FLUID POWER WORLD APRIL 2022 by WTWH Media LLC

Cartridge transmitter revolutionizes flow monitoring p. 20

Hydraulically-powered tunnel boring machine p. 42

Best practices for dry compressed air p. 46

www.fluidpowerworld.com

April 2022

Considerations for offshore oil & gas PAGE 36

Cover FINAL 4-22_FPW.indd 1

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HANDLING THE PRESSURE SINCE 1967 .

A L WAY S A DA P T I N G .

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All pneumatic motion requires clean and dry air. The process of filtering, regulating and lubricating compressed air is known as air prep. The Norgren and NITRA family of air preparation components include:

Solenoid valves are electrically controlled to direct air flow to sequence operations in pneumatic systems. Solenoid valves are used to control cylinders, rotary actuators, grippers and other pneumatic devices. Use a manifold to simplify plumbing for a bank of valves. Modular systems even allow networked control of valve group.

The most popular style of pneumatic actuator uses compressed air acting on a piston inside a cylinder to move a load along a linear path.

• Particulate filters with 40 micron filter element (5 micron option), coalescing type and oil vapor removal in sizes from 1/8” to 1” NPT port sizes • Regulators with adjustment from 4-58 PSI, 7-60 PSI, 7-130 PSI and 4-145 PSI • Combination filter/regulators available with same options in one unit • Lubricators in 1/8” to 1” port sizes • Total air prep units that combine all air preparation functions in one compact unit

• Available as stand-alone units or as part of a compact modular valve system • Stand-alone units can be used with optional manifolds to make system conﬁguration simpler • Available in 3-port/3-way, and 5-port/4-way styles • 4-way valves come in 2-position or 3-position styles with center closed or center open

• Round body cylinders available in single-acting or double-acting styles, with up to an 18-inch stroke and 2-inch bore. Also available in stainless steel. Magnetic pistons are optional. • NFPA tie rod air cylinders come in double-acting style, with up to a 32-inch stroke and 4-inch bore. All include a magnetic piston. Adjustable air cushions are an option. • ISO 15552 air cylinders are double- acting cylinders with up to a 600mm stroke and 100mm bore. All include magnetic pistons and adjustable air cushions. • Metric and Inch compact air cylinders as well as dual rod guided air cylinders also available.

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FLUIDLINES Mary C. Gannon • Editor-in-Chief

Ensuring an engaged, educated fluid power workforce Since the pandemic started, there has been many a cry about the skilled worker shortage in industrial manufacturing and engineering. To be fair, as the Baby Boomer generation has come closer and closer to retirement in full, there has already been great concern over who will take over many jobs in fluid power — diversity in age, race, and gender is not really our forte. What the pandemic has done, however, is made more people aware of this problem. Skilled worker shortage is at the forefront of government and media attention. Just last month, Diane Benck, member of the board of directors for The Association of Equipment Distributors and general manager and co-owner of West Side Tractor Sales, opined to a congressional subcommittee that the equipment industry’s greatest challenge is the lack of skilled workers. She cited an AED Foundation study that indicated AED members forgo more than $2.4 billion in revenue due to the lack of skilled workers. The National Fluid Power Association is yet another industry group that has seen this problem growing for years. It has been working to combat it with program developments that encourage four-year college and technical school programs to include fluid power training — and working

to build awareness and interest in careers in fluid power to schoolchildren. The NFPA announced earlier this year that is establishing its third Fast Track to Fluid Power hub school at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich. this spring. The association continues to work to facilitate connections between local technical colleges, industry partners, and high school teachers to strengthen fluid power education and career development (read more about this plan on page 15). With support from NFPA, Macomb will create a dedicated fluid power certificate. Macomb will also work with NFPA to present fluid power career pathways to secondary students through school counselors and teachers. Students will be encouraged to attend outreach events with their parents where they will participate in hands on activities. They will be engaged in opportunities that will provide them the opportunity to earn fluid power certifications through the International Fluid Power Society. NFPA has already established Fast Track Hub programs at Waukesha Country Technical College in Wisconsin and Triton College in Illinois. The organization also partners with four-year colleges to encourage more fluid power exposure during higher education and provides hands-in opportunities, scholarships, mentorship, and more.

