experiences high and low system pressures as it circulates through the system.

High fluid temperatures above 180° F (82° C) are detrimental to system operation and will damage seals and accelerate degradation of the fluid. High temperatures can be caused by anything that reduces the system’s capacity to dissipate heat (low reservoir level) or increases its heat load (air generates heat when compressed).

In addition to damaging seals and

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reducing the service life of the hydraulic fluid, high fluid temperature can cause damage to system components through boundary lubrication as a result of excessive thinning of the oil film (lower viscosity index), which in turn causes full film lubrication loss.

Slow operation, or a reduction in system performance, is often the first indication that there is something wrong. In a hydraulic system, flow controls speed and response. Therefore, a loss of speed indicates a loss of flow.

Other symptoms include erratic actuator and valve movement.

Consequences of cavitation in a hydraulic system can be serious. Cavitation causes metal erosion, thus damaging the system components and contaminating the fluid. Cavitation can also cause mechanical

failure of system components.

Cavitation can occur anywhere within the hydraulic circuit; however, hydrodynamic cavitation commonly occurs at the pump. The pump suction line between the reservoir and pump should be open and not restricted. If the pump has an inlet strainer or filter, it is important to prevent it from becoming clogged. A partially closed suction valve or restricted intake line will cause the velocity of the fluid in the intake line to increase, causing the boiling temperature of the fluid to decrease as the fluid pressure goes below vapor pressure. This will vaporize some of the fluid molecules.

The following are common causes of aeration and cavitation, so monitor your system for any of these improper designs:

1. Restricted fluid flow to pump 2. Loose connection or fittings on suction line 3. Low hydraulic fluid level and/or low NPSHA 4. Excessive pump speed; be sure to check specifications of the pump and motor 5. Incorrect hydraulic fluid or wrong oil viscosity 6. Foaming oil and/or low or old oil levels 7. Clogged reservoir air breather vent 8. Too low of an oil temperature 9. Damaged or worn pump The damage caused by unresolved cavitation to a hydraulic system can be extremely expensive and cause extensive downtime. Prevent this problem with proper system design and maintenance. And always, listen to your hydraulic system. A rattling or knocking noise is not the sound of a welcome visitor.

FPW

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FUNDAMENTALS

Carl Dyke • Hydraulics Consultant at CD Industrial Group Inc.

Pressure control: Upstream and downstream “It’s a PRV … a pressure control valve … a pressure regulator.” That’s what I sometimes hear when discussing symbols on a hydraulic schematic, or even when examining components. The acronym PRV really drives me crazy because it could stand for pressure relief valve or pressure reducing valve. These two types of valves aren’t the same at all. Let’s have a quick look at the differences. You can already see some of the differences in the symbols alone.

A pressure relief valve is often connected to the main pump outlet line. When used in this location, it is there to put a limit on the maximum system pressure. It does not make the system pressure go away. Nor does it unload the pump. That is yet a different type of valve. The relief valve simply supervises the pressure value in the main hydraulic supply line as it flows from the pump and reacts to keep it under a certain value as specified by the system designer.

PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE

When the system pressure climbs close to the level of the pressure relief valve setting, the valve will begin to open.

“Cracking” is a term applied often to relief valves. It describes the pressure value needed to cause the smallest detectable opening where the valve is now passing some fluid back to tank. As the pressure value climbs higher, perhaps due to an overloaded lift cylinder, the relief valve will open farther as needed. If a lift cylinder is completely overloaded, the relief valve will be passing all of the pump’s flow to tank.

The system pressure will be at its maximum. The relief valve itself is a pressure load on the system. It has at least one spring inside that is trying hard to close the valve.

A pressure reducing valve on the other hand is not often found near the pump. In most cases, it will be located downstream in the system, close to a component where pressure needs to be stepped down from a higher main system pressure. It may look like a relief valve, but it does not function the same.

PILOT OPERATED PRESSURE REDUCING VALVE

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FUNDAMENTALS

If one cylinder in a metal stamping machine is there to punch and break through the stamped material, another cylinder may be used to clamp that material in place. Both cylinders may be fed by the same pump. The clamping cylinder, however, may only need a fraction of the pressure that the stamping cylinder needs. Too much clamping pressure and the material could be damaged. Or perhaps the clamping cylinders are of a light-duty design compared to the stamping cylinder. This design is common enough.

The pressure reducing valve takes a higher pressure on its inlet and then creates a lower maximum pressure for the remaining circuitry on its outlet. On the symbol, you see the dashed pilot line sensing and triggering on the outlet side.

Another interesting fact is that most of the hydraulic circuitry that follows after a pressure reducing valve is low-flow or zero-flow in design. At the very least, the sub-circuit is low or zero-flow at the moments when the pressure reducing valve is actually needed, such as when the clamping cylinder is busy holding material in place.

FPW

CD Industrial Group Inc. cdiginc.com

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MAINTENANCE

Edited by: Paul J. Heney • Editorial Director

When there’s water in your hydraulic fluid Wet hydraulic oil is similar to damp air in that the water molecules are partially dissolved in the oil, like humidity in the air. For the most part, “damp” hydraulic oil is no real concern. Most of the time, the saturation level of water is low enough to cause little concern. But in some cases, excessive water contamination does occur, where the “humidity” of the oil reaches the saturation point. When water saturation reaches 100%, droplets can “rain” out of the oil, causing pools, puddles or other areas of localized water.

Water in your oil can cause a few problems to your hydraulic system. The most common problem with humid oil is that the increased water content accelerates the oxidation rate of the fluid, lowering its life expectancy. Not only does water increase the oxidation rate of the oil itself, but you may have noticed the majority of hydraulic pumps, valves and actuators are made from iron and steel, both of which oxidize quickly in the presence of water.

Not only does this cause corrosion of the internal hydraulic components, but also the corrosion itself is a form of contamination when it is released into the system.

Should water saturation levels become so high that you experience free water, you’re in for a world of hurt. Water makes a terrible lubricator, and everywhere there is no oil, you are risking rapid metal-to-metal wear. And where water loiters, the corrosion rate is further exacerbated. In the worst of cases, pooled water can freeze, and subsequently damage components.

Water can be the most difficult contamination to control. You can purchase inexpensive water-absorbing filter elements, but they’re typically terrible filters that happen to suck up only free water. They can’t do

Vacuum dehydrators, like the VUD series from Hy-Pro Filtration, remove free, emulsified and dissolved water and gas from hydraulic systems.

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MAINTENANCE

anything to remove humidity. So if you need water absorbing elements, you’re already in trouble because you’ve let it go too far. That being said, throwing a few $50 filters at the problem could be cheaper than replacing thousands of dollars worth of hydraulic oil, so it could be worth a shot.

We know water will boil at 100° C (about 212° F). If you live at a higher altitude, like in Denver, your boil point is almost 10° cooler. This occurs because air pressure is lower, and it takes less heat energy for the molecules to break their bond, evaporating the water sooner than at sea level.

Lower ambient pressure means lower boiling point. So what if we could take advantage of this effect and lower the boiling point of water that is saturated within oil?

This is where a vacuum dehydrator comes

in; it’s a machine that subjects oil to a vacuum, then heats it up a bit. Less heat is required to cause the saturated oil to boil away its water, and a side bonus is that the vacuum sucks away all the humid air.

The problem with vacuum dehydrators is they’re expensive, some in the realm of $20,000. Most often, your best bet is to rent them, which you can do at your local fluid power distributor. They’re the most effective way of removing saturated water—although your best bet is still to avoid water altogether.

FPW

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SAFETY

Mary C. Gannon • Senior Editor

Hose protection ensures safe hydraulic designs During the course of everyday operations, hydraulic hose assemblies are exposed to moisture, dirt, corrosion, high temperatures and physical impact. Continuous movement and rubbing against other hoses or equipment—often caused by machine vibrations—can erode hose covers, while non-compatible fluids can eat away at them as well. And once this outer layer of protection is gone, hose reinforcement is open to even more damage and rust. Thus, it is essential that necessary precautions be taken to protect them.