Programs like these are critical to our industry’s future. And it is especially imperative while the whole world is listening that we embrace these opportunities to bring a new generation of fluid power engineers, technicians, designers, and more into the fold. That is one of the main reasons we have always partnered with technical colleges and universities, as well as industry associations, to bring our Fluid Power Technology Conference to these fluid power hubs. In the past, we’ve worked with MSOE and Cleveland State University and this year, we’ll feature panel discussions about workforce development and partner with University of Minnesota and Macomb Community College. We encourage our readers to get involved with these many opportunities. Sign up to be a mentor or a judge in the NFPA Vehicle Challenge or host a NFPA Action Challenge for middle-school students. And join us in Minnesota or Detroit this year, and learn what the NFPA, NAHAD, engineering colleges, and others are doing to ensure an engaged, educated fluid power workforce. FPW

Mary C. Gannon • Editor-in -Chief mgannon@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @FPW_marygannon

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FROM THE FIELD Paul J. Heney • VP, Editorial Director

Leading in the new world of work At the recent NFPA Annual Conference, bestselling author David Burkus spoke to the attendees on “Leading highperformance teams from anywhere” and provided a lot of great advice for anyone in a management position. He acknowledged that Covid had forced many companies to rethink policies for remote work for eligible employees. And now employees expect more flexibility and work life balance. What does this mean for team leaders? Burkus noted that when you understand the context of what people are working with at home, you better understand their availability and how they work best. Do they have kids? Are they living with an elderly parent? Knowing more about what they have going on in their lives allows you to help structure a work plan that will keep them more productive — and that will likely keep them as loyal, dependable workers for many more years. Here were three other thoughts that Burkus had for leaders in this new world of work: 1. On some level, getting people back in person matters. However, it doesn’t matter all the time. Most organizations will probably end up in a hybrid work mode. But many are thinking about this in the wrong way, focusing on what percentage of time can people still work offsite. Or what days do you want people onsite? Burkus said that what you should be thinking about are tasks. What tasks work better when people are together versus apart? Tasks where people must come up with ideas, solve problems, and brainstorm with each other still work better in person. Tasks where you simply need to present information to people, such as training and certifications — those tend to work better in a virtual environment.

FLUID POWER WORLD

4 • 2022

2. Don’t focus so much on when people are working versus not working anymore. The thing you should care about is knowing when people are responsive versus non-responsive. That way, you know you’re not chasing them down at times when they’re nonresponsive — and getting frustrated by a lack of response. Learn and know what times you can expect an immediate response. 3. Develop a regular rhythm of asking, “Hey, what’s blocking your progress? I know Project X is what you’re focused on, but what are the potential hurdles that you see?” Share that, not to an individual manager or supervisor, but to the whole team — so that other people on the team are aware of it and can offer help. First, this solves the problem faster, but it also helps people feel like they’re a team again. It reminds them that we’re doing this on a team-wide level. There are very few fully individualistic roles anymore. Almost everything is a team sport, and you must continually foster that sense of shared identity. Burkus explained that it’s important to make a culture where people want to stick around — and want to be engaged. “People want to put forth effort,” he said. “Make a culture that’s willing to be more flexible in whatever the plans are, as they change.” When you create a culture of shared identity, you end up building a stronger team — and we all win as a result.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

FPW

Paul J. Heney

VP, Editorial Director pheney@wtwhmedia.com

On Twitter @wtwh_paulheney

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APRIL 2022

C ontents |

vol 9 no 2

fluidpowerworld.com

•

2022

F E AT U R E S

OFFSHORE HYDRAULICS

Considerations for offshore oil & gas environments Environmentally friendly fluids, corrosion resistance, and fire- and explosion-proof technologies are just some of the design options necessary in offshore use.

MOBILE HYDRAULICS

Novel tunnel-boring machine takes on mining Hydraulically powered unit is the ﬁrst to cut rectangular tunnels in hard rock.

COMPRESSED AIR

4 best practices for providing dry air in a job shop Downtime and ineﬃciency don’t have to be your production line’s worst enemy.

SHOW PREVIEWS

Hannover Fair 2022 addresses security and sustainability challenges The world’s largest industrial technologies trade show returns to Hannover Messe May 30 to June 2. Back to business at OTC 2022 The Oﬀshore Technology Conference returns May 2-5 at NRG Park in Houston.

36 42 46

D E PA R T M E N T S

02 FluidLines

50 52

FLUID POWER WORLD

From The Field

Korane’s Outlook

Troubleshooting Challenge

Association Watch

Design Notes

24 Fundamentals 26

Training

R&D

Distributor Update

Energy Efﬁciency

Products

Component Focus

Ad Index

ON THE COVER

Oﬀshore oil & gas platforms are some of the most extreme environments hydraulic technologies operate in, so special ﬂuids, materials and coatings are necessary. | Courtesy of Adobe Stock

4 • 2022

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APRIL 2022 • vol 9 no 2 • www.ﬂuidpowerworld.com

Don’t compromise! EDITORIAL

MARKETING

PRODUCTION SERVICES

VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_paulheney

VP, Digital Marketing Virginia Goulding vgoulding@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_virginia

Customer Service Manager Stephanie Hulett shulett@wtwhmedia.com

Editor-in-Chief Mary Gannon mgannon@wtwhmedia.com @dw_marygannon

Digital Marketing Manager Taylor Meade tmeade@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_taylor

Associate Editor Mike Santora msantora@wtwhmedia.com @dw_mikesantora

Digital Production/ Marketing Designer Samantha King sking@wtwhmedia.com

Technology Editor Ken Korane

Marketing Graphic Designer Hannah Bragg hbragg@wtwhmedia.com

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Contributing Editor Josh Cosford @FluidPowerTips Contributing Editor Carl Dyke @carlindustry Contributing Writer Robert Sheaf rjsheaf@cfc-solar.com PRINT PRODUCTION

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FLUID POWER WORLD does not pass judgment on subjects of controversy nor enter into dispute with or between any individuals or organizations. FLUID POWER WORLD is also an independent forum for the expression of opinions relevant to industry issues. Letters to the editor and by-lined articles express the views of the author and not necessarily of the publisher or the publication. Every effort is made to provide accurate information; however, publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information. Non-commissioned articles and news releases cannot be acknowledged. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned nor will this organization assume responsibility for their care. FLUID POWER WORLD does not endorse any products, programs or services of advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright© 2022 by WTWH Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates: U.S. and possessions: 1 year: $125; 2 years: $200; 3 years: $275; Canadian and foreign, 1 year: $195; only US funds are accepted. Single copies $15 each. Subscriptions are prepaid, and check or money orders only. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To order a subscription please visit our web site at www.fluidpowerworld.com

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FLUID POWER WORLD (ISSN 2375-3641) is published seven times a year: in February, April, June, July, August, October, and December by WTWH Media, LLC; 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, Ohio 44114. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH & additional mailing oﬃces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fluid Power World, 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

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4 • 2022

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KORANE’S OUTLOOK Ken Korane • Technology Editor

How the EU can kick its Russian energy addiction Europe’s overreliance on imported natural gas from Russia has been a shocking wake-up call in light of the invasion of Ukraine. Last year, the European Union imported more than 400 million cubic meters per day of Russian natural gas — almost 40% of the EU’s total gas consumption — mainly for power generation, heating and industrial production.

| Courtesy of Adobe Stock

Europe is between a rock and a hard place, to say the least, arming and supplying Ukraine’s forces while at the same time helping fund Putin’s brutal aggression. The EU has announced plans to reduce reliance on Russian energy imports by twothirds by the end of this year. Measures include turning to alternative energy suppliers, accelerating renewables projects and ramping up biogas production. And part of the REPowerEU plan includes aggressively improving energy efficiency in homes, buildings and industries, which can save 25 billion cubic meters of gas each year. Fluid power users can help reach that goal. Compressed air alone accounts for 10% of industrial power usage, yet over-all efficiency of a typical system is dismal, only 10 to 15%. Low-cost improvements without long lead times could offer significant energy savings. Here are several proven techniques. Eliminate leaks. Air leaks are a major