Hose protection products, such as sleeves and wraps, can be simple to use. They protect against cuts, abrasions and ultraviolet rays and resist crushing. And not only do these simple devices save hose, they help to reduce the risk of industrial injuries to employees or damage to integral hose assemblies by preventing hose ruptures in the field.

Hose protection sleeves Hose sleeves are the last line of defense in protecting people, environment and machinery against hose bursts or leakage. They also protect hose against abrasion.

Quick assemble hose or cable protective sleeves are suitable for use in the field or for applications where the 38

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Here, textile sleeves protect hose from abrasion in extreme environments. Below is a sampling of hose protection products, including Essentra’s fire protection sleeve, spiral sleeve and mining safety-approved sleeves. winding of spiral-formed products is difficult.

Resistant to heat, ozone and abrasion, these sleeves contain hoses to protect operators from hose failures in close quarters. A special Python hook-and-loop design closure promotes quick and easy bundling of hose groupings; it is easy to assemble or remove.

Essentra’s line of mining safetyapproved sleeves protects against any possible hydraulic hose oil leakage, ruptures or spills. Its polyamide material means this sleeve is dense, yet not bulky,

and still provides a high degree of burst resistance and abrasion protection. Effective in reducing the concentrated stream of pinhole leaks, which can be a huge but less noticeable danger, this sleeve provides excellent leakage containment. Tested and approved by M.S.H.A. (approval #M.S.H.A. IC-234/0), this mining safety-approved sleeve meets FED-STD-191 test method 5309 for abrasion resistance and ASTM D6770 for abrasion resistance of textile webbing.

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Hose and cable sleeves (right) allow for easy bundling of similarly-rated high- or low-pressure hoses that bend and flex in the same direction. Below, left, are Essentra’s Spiral-Wrap hose protection products.

A full line of fire protection sleeves has excellent elasticity for protecting or bundling hoses, tubes and cables in a variety of hostile environments. The insulation properties of the outer silicone rubber and inner knitted glass fiber provide close quartered personnel with effective protection against burns from hot hoses and reduced heat energy loss. This sleeve withstands intense radiant heat and flame of continuous exposure up to 500° F (260° C), 15 to 20 min up to 2,000° F (1090° C), and 5 to 30 sec up to 3,000° F (1,650° C). Furthermore, it can withstand repeated exposures to molten steel, molten aluminum and molten glass up to 3,000° F (1,650° C).

Additionally, hose sleeving allows for easy bundling of hose that flexes in the same direction. For safety’s sake, users should only bundle hoses of the same designs and pressure rating, so only high-pressure hose in one sleeve, while low-pressure designs should be bundled in another. Also, take care to not bundle hoses too tightly and to give a proper amount of slack so fittings and hoses will not be stretched beyond their limits. (An added benefit of hose sleeves is aesthetics, as they provide a more streamlined look to hydraulic hose on machinery.)

Hose protection wraps Hose covers are offered in a variety of styles, such as wire or flat armor spring, nylon sleeves or plastic coil sleeving. They protect against abrasion and crushing, thus extending hose life.

Essentra’s Spiralguard is suitable for hydraulic, pneumatic and industrial hose assemblies. It is radial cut from extruded tube, enabling high natural recovery memory and flexibility to maximize hose coverage.

Manufactured in a highdensity polyethylene material, Spiralguard has high abrasion

resistance, anti-crushing performance and resistance to UV deterioration. This material is also a thinner, lightweight product, but still maintains industrial strength and quality.

Featuring a heavy–duty, double-beveled edge design to prevent snagging and cutting during installation, it is easy and safe to install before or after the hose assembly is mounted. A medium-duty product is available for use on applications where abrasion is not frequent, but protection is still needed.

For mining and quarrying applications, users might consider a mine-safetyapproved, flame-retardant and antistatic series of Spiralguard that protects underground hose assemblies. Tested and approved by Mine Safety Laboratory, Department of Mineral Resources NSW to AS2660 FRAS Compliance (1991 International Standard: ISO6805) and in accordance with the former British Coal specification 182:1986, this line satisfies the requirements of the non-metallics scheme for use underground.

A lightweight and flexible Cellulose Acetate option is still crush resistant, but its lightweight profile will cover much more hose surface during a flexing or bending process than any other wrap. The inner core ensures flexibility, while the external profile ensures resistance to abrasion, crushing and electrical conductivity.

If weight and size are an issue, but some hose still needs protection, you could consider point-of-contact protectors. These are a more economical solution when there are few single sources of hose wear. Made out of PVC, these are durable and have a high wear factor. Point-of-contact protectors are easy to assemble and remove as they are simply assembled with a cable tie. They are used mostly on hydraulic hoses, fuel and oil lines, brake systems, wiring harnesses and battery cables, and can be used in conjunction with hose protection sleeves.

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Hose wrap sleeves are common on hydraulic lines where abrasion resistance from bending is a given.

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Modern mobile hydraulics: Not your grandfather’s loader Carl Dyke Hydraulics Consultant CD Industrial Group Inc.

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tem designers have quite a challenge. Market competition compels them to keep up with a lot of change and innovation over time. If we think about the advances in mobile hydraulic systems design, what are we really talking about? Is it that the machine has become more complex with highly sensitive operator controls? Are these systems sophisticated because of the intentional engineering to make them more efficient, accurate and reliable? Is it also that the reliability of these systems makes a significant contribution to human safety? The answer to all of these questions is yes.

Let’s have a look at a few of these design parameters and the operating, maintenance and troubleshooting issues that can arise.

Safety systems require reliability It is true that hydraulic systems in use on mobile and construction machines feature some of the most sophisticated circuit designs.

In many cases, these machines feature braking and steering systems that must offer the highest levels of priority function and reliability.

Hydraulic accumulators are often used in the

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Figure 1. A load sensing hydraulic system features a feedback signal line from the loaded cylinder to the controller on the pump.

larger machines as the main flow buffer for steering and brakes.

Mobile crane systems and aerial work platforms are additional examples where both high reliability and safety are paramount. A failure over the control of the boom or the stabilizing outriggers has serious implications. While electronic sensors are often involved, basic hydraulic components such as pilot-operated check valves and counterbalance valves have to function flawlessly.

Manufacturers of these valves work hard to produce a spool that will not seize and a poppet design that is least likely to trap a particle on the seat during valve closure. Perfect performance for all conditions and for badly contaminated fluid is impossible, so the use of a built-in, wire-mesh filter screen is typical for the pilot ports at the least.

Production and efficiency A wheel loader that might have one hydraulic pump dedicated to the steering function may also have a control valve to share that pump’s flow with other functions—such as the boom lift or bucket tilt—to achieve maximum cylinder speed when steering is not occurring.

Excavators need to operate non-stop, for days and weeks while offering extremely accurate and consistently repeatable motions. The only reason to start the engine in an excavator is to power the hydraulic pumps. Therefore, the entire 42

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hydraulic system must be designed to be efficient with the fuel source.

Road graders are designed to save fuel.

It is not necessary to heat fluid by unloading most of the hydraulic system during long travel cycles when hydraulic motion is not needed. Yet, the hydraulics must be ready to respond at the instant when the operator moves a valve lever. One way to accomplish this objective is with a load-sensing system.

“Excavators need to operate non-stop, for days and weeks while offering extremely accurate and consistently repeatable motions.”

Load-sensing systems are now found on a large percentage of mobile machinery, due to the efficiencies that they offer. These systems use pressure feedback—directly from the work-loaded cylinders and motors—to constantly modify and control the pump’s parameters.

The pump involved is generally of the

variable displacement piston type, and the spool valves for directional and flow control appear to be typical. However, a special signal hose from the valve bank to the pump controller offers a clue to the presence of the load-sensing design. A network of small passages in the valve bank (and the use of tiny shuttle valves) sends the pressure from the valve section with the highest loaded, active motor or cylinder, all the way to the pump’s controller (compensator) through that special load sense signal line. The maximum system pressure is constantly modified using the variable displacement controller on the pump.