source of wasted energy, causing a 20 to 30% loss of a compressor’s output. They also lower equipment productivity and force compressors to run more often, which shortens life. Fixing leaks can be as simple as tightening loose fittings, replacing deteriorated seals and repairing leaky valves. Conducting a leak assessment using ultrasonic detection equipment is a costeffective way to find and address leaks. Sensible operation. Shutting off machinery and equipment when not in use, especially overnight and weekends, can cut energy consumption up to 20%. Even during production, an idling compressor uses around 40% of its full load. Where appropriate turn it off. Installing automatic air-reduction controls can also significantly increase machine efficiency and maintain pressure to certain functions even when there is no production, such as for cleaning. Reduce pressure. Pneumatic systems waste energy when they supply higher pressure than an actuator or tool needs. Every 2 psi reduction in compressor discharge pressure reduces input energy by 1%. Thus, lowering pressure can result in sizeable reductions in energy use with no effect on operations. It also cuts leakage and other losses. And using pressure regulators to supply the right pressure for various tasks can realize energy savings of more than 25%.

Minimize restrictions. Pressure drops as compressed air travels through treatment and distribution systems. A properly designed system should keep pressure losses less than 10% of the compressor’s discharge pressure. Maintain filters to ensure they’re not clogged, switch to energy-efficient elements, and eliminate flow restrictions due to undersized piping and connections. Embrace VSDs. Variable-speed drives provide significant advantages in applications with fluctuating output or relatively long dwell periods. A VSD adjusts electrical motor speed to ensure pumps, compressors, blowers and fans deliver optimum performance at the lowest energy demand. Servo drives have been used with great success in applications like injection-molding machines and stamping presses, where energy savings over conventional circuits is up to 80%. And newer digital drives can control asynchronous motor speed based on sensor inputs and system requirements. With no other changes to a system, it can result in energy savings of 50%. Smarter consumption. Some estimates say around 70% of compressedair consumption is for blow-off and similar applications to cool, dry and clean. Unfortunately, inefficient open-ended blow guns and simple drilled pipe are common. Air amplifying nozzles and air knives are better options. They employ aerodynamic shapes to take a small amount of compressed air to entrain large amounts of ambient air and create high-velocity laminar flow. The devices do more useful work over a greater distance and can cut air consumption in half. Beyond this low-hanging fruit, other efficiency boosting ideas abound: optimize component and line sizes, decentralize valves, install regenerative circuits, add airsaving vacuum controls, recover compressor heat, and install energy monitoring systems as just some examples. Users will see sizeable cost savings and bolster energy security to boot. FPW

FLUID POWER WORLD

4 • 2022

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TROUBLESHOOTING CHALLENGE Robert Sheaf • Founder/CEO of CFC Industrial Training

Why was this threading machine running slow? I was asked to troubleshoot a system where the customer was complaining about a slow hydraulic motor that drove a thread rolling machine for a “U” bolt they manufacture. The system had a pressure-compensated, load-sense, Rexroth pump with volume adjustment. They did not have any hydraulic drawings for the machine, so I sketched one up for them. They had all the pump adjustments screwed in fully clockwise, fully opened the motor flow control, changed the filter, and installed a replacement hydraulic motor. They were told to measure the pump case drain flow when under full operating pressure and the flow was within an acceptable flow range indicating a good pump. They also told me when they closed the flow control, system pressure was 3,000 psi when the normal running pressure was 850 psi. EM

What would you do next?

Can you identify what was the problem? We welcome responses of all kinds directly to Robert Sheaf at rjsheaf@cfc-solar.com or to mgannon@wtwhmedia.com. The solution will be provided in our June 2022 issue.

Solution to April Challenge: Rod gland keeps failing on a large bore cylinder 14" B X 7" ROD X 48" LONG

A failing rod gland is typically caused by over-pressurization. The 14-in. bore cylinder with a 7-in. rod has a 1.33 ratio when you divide the cap area by the annulus area. Meter out flow controls will cause the annulus area to intensify

PLATEN

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close to 4,000 psi with 3,000 psi on the cap end. This usually is acceptable for most cylinders. However, the pump’s compensator needs about 25 to 40 msec to fully compensate. Based on a system I encountered several years ago, an installed pressure transducer showed a 1,000 psi pump pressure had a 7,000 psi momentary pressure spike each time the cylinder bottomed out, breaking the pump’s swash plate casting. Installing a directly operated relief set to 3,250 psi solved the problem on this application. The directly operated relief opens faster than the pump compensates, thus clipping the pressure spikes. On the 1,000 psi system I previously encountered, adding the relief resulted in a maximum spike of an acceptable 1,700 psi.

FPW

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4 • 2022

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ASSOCIATION WATCH Edited by Mary Gannon • Editor-in-Chief

Whitepaper from IFPE highlights tech advancements driving the fluid power market “When it comes down to it, IFPE is all about helping manufacturers find solutions,” said IFPE 2023 Show Director John Rozum. “With that in mind, we encourage our members and those within the fluid power industry to take advantage of the uniquely valuable information and insights offered in this newly published whitepaper.” Topics covered in the whitepaper include:

The International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE), along with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), has released a new research whitepaper leading up to the return of the show to the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 14-18, 2023, along with the co-located CONEXPO-CON/AGG. Entitled “Tech Advancements Driving the Fluid Power Market Forward,” the freely-downloadable whitepaper addresses the megatrends shaping the fluid power industry and advancements occurring in power transmission and motion control.

• Megatrends shaping the fluid power industry in 2022, such as population growth and urbanization, infrastructure replacement, climate change and regulatory pressure • Industry opportunities arising from these factors, as well as challenges and barriers to adoption including cost, training and more • Power transmission and motion control development tools to accelerate development, such as dynamic line ratings (DLR) and flexible transmission control, digital displacement pump (DDP), and energy storage and waste heat recovery • How electrification empowers the hydraulics industry to realize many of these strategies • Motion control advancements, such as numerical modeling and simulation, electric actuators, and digital twins Visit ifpe.com to download the whitepaper.

FPW

Save the date – NFPA’s IEOC slated for August 16-17 Registration will be opening in June for the 2022 Industry & Economic Outlook Conference (IEOC), slated for August 16 and 17 at The Westin Chicago Northwest. The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation Golf Fundraiser will be held August 15 at the Schaumburg Golf Club. NFPA’s highly anticipated economic event is for everyone in the fluid power supply

FLUID POWER WORLD

4 • 2022

chain – NFPA members and non-members alike are all invited to attend. The event will focus on the opportunities and threats associated with the economy as they relate specifically to the fluid power industry. Industry experts will share the analyses, hard data and critical insights fluid power business leaders need to translate economic trends into competitive intelligence and successfully plan for the future. The IEOC is also an opportunity for fluid power professionals to connect in and out of the sessions. The IEOC Invitational Golf Tournament, exclusive Future Leader

www.fluidpowerworld.com

activities, networking receptions/meals and committee meetings all provide unique opportunities to make the right connections for your company to get ahead. FPW

NFPA nfpa.com

Educated Workforce Task Force meets to scale program reach In the days before the 2022 Annual Conference in February, the NFPA Board of Directors met over a series of meetings at the Arizona Biltmore to review progress on NFPA’s strategic objectives so far this fiscal year, which runs July 2021-June 2022. This series of meetings included a targeted session for the Educated Workforce Task Force, a group that focuses on improving the programs that support NFPA’s objective to “increase the number of technical

IFPS looking for engagement in association committees The IFPS spring meeting, held in Charleston, South Carolina, was conducted in person and virtually, with meeting attendance of 90% in person. “The IFPS couldn’t operate without the passion, expertise, time, and effort of the dedicated volunteers who make up our Board of Directors,” said Donna Pollander, IFPS Executive Director. “They have a lot planned for 2022 and are looking for support from the fluid power community. If you have interest or expertise in any of the following areas, please contact me, by emailing dpollander@ifps.org.”

Committees meet via conference calls 2-3 times per year: •

• •

college and university students educated in fluid power and connects them to careers in the fluid power industry.”

The Certification Committee is looking for volunteers to help with the development of a hydraulic technician certification that will cover both mobile and industrial applications. The Education Committee is looking for volunteers to help increase IFPS educational content (online and in person). The Membership Committee announced the official launch of a Mentorship program. The goal of the Mentorship program is to connect early-career individuals and experienced fluid power professionals. The committee will be looking for mentors and mentees in the upcoming months. Details will follow. The Marketing Committee is looking for creative-minded volunteers to help with social and digital marketing.