Using a variable displacement pump together with constantly adjusted maximum system pressure results in less wasted fuel at the prime mover. The maximum hydraulic system pressure is constantly adjusted to be only slightly higher than what is needed at any operational moment.

When directional valves are returned to the center position, blocking off pump flow to the system, the load sense line is bled down, which sets the system pressure to a low standby value of only a few hundred psi. Pump flow is also automatically adjusted to near zero. In this standby state, the pump demands minimal power from the prime mover.

Load sensing control for accurate flow The load-sensing system also offers greater flow accuracy. If the hydraulic system is operating motors that turn metering and

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MOBILE HYDRAULICS Figure 2. The pump supplies only the needed flow, with pressure at the pump outlet controlled so that it’s only slightly higher than what is needed by the loaded cylinder. Significant energy savings can be achieved.

mixing augers on a mobile concrete batch truck, then this flow accuracy has a direct impact on product quality.

An electrical generator needs to maintain steady speed regardless of the electrical loads that it is powering. Any serious fluctuation in rotor speed could cause problems for the electrical appliances supplied by the generator. If the generator is turned by a hydraulic motor, the hydraulic system must have a way to correct the speed of the motor where there would otherwise be fluctuation with changes in electrical power demand.

In both of these examples, as the pressure at the hydraulic motor changes, the pump responds to the signal on the load sense signal line, changing its displacement slightly to maintain a steady pressure drop across the flow controlling valve, thereby providing a steady flow rate to the actuator. This is a pressure-compensated, flow-controlling technique that comes built-

in with most every load-sensing system.

Component and system designers have the challenge of making sure that this closedloop control scheme can be properly tuned.

Features such as load sensing add complexity to the system. If one hears a machine owner express a wish for the simpler hydraulics from a previous decade, they are also wishing for higher fuel consumption, and machines that were not as responsive.

Maintenance and common problems Hydraulic faults in mobile machinery have much in common with faults in any other hydraulic system. Overheating and fluid contamination are common causes for

intermittent faults as well as for component and system failures.

Conducting proper inspections and carrying out basic preventative maintenance at optimum service intervals significantly helps to reduce the frequency of failures. The setting of service intervals may need to be examined and adjusted on a seasonal basis or as work conditions change in environments where harsh usage occurs.

The gathering of scheduled, careful measurements of fluid properties, system pressures, temperatures, cycle times and flow rates can help predict a problem or failure at an early stage when corrective action is still a relatively inexpensive option.

Figure 3. With load sense systems, hydraulic motor speeds are kept steady, even as engine speed changes or as hydraulic motor torque varies.

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MOBILE HYDRAULICS

This practice is known as predictive maintenance.

A service shop’s disciplined use of preventative and predictive maintenance techniques increases the mean time between failures (MTBF) and keeps the machinery at maximum levels of production availability.

Hydraulic system problems on these sophisticated mobile machines can also be caused by previous maintenance work.

This is often the case for reports of erratic cylinder or motor motions on a load-sense hydraulic system. A pump controller adjustment—if done incorrectly, perhaps without proper knowledge of how load-sense systems work—can be the start of a whole new problem, and possibly a safety issue as well.

A replacement component installation, such as a changed-out pump, can be

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Figure 4.

Predictive maintenance work is critical.

the source of a new problem if the work is not done correctly. In the case of a drain hose accidentally connected to a controller option port on a piston pump, the now non-functioning pump controller can rack up a hefty repair bill due to extreme system overheating.

One of the most common problems reported from users of one-off, custombuilt, load-sense hydraulic systems is “hunting” or “surging.” That is, the motors

and cylinders under certain circumstances will be speeding up and slowing down, all while the proportional, directional valve is apparently being held at one constant flow position. This is not unusual if the machine design has not been tested for all possible operational conditions. Adjustments to the system may have to be made to accommodate a unique accessory or implement to be connected to the machine’s auxiliary ports.

In some cases, the operator of a mass-

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produced machine may find a way to put the hydraulic system through its paces in a way that was not the intent of the manufacturer— and in doing so, causes faults and wear that were not at all expected. It is not always possible for the original equipment manufacturer to lock out this type of harsh usage; thus, a series of faults and problems to troubleshoot will arise.

Even more complexity: Learning is not optional We have glimpsed into the precise nature of valve design and the use of load feedback to dynamically adjust a pump controller, but we haven’t covered all of the technology that makes for a sophisticated, modern hydraulic system in a mobile machine. As was mentioned earlier, electronics certainly play a role.

Quite often, an engine speed sensor informs a control module about excessive engine load, with that same module then sending an electrical signal to the displacement controller on the largest pump. The pump is automatically downsized while the engine is under excessive load to prevent an engine stall.

This is only a basic explanation of a horsepower limiting control, as was the explanation for the load-sense control scheme. However, they do serve to illustrate that there are carefully specified design parameters at work on modern mobile machines. These parameters, while appearing a bit narrow at times from an operator’s perspective, are meant to improve fuel economy—or they are there to make the machine motions smoother or more accurate.

Without a doubt, the overlapping systems compel a machine maintainer or troubleshooter to deepen their understanding of the overall engineering goals.

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Although hydraulic pumps are more often talked about in system design, choosing the motor must come before pump selection.

Bent-axis piston motors feature pistons placed at an angle to the drive shaft, rotating the shaft as fluid enters the motor.

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The ideal in hydraulic system design is to match overall efficiencies to the application performance expectation. This requires the designer to first match the motor, then the pump to a specific system performance expectation. Whether the requirement is to do something within a specific time frame, or in handling a given amount of load, the design of the entire system will change depending on the motor selected.

A hydraulic motor is a hydraulic actuator that, when properly connected into a hydraulic system, will produce a rotary actuation. This can be unidirectional or bidirectional depending on the system design. Motors are similar in design to pumps only where a pump

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takes a rotary actuation to move hydraulic fluid out of the unit, whereas a motor will take flow into itself and put out a rotary actuation.

The motor selection comes first in the process because application design best practices require that you start with the (continued on 58) 10 • 2015

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Vane motors and their operation principal.

Parker's vane motors feature a balanced design.

requirement, then work back to the prime mover— the pump that will put the fluid power into the motor selected to deliver the performance goal.

Each motor type—gear, vane, in-line piston, bent-axis piston and radial piston—has a specific performance profile. So, knowing the application performance requirement and which motor type best meets the objective is the first step. Then it’s necessary to evaluate the cost of your motor options along with the degree of complexity you want for the overall system.

In the end, it all goes back to the application’s performance expectations. Some have severe duty cycles, while others do not. If, for example, you consider running a low-efficiency, lighter-duty motor into a higher-duty cycle application, the life of the motor will be less than the life of a higher-duty cycle motor that is designed to operate in those types of environments. It is important to understand what operating pressures and flows are required for the motor selected to achieve the application performance expectations.

Each motor type has its own set of applications where they are a better choice than others. For example, if a small gear motor designed to operate at a max of 3,000 psi and 1,000 rpm is put into an application that requires it to run consistently at 3,000 psi and 1,000 rpm, the motor will be running in a “corner” overstressed condition and have a reduced life—even though it is technically within its ratings.

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The better motor choice would be a motor with higher ratings that will live longer in the application. Granted, there is a greater cost in going with a higher rated motor. The final decision always will depend on what is required in terms of application performance and motor life versus where you want to be with cost.

How motors are rated Motors are rated by displacement, with displacement defined as the volume of fluid that it takes to rotate the shaft of the motor once. The common rating units are cubic inches per revolution (CIR), or cubic centimeters per revolution (CCR).

Motors are also rated by torque—the amount of twisting force the motor can deliver. The common measurements of torque are inch-pounds (in.-lb) and Newton-meters (Nm). The torque of a motor is a function of motor displacement and system pressure.

Starting torque is the torque the motor can generate to turn a load when starting from a stop. In general, starting toque is the lowest torque rating of a hydraulic motor due to inefficiencies.

Stall torque is the maximum torque the motor will generate before it stops rotating.

Sometimes this is also referred to as running torque.

The rotational speed of the motor shaft is measured in units of rotations per minute (rpm). Motor speed is a function of hydraulic input flow and motor displacement.

Pressure is generated by resistance to hydraulic flow. The more resistance, the higher the pressure. Common measurement units are pounds per square inch (psi), kilo Pascal’s (kPa) or bar.

Common motor classes and types Generally, hydraulic motors are placed into one of two classifications: high speed, low torque (HSLT) or low speed, high torque (LSHT).

Gear motors come in two varieties—the gerotor/geroller or orbital and external spur gear designs. Orbital styles are classified as LSHT motors; however, some do exist with the HSLT classification. They consist of a matched gear set enclosed in a housing.

When hydraulic fluid is moved into the motor, it causes the gears to rotate. One of the gears is connected to the motor output shaft, which produces the motor's rotary motion. Key features include:

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• low weight and size • medium pressures • low cost • wide range of speeds • wide temperature range • simple design • wide viscosity range Applications include mobile hydraulics, agricultural machinery to drive conveyor belts, dispersion plates, screw conveyors or fans.

Their biggest drawback is that they have a higher noise level.

Vane motors are typically classified as HSLT units. However, larger displacements will fall into the LSHT range. Hydraulic fluid enters the motor and is applied to a rectangular vane, which slides into and out of the center rotor. This center rotor is connected to the main output shaft. The fluid being applied to

the vane causes the output shaft to rotate.

Parker’s vane motors feature a balanced design where the inlet and outlet ports of the motor are applied to sections of the vane cartridge that are 180° apart from each other to ensure that the hydraulic forces are always in balance inside the motor. Key features include: • low noise level • low flow pulsation • medium pressure • high torque at low speeds • simple design • easy versatility • vertical installation friendly

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Piston motors come in a variety of designs with both LSHT and HSLT classifications.

In-line piston motors are classified as HSLT. Hydraulic fluid enters the motor and is applied to a series of pistons inside a cylinder barrel. The pistons are pressed against a swash plate, which is at an angle.

The pistons push against this angle, which causes the rotation of the swash plate that is mechanically connected to the output shaft of the motor. The swash plate can be a fixed or variable angle. Variable angle motors can have their displacements adjusted between a maximum and minimum setting. The command signals to change the displacement can be electrical, hydraulic or a combination of both.

Bent-axis piston motors are classified as HSLT. They are similar to inline motors except that the piston barrel is at an angle in relation to the swash plate.

Hydraulic fluid enters the motor and is applied to

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the pistons, which are contained in a cylinder barrel. The pistons are at an angle to the drive shaft, which means that the piston will rotate the shaft as fluid enters the motor.

They can be both fixed and variable displacement. In a variable-displacement bent-axis motor, the cylinder barrel is rotated between maximum and minimum displacements. The command signals to change the displacement can be electrical, hydraulic or a combination of both.

They are best known for high performance, high pressures, high speeds and volumetric mechanical efficiencies in the 97 to 98% range. The also offer quick reaction and precise control. These motors are suitable for applications that require a signifi-

Radial piston motors, such as Parker's Calzoni motors, feature pistons arranged perpendicular to the output shaft. cant amount of power. They are used to drive mobile and construction equipment, winches, ship-cranes and all kinds of heavyduty hydraulic equipment for offshore and onshore operations.

Key features of in-line and bent-axis piston motors: • higher speeds • higher efficiencies • can be fixed or variable displacement • multiple controls to adjust displacement • wide range of speeds • high power density

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Radial piston motors are LSHT classified. These motors are designed with pistons arranged perpendicular to the output shaft. Typically, the pistons will ride against a cam, which is mechanically connected to the output shaft. The pistons will force the cam to rotate as hydraulic fluid enters the motor.

These motors are capable of producing high torques at low speeds, down to half a revolution per minute.

Applications include caterpillar drives of dragline excavators, cranes, winches and ground drilling equipment.

In general, these motors are fixed displacement. However, some versions will allow for variable displacement. They accomplish this by limiting the number of pistons that can receive hydraulic fluid. Other versions change the internal geometry of the cam the pistons are acting against.

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Key features of radial piston motors: • higher output torques • lower output speed • smoother output speed at low speeds (no “cogging”) • simplification of system design by reducing or eliminating gearboxes or other mechanical ratios that would need to be used in the system Motor selection considerations All of the following questions are important to answer when selecting a hydraulic motor: • What are the performance needs of the application?

• What is the load and amount of break away and running torque needed?

• What is the shaft speed and horsepower?

• What is the operating pressure and flow?

• Is displacement fixed or variable?

• What is the operating temperature?

• Is there any leakage potential?

• What noise level can the application handle?

• How reliable is the motor design?

• What type of controls will be used—mechanical or electronic?

• Is ease of installation critical?

• Is ease of maintenance necessary?

• What is the bearing type and expected life?

• What is the expected motor life?

• Is it open or closed loop?

• What kind of contamination potential is there?

• What certifications and approvals are needed?

Proper hydraulic motor selection starts with the expected performance required by the application, then works back to the prime mover—the pump. Then it is necessary to evaluate the cost of your motor options along with the degree of complexity you want for the overall system.

Installing the valve onto the seat bracket

Operating the P.T.O. and Dump Fully Installed

Supplied air is fed through the system’s pressure protection valve and a simple “T” from the air seat to the air valve.

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Reliability in

industrial hydraulics Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor

The key to a reliable hydraulic system lies in keeping it cool, clean and dry.

The industrial hydraulic environment is a piece of cake compared to what the mobile hydraulic industry is put through. Industrial hydraulics are typically cleaner, more temperate and better outfitted with luxuries, such as coolant systems and advanced contamination removal equipment. Still, if the industrial hydraulic environment is so peachy, why do so many machine failures occur, especially as related to the reliability of their hydraulic systems?

Hydraulic systems—yes, even on mobile machines with terrible ambient conditions—can be extremely reliable as long as they’re designed and maintained with reliability in mind. It just so

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Desiccant breathers help control moisture through adsorption and prevent particulate from entering reservoirs during air exchange. Also, water-absorbing filter elements remove free water from hydraulic oils down to fluid saturation point.

Photo courtesy of Hy-Pro Filtration

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Vacuum dehydrators, such as the VS1 from Hy-Pro Filtration, are portable machines that heat oil and apply a vacuum to remove dissolved, emulsified and free water in oil.

happens that industrial environments are often conducive to ensuring machines have everything they need to run reliably.

The stationary nature of the industrial environment allows for permanently installed equipment that helps keep hydraulic systems cool, clean and dry.

Regardless, industrial hydraulic systems aren’t immune to issues related to reliability, and it’s quite unfortunate because that doesn’t have to be the case.

Industrial hydraulics still overheat, still have contamination issues and they still have moisture related failures.

The industrial machine environment provides the environment and resources to ensure hydraulic machines are extremely reliable, but even the most stable machine environment cannot compensate for a poor machine design. Intelligent and wellengineered hydraulic design should be a top consideration for any machine, regardless of environment. The three primary factors to be designed into a hydraulic machine are the control of the three types of contamination: heat contamination, particle contamination and water contamination.

heated oil should never be a factor reducing reliability. The stable ambient temperature of the plant environment ensures oil is typically within its ideal range of operating viscosity. When an industrial hydraulic machine overheats, the cause is most often generated internally from either poor design or a failed heat-generating component, such as a pump or relief valve.

When hydraulic oil overheats, it loses its lubricity—in addition to the damage it suffers from oxidation. As hydraulic oil rises in temperature, its viscosity reduces

Keep it cool Controlling the temperature of the industrial hydraulic machine is generally quite easy, and when considered from a design phase, over-

Brazed plate heat exchangers (above) help remove a great deal of heat with low coolant flow. Watercooled shell and tube exchangers (left) are also popular for their efficient cooling capabilities. Photos courtesy of Thermal Transfer Products, an API Heat Transfer Co.