This year’s priorities in this area include:

•

1. To work to scale reach and impact of Fast Track to Fluid Power initiative. 2. To continue to scale the reach and impact of the University Power Partners program. 3. To increase program reach into underserved communities.

Besides the work accomplished during the meeting, the attendees had some fun too where they enjoyed a carriage ride through historic Charleston, a Fort Sumter tour, and pneumatic bottle races.

Progress to date includes development of a regional planning map for 12 future Fast Track Hubs to bring more fluid power to high schools and tech schools in strategic areas throughout the country as well as a map for targeted expansion of the Power Partner University Program. NFPA also recently announced Michigan and Iowa as the third and fourth states developing Fast Track Hubs, with Michigan set to launch its hub at Macomb Community College in spring 2022. NFPA staff has also been working to develop targets for underserved communities, which has included engaging HBCUs in programs such as the Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge and Fluid Power Clubs. These priorities will help ensure there is a sustainable and strong pipeline of fluid power-educated technical college and university graduates in communities across the country. NFPA nfpa.com

The IFPS will hold its next annual meeting, September 26-29, in San Diego. Visit ifps.org for more details. FPW

FPW

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4 • 2022

FLUID POWER WORLD

DESIGN NOTES Edited by Mary C. Gannon • Editor-in-Chief

FLUID POWER WORLD

4 • 2022

www.fluidpowerworld.com

Global drinks manufacturer cuts air and inefficiencies When a 40 bar turbo compressor situated within an internationally renowned British-based producer of soft drinks broke down, it was faced with two choices: repair or reconfigure. Choosing the latter, the producer found that the old proverb ‘as one door closes, another opens’ proved true. Founded in the late 1930s by an entrepreneurial chemist, Britvic – formerly British Vitamin Products Company – established a reputation for producing fruit juices as an affordable source of vitamins during the Great Depression. Today, Britvic is listed on the London Stock Exchange and globally responsible for over 30 household brands with sites in the UK, France, Brazil and the Republic of Ireland. It is the UK’s largest supplier of branded still soft drinks and continues to increase its presence in the United States. It also has exclusive agreements to make, distribute and market global brands on behalf of Pepsico, including Pepsi, Pepsi MAX, Gatorade and 7UP. Maintaining an operation of this scale requires vast amounts of compressed air. A 40 bar turbo compressor, which was contributing to a three-compressor configuration including two Gardner Denver oil-free 40-bar WH29 units at the firm’s plant in Kylemore, Ireland, failed. This just happened to coincide with another site’s closure in Norwich, England — so its retained contractor, KSM Engineering, presented an option that would see the relocation and reconfiguration of its remaining Norwich assets at the Kylemore site. www.fluidpowerworld.com

Design Notes 4-22_FPW_Vs3.indd 17

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FLUID POWER WORLD

4/20/22 5:57 PM

DESIGN NOTES

This move would not only mean that the 40 bar turbo would no longer be required, but also the contractor believed it would improve the compressed air system’s efficiency considerably. With two factors at play — the closure of the Norwich site and the 40-bar turbo compressor’s failure — it was decided that the compressor should be repaired and then held in plan as a backup unit only. After all, it was understood that while the asset was highly efficient when run at 100% and fully utilized, the very nature of the PET blow molding facility, where the air demand profile rapidly changes from high to low, was leading to volatility when the unit was only partially loaded. This volatility was even affecting CMC’s Airmatics control solution, which Britvic had in place to manage the regular loading and unloading of the two WH29 units. Due to the 40-bar turbo’s inability to handle regular fluctuations in loading and unloading cycles — the very thing that Airmatics is designed to do by ensuring that compressors under its management only load and unload according to demand — it was excluded from the system’s management profile. So that Airmatics could run as planned and manage the two WH29 units during weekends, when air demand was low, the site’s team would have to switch off the turbo so that it could be bypassed to enable Airmatics to run as designed. This manual intervention proved to be an effective workaround; however, it highlighted further flaws in a system that otherwise would have run efficiently and automatically under the direction of Airmatics. “We’d known for some time that the 40-bar turbo unit was only efficient when fully utilized, and that it was causing a series of inefficiencies for a large proportion of the time,” said Kevin Manning, Director at KSM Engineering. “The fact that we were having to incorporate workarounds, none of which were required given how robust the Metacentre control solution was, further signaled that it was time to revaluate our compressor system and restructure the setup in order to get the very best from our assets.” 18

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4 • 2022

Figure 1. Pre-reconfiguration: the

40-bar turbo unit operating alongside two Gardner Denver WH29 units.