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INDUSTRIAL HYDRAULICS inversely proportionate to that increase in temperature. When viscosity is critically low, the oil can no longer maintain a boundary layer of lubrication, and metal-to-metal contact and wear is imminent. Next to particle contamination, heat is the second most common cause of hydraulic component failure.

A hydraulic circuit designed with efficiency in mind is also one designed to run cool. An efficient hydraulic system makes best use of input horsepower by convert-

“Next to particle contamination, heat is the second most common cause of hydraulic component failure.”

Should a hydraulic system be particularly inefficient or massive enough to generate high heat waste, running a liquidto-liquid cooler may be required. Because cooling water can remove heat from hydraulic oil with much more efficiency, high heat loads can be removed from a relatively small cooler, which is important if plant real estate is at a premium. Shell and tube coolers are common and efficient, but the brazed plate cooler is the king of this realm.

The brazed plate cooler design provides a high surface area for heat transfer to take place, allowing a lot of heat to be removed from a small cooler with relatively low coolant flow.

The downside to any liquid-to-liquid cooler is that it requires an expensive cooling infrastructure, with plant-wide plumbing, filtration systems, cooling towers and/ or chillers. Most large plants take advantage of this type of process and cooling equip-

ing more of that energy into useful work, rather than wasting it. Energy wasted in the conversion to hydraulic energy is turned to pure heat. For example, a pump that is 80% efficient, and being run with 10-hp input, will produce 2 hp of pure heat. This 2 hp worth of heat will have to be removed from the hydraulic system. By choosing a pump with 90% efficiency, the heat load generated will be halved. On top of choosing efficient components, the circuit should be designed to reduce heat load, although that is a topic unto itself.

If an industrial hydraulic machine is not designed with optimal efficiency, its environment still allows for a great place to run a reliable machine. Because of access to electrical resources, efficient and powerful forced-air electric coolers can be permanently installed to keep oil within its optimal temperature range. These liquid-to-air coolers can also use thermostatic control of oil to maintain a range of optimal temperature and viscosity.

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ment, so the addition of a liquid-to-liquid cooler will be seamless. If your plant is without the cooling systems in place, you will have no choice but to use a forced air cooler. Regardless of the option you use, what’s important to the reliability of your hydraulic system is to prevent the fluid from overheating.

Keep it clean Particle contamination is often cited as the cause of most hydraulic equipment failures.

The high pressure of hydraulic systems can force particles between and against tiny clearances, which under normal circumstances, would never cause a problem.

This is why ultra-high pressure hydraulic systems require ultra-high quality filtration.

But every hydraulic system needs filtration on some level, and I can tell you I’ve never seen a machine with too much of it.

The industrial environment has the primary advantage of real estate. In a mobile application, for example, the machine often does not have the space or weight capacity to add multiple stages of high-quality filtration. However, industrial floor space is often available to add large filtration systems, such as basket or bag filters. These filters can hold massive volumes of particulate, and although they’re not often highly fine, they can trap the bulk of the contamination to prevent the finer filters from being clogged quickly. These filters can be used as the first stage in an offline kidney loop, where a second high-efficiency filter is used to achieve target oil cleanliness.

The kidney loop, or offline, filtration system is typically only seen in the industrial domain. It contains a separate pump/ motor group whose sole position in life is to circulate oil through a filter (and sometimes

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a cooler, as well). Hydraulic systems with kidney-loop filtration systems are often the cleanest around, because their filter element quality can be extremely fine with no concern for backpressure related to high flow, as can be seen with return line filters.

The extra pump and electric motor require extra space, plumbing and an electrical connection, which is easier to come by in a plant.

Another benefit to the extra space available to industrial machines is the capacity to use pressure filters. A pressure filter is sometimes used in mobile machinery, but the space and cost don’t always allow it. When taken advantage of, the pressure filter prevents downstream contamination-related failures due to either pump disintegration, or during periods of high dirt ingression to the reservoir. Although

Assembling 37k lb. Cylinder

they cannot prevent a pump failure, such a failure will not damage the downstream components. When particle contamination is protected against, the industrial hydraulic machine really never should see a reliability problem.

Keep it dry Where industrial hydraulic systems are absolutely superior to their mobile hydraulic cousins is in regard to the prevention and elimination of water contamination.

Because of the stable environment and lack of rain, free water intrusion is rare within a manufacturing plant. If it exists, it’s typically in the form of humidity, or during catastrophic failure of a liquid-to-liquid cooler.

I’ve been in enough plants to know they’re hot and humid in the summer, which is sometimes enough to allow humid-

ity to make its way into hydraulic fluid, allowing water to dissolve into the liquid straight from the air. When water saturation within oil becomes high enough, the oil performance can be reduced, which is in addition to the accelerated oxidation of steel hydraulic components, such as pumps and valves.

Humidity can be reduced from hydraulic oil by way of desiccant breathers, which act as a water absorbing barrier between the volume of air in the reservoir and the humidity in the ambient air. As the tank breathes in air, it must pass by the desiccant material, pulling away moisture and leaving the tank air dry. These desiccant breathers are large and relatively expensive, and must be changed much more frequently than traditional filter-breather caps.

Should water contamination be exces-

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sive to the point of free water, water absorbing filter elements can be added to the system. These filters are often high-micron elements with lower efficiency in removing particles. They will absorb free water as it passes through, but they’re limited in the volume that can be trapped before they themselves become clogged. Often during times of water contamination removal, multiple filter elements must be used to get the majority of the water out of the oil. It should be noted that water absorbing elements can only remove free water and provide no protection against humidity.

To remove humidity from oil, special machinery is required.

The vacuum dehydrator is a machine, often on a large, wheeled cart, which can be trucked around the plant to any system requiring its attention. It will circulate the oil in the reservoir, just as with a kidney-loop system. It heats the oil while at the same time applying a vacuum. The heat and reduced local pressure allow water to boil at a low temperature, and the vacuum pulls the moisture away. This system can remove both dissolved and free water.

Just as you would imagine, the vacuum dehydrator is expensive, bulky and requires an ac power connection, so it generally exists in the industrial realm alone. But the value of maintaining dry oil is often overlooked, so few plants use them. Dry oil has better lubricating properties, oxidizes less and is more stable over an extended period. As you can imagine, dry oil is absolutely required when reliability is a primary concern in the industrial environment.

The reliability of any hydraulic system is improved when particle, heat and water contamination are controlled. Because of the mega-dollar value of some industrial machines, often costing millions of dollars, the extra investment of protection systems should seem like a no-brainer. With the resources available to some industrial plants, reliability should never be a concern.

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Pneumatic system guidelines for success Following these design rules will ensure a successful machine automation application.

Pat Phillips

Product Manager Fluid Power & Mechanical Products AutomationDirect

Pneumatic cylinders are a popular way to clamp, position and transfer parts in automated equipment. They also offer one of the simplest ways to achieve mechanical motion and fixturing of parts (Figure 1). However, some common problems can occur when designing and applying pneumatic actuators and cylinders—and air preparation devices such as filters, regulators and lubricators.

Design issues

Most pneumatic system issues are caused by attempts to make a cylinder and related compressed air system components do something outside of the hardware’s design parameters.

Some of the leading pneumatic system design errors are listed in Table 1 and described below.

Low or varying air pressure can negatively impact the final product and overall machine sequence. This is often caused by insufficient capacity at the air compressor, and can also be caused by undersized plant air supply tubing and piping.

Other low air-pressure problems can crop up due to operational issues involving air-driven motors and machines. For example, 64

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a manufacturing plant was experiencing low air pressure in its facility at the end of the day shift, causing one of the machines to fault due to low air pressure in its pneumatic actuation system. The problem was found to be high volume air consumers nearby, namely blow guns being used to clean machines at the end of each day.

Lack of or improper use of flow controls can also cause pneumatic system problems.

Without flow control, a cylinder may move too fast, eventually damaging the cylinder itself and/or surrounding tooling. If flow control is present but applied too vigorously, a cylinder may move too slowly to accommodate the desired high-speed operation.

Poor location of flow controls may

also cause poor cylinder speed control, for example by making it too easy for an operator to change flow rates. This can be analogous to giving everyone access to a thermostat regulating building temperature, which is never a good idea. If an operator adjusts airflow for one purpose, he or she may not know it will interfere with other machine operations, such as keeping a part from jumping out of a nest.

Cylinders can bang at pneumatic system power-up if a load moves the cylinder to a retracted position when the air is shut off. Upon power-up of the pneumatic system, air can rush in and cause abrupt and possibly dangerous operation.

Another common pneumatic design issue is slow or inconsistent cylinder speed,

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Figure 1. Pneumatic grippers installed on a robot end effector are a common parthandling option.

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which can lead to inconsistent stroke. This is sometimes caused by low pressure or an undersized cylinder. On the other hand, an oversized cylinder may stroke too slowly due to its large airflow requirement. Undersized valves and tubing can also restrict airflow, causing slow or erratic cylinder stroke.

Loud pneumatic actuation is typically caused by a lack of flow controls or end-ofstroke cushions, with the exhaust at the solenoid valve bank just adding to the noise.

Solenoid valves can also stick in position due to contamination, and water from the air supply can block small valve passages.

Table 1: Common pneumatic system design issues • Low or varying air pressure • Improper use of flow controls • Cylinders bang at power up • Pneumatic actuators not dumping air properly • Slow or inconsistent cylinder speed • Loud pneumatic actuation

Controlling pneumatic air flow

For each problem identified, certain solutions and design guidelines are available to address the issue. While the application of pneumatic cylinders can be as simple as

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determining the required force and speed, mechanical cylinder configuration and related pneumatic hardware must also be properly specified and installed. Design guidelines for pneumatic systems are listed in Table 2 and detailed below.

A good place to start for pneumatic design practices is to ensure adequate plant air supply pressure. Consistent plant air pressure with suitable flow allows pneumatic devices to operate as designed.

Once consistent and correct pneumatic system air pressure and flow is established, plant supply air should be connected to a manual, lockable air dump valve at each use point. This lockout, tag-out capability is important for isolating a machine—or a module of a large machine—for changeover, maintenance or tooling changes.

A filter regulator should be installed at the air dump valve. The filter removes dust particles and water that can cause wear and operation problems for pneumatic system components. A regulator is required to throttle to the design air pressure at the use point, typically 60

Table 2: Good pneumatic design practices • Ensure proper plant supply pressure • Use a manual, lockable air dump valve • Use a filter regulator • Use an electric soft-start valve • Don’t oversize the cylinder • Use flow controls • Use mufflers for noise control • Use lubricators only if necessary

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to 90 psi, as the plant air supply is usually higher, about 100 to 130 psi. Operating at the design pressure as opposed to plant pressure will reduce wear on pneumatic components.

An electric, soft start valve downstream of the regulator allows air pressure to gradually increase at start-up, preventing sudden banging or slamming of cylinders at power up. This is especially important if 4-way, 2-position valves are used because a 2-position valve spool maintains its position after power off and the removal of air.

When power and air is reapplied, air will return to the cylinder. If all air was exhausted, no air is available on the other side of the cylinder. This makes speed control with flow controls non-functional.

The uncontrolled speed of the cylinder could cause a high-speed stroke, commonly ending with a bang. When soft start valves are correctly applied, a machine will typically return to its home position slowly and smoothly at power up.

To avoid injury to an operator or maintenance personnel, all air must be dumped from the cylinders during machine maintenance or changeover, and the pneumatic supply must be locked off and tagged out.

A cylinder should be properly sized for the application. It’s wrong to assume bigger is better, as in many cases, machine operation won’t improve with an oversized cylinder. A cylinder that is much larger than required wastes money up front due to its higher cost, and every day thereafter because it consumes more air.

Even when a cylinder is sized properly, it may stroke too fast and require use of a

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flow control, typically by controlling flow of air leaving the cylinder. This also reduces noise problems caused by cylinders banging and reduces rapid exhaust racket. These flow controls are typically mounted directly to the cylinder, but can also be mounted inline near the cylinder, or at the valve if the hose between the valve and cylinder is less than about 3 ft.

Specifying cylinders with built-in cushions can help provide long-term performance in high-speed pneumatic motion applications. The cushions allow a cylinder to stroke at high speed and only slow down near the end of stroke for a quiet, lowimpact stop. Adjustable pneumatic cushions are often the best solution, comprised of specially designed end caps with built-in flow controls. Mufflers can also be used to quiet cylinder or valve exhaust noise, and they are often a simple and low cost solution.

Lubricators should be used sparingly and only when necessary. Most modern pneumatic components come lubricated from the factory and do not need oil.

Although not necessary for most pneumatic devices, pneumatic motors on air tools and other equipment always require a lubricator.

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A well-designed pneumatic application starts with consistent air pressure where the plant’s compressed air system connects to the equipment or the machine.

Pneumatic pick-and-place is a common pneumatic application. A typical use for this function might be transferring items from

Figure 2. This air preparation and valve manifold is a key component on many pneumatic systems.

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one conveyor belt to another. Unlike a more sophisticated unit that uses servomotors, a pneumatic-powered unit can only repeat a sequence of operations to hard-stop locations.

Although limited in flexibility as compared to a servo system, a pneumatic unit is less expensive by a wide margin, and is much simpler to implement and maintain.

This system should start with a good air prep setup including a locking air dump valve, an air filter, a pressure regulator and an electrically operated soft start valve (Figure 2).

Air from the air prep assembly will feed into a bank of solenoid valves.

A good choice for this application would be a 5-way, 3-position, center-exhaust valve.

The air should always be dumped when an emergency stop is pressed, releasing all trapped air that could cause an operator to be pinched. With a 5-way, 3-position valve, the center-off position dumps air to both sides of the cylinder. Also, resetting the emergency stop won’t cause motion until cycle start is pressed.

One valve with two 24-Vdc solenoids controls each cylinder. The off (center) condition of each valve dumps air from the cylinders.

Energizing individual solenoids extends or retracts its corresponding cylinder. Sometimes to protect tooling, an anti-drop check valve is mounted to the cylinder; this can be used to prevent the cylinder from dropping due to gravity when air is dumped. However, never trap air where an operator may be pinched or crushed. Using a modular valve bank allows one common exhaust port for the system, and a good quality muffler on the exhaust port reduces noise.

Common cylinders used in pick-andplace applications are guided rod or twin rod cylinders (Figure 3). These cylinders typically have rectangular bodies, and a fixed plate on the end of the piston rod that does not allow any rotation of the load. A basic system might travel in the X and Z directions, with some type of gripper to pick up the items. Adding a third cylinder allows travel along all three axes.

When cylinders are integrated into automated equipment and the overall machine sequence, as is often the case in pick-andplace applications, cylinder speed can become important for proper product handling. Most 70

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cylinders should include flow controls to both ports, which the exhaust air regulates as it leaves the cylinder, rather than the supply air.

Cylinder position switches are also extremely helpful to avoid beginning the stroke of one cylinder before the previous cylinder’s stroke is complete. Using timers to control a sequence instead of position sensors should be avoided in this and most cases. One stuck or slow cylinder during an automated sequence can cause a machine crash, costing much more than the cost of buying, installing and programming end-ofstroke sensors.

When it comes to pneumatic system design, watch out for the common issues, and be sure to supply, prep and distribute the air properly. When properly applied, your pneumatic devices and actuators will

Figure 3. Proper design and selection of pneumatic actuators, tubing and flow controls ensures robust pick-andplace operation.

have a long life with limited operational issues along the way, and with minimal required maintenance.

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“Most education is theoretical; the practical application for what’s being taught never comes through.” — Larry Davis, President, Daman Products Michelle DiFrangia • Assistant Editor

Davis’ quote applies to many industries besides fluid power. There needs to be a push toward hands-on project-based learning across all fields. “My experiences in college, what I remember, are the things where I was immersed in a project … as opposed to a professor standing in front of a class and explaining which of the then quadratic equations to use in various forecasting scenarios. I’d never remember that, but I did remember where I was immersed in a project,” said Davis.

That type of project-based learning is one of the key motivators behind programs like the NFPA’s Fluid Power Challenge. “There are a couple of things going on there,” Davis said. “One is to immerse kids in a project-based mechanical engineering and hydraulic project where they start to learn that learning about this stuff can be really fun. And those kids, on the day that the challenge occurs, after it’s all over and they’re ready to start the [competition], all their building is done, we ask them if they’ve ever done anything more difficult in school … they say, ‘No.’ And you ask them: Have you ever done anything that was more fun in school? And they say, ‘No!’ So it’s really neat stuff. To give kids the opportunity to learn the way they do during the Fluid Power Challenge is one thing, but we’re also trying to influence the teachers and demonstrate to teachers what projectbased learning looks like and how impactful it can be.”

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2014 ASCO Numatics Engineering Scholarship winner Nicholas Aerni accepts his award at Pack Expo.

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“When it comes to who we want to hire,” he continued, “we’re hiring for values and intelligence and ability to problem solve and people who are energetic and want to work in teams … The values that come out of the Fluid Power Challenge, kids working together, learning about team dynamics, and not in a formal way, just trying to get something done with five kids and one of them doesn’t want to pull their weight, how difficult that is and those kinds of issues; it’s really powerful learning. [It] is an experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives and they’ll call on that in ways they can’t imagine throughout their careers.

It stands in stark contrast to the talking head methodology of teaching.”

The Fluid Power Education Foundation (FPEF) encourages educators to become more involved in programs like the Fluid Power Challenge and others offered by the NFPA. “I believe that instructors should be informed about the new developments in fluid power and should do the best they can to become involved with fluid power organizations like NFPA or IFPS so that their teaching material is updated and their skills and knowledge are current,” said FPEF Trustee Jose Garcia, Certified Fluid Power Hydraulic Specialist and assistant professor at Purdue University.

“The technical stuff is easy to teach … It’s those soft skills, the ability to think, to reason and to compromise and find information, that’s what’s hard to teach. I should say, it’s hard to teach under the models we traditionally have tried to teach kids. There’s a way to do it, but I believe it’s project-based,” added Davis.

Fortunately, associations like the NFPA and its member companies, along with other companies in the industry, recognize the need for the immersive, project-based learning that Davis speaks so vehemently about, and they continue to develop a variety of programs aimed at middle school, high school and college level students to pique and sustain their interest in fluid power and technology in general.

NFPA Fluid Power Challenge

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During the Fluid Power Challenge, eighth-grade students work in teams to design and build a fluid power mechanism, then compete against each other in a timed competition. The entire 74

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event is divided into two portions: workshop day and challenge day.

On workshop day, teams build a pneumatic filter, developing skills needed for the competition. Afterward, students return to school with their workshop kits and spend several weeks preparing for the competition by working with the Challenge scenario, developing a portfolio, and building and testing a prototype of their mechanism.

The teams reconvene on Challenge day, when they must use the same tools and kits to recreate their mechanisms, which will be used to pick up a weighted object and place it on a platform.

“The Fluid Power Challenge is an excellent channel to attract the newer generations of engineers, technologists and technicians, not only in fluid power, but in STEM fields in general,” said Garcia.

In the first half of 2015 alone, nine events were held, seven of which were new, with a total of 634 students participating. South Milwaukee school held the first Fluid Power Challenge for high-school students—34 participated.

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“The new NFPA Student Career Connections (SCC) program is an easy way for members to connect with students,” said Lynn Beyer, NFPA workforce program manager.

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Overview of the SCC program: • Students and teachers from local middle or high schools will get a tour of an NFPA member company.

• An employee from the company will speak 76

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to students about careers, what a day in the life is like, how to get into the industry and so on.

• Employees will work with students to put together a basic fluid power classroom kit.

• NFPA can provide teachers with fluid power curriculum that has been used in several PLTW (Project Lead the Way) schools before the group leaves.

The first SCC program took place in March at Price Engineering. A group of 30 students from Arrowhead High School toured the facility. Students worked with employees to put together a fluid power classroom kit.

Through this visit, one student was offered an internship at Price.

The second event was held at Triton College in May. Thirty students from Leyden High School Industrial Technology Dept. met with Antigone Sharris, chair of the Triton College Engineering Dept., and Bob Hammond, manifold and systems engineering manager at Deltrol Fluid Products. Together, Sharris and Hammond spoke to the students about careers in fluid power and why this pathway is a great decision that leads to many promising opportunities.

Companies contributing to education

Bosch Rexroth recently supplied a funding grant of $80,000 to the Olympic Community of Schools in Charlotte for the new Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center. High-school students will gain hands-on experience using state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, including milling machines, saws and grinders, metal-cutting

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and finishing technology, and quality-control stations. It opened for students at the start of the fall semester.

This isn’t the first time Bosch has contributed to an educational program.

The company has several apprenticeship programs established throughout Germany.

“Children are made aware of the career possibilities early in life and the structure has been well established to support the development of it, no matter [the] technical area,” said Mark Rohlinger, technical plant manager, Bosch Rexroth. “A good local apprenticeship program needs to be available and supported by local advanced manufacturers, and also by the local community colleges and universities. … To create the awareness early on … it needs to extend down into the K–12 grades,” he continued.

“That is why we are teaming up with other local manufacturing companies to

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While touring Balluff, students from Grant County Middle School learned how industrial electronics are manufactured, the basics of logistics and about the various career opportunities available in manufacturing. develop a common on-going program for students to get into. One of the main goals is to … get more and more students interested and filling seats at the local colleges and universities. This then also supports all the local manufacturers, our suppliers and other business partners who may not be able to support an apprenticeship themselves, but most likely will have the need for skilled workers at some time.”

In Cincinnati, Hydrotech, a fluid power and motion automation solutions provider, also recently donated four brand-new hydraulic training stands to Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. Between 300 and 350 students will use these stands per year.

The training assemblies, valued at $30,000 per unit, will be used by students in Cincinnati State’s Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technologies program. In 2014

the company donated pneumatic training stands to the same program.

“These students may be working for us someday or for one of our local clients or partners,” said Pete Jones, Hydrotech CEO. “It’s a blessing to us that we can help them develop the crucial skills necessary to be successful.”

Educating students on sensing technology

Balluff is involved in on-going fluid power education in a number of ways. The company donates to myriad university programs’ laboratories, including a donation of sensing equipment for process control, such as linear transducers, pressure sensors and capacitive sensors. Balluff also supports several STEM initiatives in local communities and participates in TECHFIT (Teaching Engineering Concepts to Harness Future

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Teams participating in the Fluid Power Challenge are graded based on portfolio ideas, designs and teamwork, among other factors.

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Innovators and Technologists) programs at Purdue University and The College of Charleston. Lastly, the company offers a paid training class on sensor fundamentals, including fluid power related technologies like magnetic field sensors, proximity sensors and linear position sensors.

In July, this class was offered to six students from North Cobb Christian High School in Atlanta. The students were a part of the school’s Math, Science and Technology Academy. Students participated in hands-on labs that dealt with object detection, linear position management and I/O-Link technologies, as well as basic programming.

Through a partnership with Gateway Community College and PLTW, Balluff also hosted 30 students from Grant County Middle School in Kentucky this past April.

Students participated in tours of the manufacturing facility, technical labs and logistics center; product demonstrations; and a Q&A session with several engineers and marketing managers. “We spent time discussing … how sensors play a vital role in automating the [manufacturing] process,” said Will Healy III, strategic marketing manager and coordinator of the event. “The students saw real-world examples of how this can be applied in laboratory automation, automotive, metal working, welding, robotics, timber, packaging and assembly.

They received basic instruction on the principles of inductive, capacitive, photoelectric and cylinder sensor technology.”

Healy said future plans might incorporate more hands-on experience by hooking up and using the sensors in a few on-site applications.

“We would happily offer this as an ongoing program targeted at middle school, high school or college-level students … and we recognize that inciting interest in STEM careers is a vital activity for our industry,” said Healy.

“Our goal is to excite our local students about manufacturing and to spark interest for their future plans through education and the workforce,” added Leah Cridlin, Balluff’s training and development specialist, who also helped coordinate the event.

Career Exploration Day

Approximately 600 middle and high school students attended the first Career Exploration Day at Northfield Middle School on May 19. The event, organized by FORCE America CEO John Stenz and his team, featured booths and displays provided by

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roughly 30 area businesses and organizations. Inside the school students could try out the NFPA’s hydraulic excavator, see videos of the Fluid Power Challenge and use FORCE America’s joystick and spreader control system like a video game to control a snow fighting vehicle. Outside, they could sit in the cab of a road grader or a dump truck and drive a dune buggy.

ASCO Numatics Engineering Scholarship

Over the past eight years, ASCO Numatics has awarded $70,000 in scholarships to 14 students (two per year). In addition, it has provided another $14,000 in grants to 12 U.S. schools of engineering. Each $5,000 scholarship goes directly toward students’ tuition.

“Scholarships are merit-based and awarded on the candidate’s potential for leadership and making a significant contribution to the engineering, instrumentation, systems and automation professions, particularly as they relate to the application of fluid control and fluid power technologies,” the website states.

Careers in distribution

Industrial Careers Pathway (ICP) is a program of an alliance of seven trade associations, one of which is NAHAD, who work together to drive the programs that will build awareness of the careers available in industrial distribution. “Our focus is on raising awareness of the incredibly rewarding careers in the field to 16 to 24 year olds who are mechanically inclined, like to work with their hands, enjoy working with people and who are not seeking a four-year college degree,” said Mary Jawgiel, ICP program manager.

Continuing efforts

“As long as I’ve been hiring people and been in manufacturing, my colleagues have complained about the basic skills of people coming out of high school,” said Davis.

According to a 2014 Manufacturing Skills and Training Study conducted by Accenture in conjunction with The Manufacturing Institute, Davis and his colleagues are not alone. More than 75% of manufacturers nationwide report a moderate to severe shortage of skilled resources.

“But simply complaining about it doesn’t help; you have to be able to provide a model or idea on how it can be better,” he continued.

As demonstrated by the many programs already implemented, now more than ever, employers and educational institutions are working together to ensure students are graduating with the proper knowledge and skill set to succeed in the workforce. In addition, these programs help spark a genuine interest in fluid power and related technologies in the next generation of engineers.

“Getting kids excited about learning is the ticket,” concluded Davis.

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COMPONENT FOCUS

Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor

What is a hydraulic valve?

Asking “what is a hydraulic valve?” is like asking “how long is a piece of string?” The variations available to the hydraulic designer are absolutely astounding, not only because of the myriad types of valves on the market, but also because of the numerous manufacturers making them.

The most basic description of a valve is a mechanical device that opens and closes, most often to control the flow of fluid—liquid or air. Valves exist in nearly every industry, from automobile engines to the foundries that cast the engine’s valves; yes, there are valves on the machines that make valves.

This article isn’t about the poppet valves in your 1999 Civic SI VTEC. This article is about hydraulic valves. Hydraulic valves are unique because they must be capable of withstanding 3,000 psi or more of fluid pressure, which require them to be manufactured from strong (and often heavy) steel and iron. Their construction must be such that hydraulic pressure is entirely contained, yet able to function smoothly and accurately, without being prevented from functioning because of the high forces imposed by that pressurized fluid.

So a hydraulic valve is just a device that opens and closes to allow the flow that will move actuators and loads. It sounds simple, but there are various techniques used in hydraulics to allow this to occur. Valves can be mechanically operated (by handle, knob or cam), electric solenoid-operated, or pilot-operated (air or hydraulic pressure actuates the valve). Some valves use the pressure of the circuit’s fluid to actuate themselves, like with relief valves. Valves can also be actuated with cables, levers, plungers, torque motors and so forth.

There are nearly as many types of hydraulic valves as there are ways to actuate them. You have solenoid valves, flow control valves and pressure control valves as the three primary groups of valves, but each of those also have their own sub-species. Solenoid valves can be poppets or spool valves, and either of those can

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be electroproportional or servo-controlled. Flow control valves can be hydrostats (also known as pressure-compensators) or simply needle valves, and can be used to meter-in or meter-out fluid.

Pressure control valves are the most varied of the three primary groups. They open and close, just as other valves, but these are more dynamic, with linear rise and fall of performance, based on the pressure acting upon them. Most pressure valves (like relief valves, sequence valves, counterbalance valves, and so forth) are normally closed, meaning that it takes a rise in pressure to open them. However, the pressure-reducing valve is the only one that closes when pressure rises above a set point.

There is a dizzying array of hydraulic valves available, and each one could warrant their own page. It’s hard to simplify a vast subject and answer “what is a hydraulic valve,” but as long as you understand they’re devices that open and close to control the pressure, flow and direction of fluid in a hydraulic system, then you’ve got the basics down.

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AD INDEX AAH Fluid Power, Inc. ..............................81 Advanced Technology Products ..............54 Aggressive Hydraulics, Inc. ......................17 Alro Steel Corp. .......................................74 Anderson Metals Corporation, Inc. ........87 AutomationDirect .....................................1 AVENTICS Corp. .......................................29 Bimba Manufacturing Co. .........................9 Brennan Industries, Inc. ..........................15 C.matic ....................................................66 Camozzi Pneumatics Inc. ...................36,68 CD Industrial Group Inc. ..........................63 Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc. ...................................BC CS Hyde Co. .............................................69 DEL Hydraulics .........................................55 DMIC - Delaware Manufacturing Industries Corp. .................................30 FABCO-AIR, Inc. .......................................47 FASTER, Inc ..............................................32 FESTO ......................................................12 Firestone Industrial Products Co., LLC ....46 Flaretite Inc. ............................................36

FluiDyne Fluid Power ..............................59 Gerdau Special Steel North America ......25 HAWE Hydraulik ......................................35 Hengli America Co., Inc. / TECO Technology ................................21 Holmbury, Inc. .......................................IBC Hunger Hydraulics C.C., Ltd. ...................62 Hy-pro Filtration ......................................83 HYDAC International ...............................19 HydraForce, Inc. ......................................61 Hydraulex Global .....................................82 IC-Fluid Power, Inc. ..................................33 igus, Inc. .................................................77 Intertraco (Italia) S.p.A. ...........................11 Kar-Tech, Inc. ...........................................79 Kawasaki Precision Machinery (U.S.A.) Inc. .......................85 Kocsis Technologies, Inc. .........................27 Kuriyama of America, Inc. .........................2 Kurt Hydraulics ........................................13 Lillbacka USA, Inc. ...................................37 Main Manufacturing Products, Inc. ..........4 MFP Seals ................................................16

MOCAP ....................................................71 Muncie Power Products ............................5 NASON .....................................................67 NOSHOK, Inc. ..........................................68 OEM Controls, Inc. ..................................71 Omega One .............................................66 OP USA Inc. .............................................43 PHD Inc. ...................................................70 Prince Manufacturing Corp. ..................53 Rota Engineering Ltd. .............................26 RYCO Hydraulics ......................................45 Servo Kinetics, Inc. ..................................78 Smalley Steel Ring Co. ...............................3 STAUFF Corp. ...........................................23 Super Swivels ..........................................76 Tompkins Industries, Inc. ....................IFC,4 Ultra Clean Technologies Corp. ..............48 Veljan Hydrair Limited .............................49 Wandfluh of America, Inc. ......................80 WIKA Instrument, LP ...............................75 Yates Industries .........................................7

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