Figure 2. New configuration of Britvic’s new setup at its plant in Kylemore, Ireland, has boosted efficiencies and cut unnecessary running costs.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

The two WH28 and WH40 units, which had been operational at the Norwich plant for 18 years, were transported to Britvic’s Kylemore site in Ireland, and installed alongside two existing WH29 reciprocating Gardner Denver compressors. As part of the installation, the Metacentre control platform, which was also used at the Kylemore site, was upgraded to Airmatics, CMC’s most recent IoT solution capable of managing an infinite number of locally interconnected fixed-speed, variable-speed or variable-output air compressors, regardless of age and brand, by responding to feedback in real-time and automatically adjusting settings and performance levels accordingly. The upgrade also enabled the system to measure power per compressor in addition to system dew point and dryer alarm on the air treatment equipment. The inclusion of the solution’s latest generation of visualization technology also meant that performance, power discrepancies and any opportunities to make further gains could be quickly identified. “We knew that we could get more from our Gardner Denver assets. Furthermore, we know that Metacentre, and latterly Airmatics, was the right technology to automatically choose the correct load combination from the four compressors to meet demand at any given time,” said Darren Hanbury, Project Engineer at Britvic Ireland Kylemore West. “The failure of the 40-bar turbo unit was a blessing and the reconfiguration has subsequently given us greater flexibility.” Since Britvic moved its WH28 and WH40 units from Norwich and installed them alongside the two WH29 compressors at its Ireland plant, it has removed the volatility associated with a partially run turbo compressor. Furthermore, the range of power afforded by utilizing a combination of the WH29, WH28 and WH40 compressors, in conjunction with using Airmatics, means that while the system can draw on a total 1.3 megawatts of power if required, it has more choice when it comes to only drawing on what is required at any given time. Prior to installing the revised configuration, the system was drawing

3,345,454 kWh a year with an associated annual running cost of $445,280. Since installing the new setup, Britvic has cut its power and energy bill by 38%, reducing power usage by 1,290,909 kWh and the annual cost by $171,820. “A seamless integration of standalone compressor assets is essential in order to make efficiency gains and cost savings. What was particularly striking about this system prior to its relocation and reconfiguration was that our solution was being taken out of the equation via manual overrides, which was very far from seamless,” said Peter Tomlins, Business Development Manager for Northern Europe at CMC. “By working closely with KSM Engineering and ensuring that all four reciprocating compressors worked harmoniously together, we’ve designed out volatility and ensured that Britvic’s Kylemore site runs optimally at all times.” FPW

CMC airmatics.eu

CMC’s Airmatics unit has reduced

power consumption for Britvic’s Irish operations by 38%.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4 • 2022

FLUID POWER WORLD

DESIGN NOTES By Mary C. Gannon • Editor-in-Chief

The T-18A version of the

Cartridge Flow Transmitter (CFT) from DGD Fluid Power features clear Zinc trivalent electroplating. The CFT provides continuous flow monitoring of all hydraulic functions in a simple, easy to integrate design, a first in the industry.

New cartridge flow transmitter revolutionizes hydraulic flow monitoring Dale Dietel always knew there could be a better way to understand hydraulic system flows. Tired of the frustration born from the lack of easy flow monitoring, he invented his technology to provide continuous flow monitoring of all hydraulic functions — the world’s first Cartridge Flow Transmitter (CFT), from DGD Fluid Power. The CFT offers easy integration into hydraulic systems, requiring no additional hardware or connections for continuous flow monitoring of all critical hydraulic functions. It provides real-time data for predictive maintenance and remote troubleshooting and offers turbine flow accuracy. The CFT is available in standard M42 cartridge style design and Sun Hydraulics cavity T-18A. The majority of hydraulic systems today use integrated circuits consisting of cartridge valves and associated devices. It is necessary to provide reliable and accurate data acquisition of all critical operating conditions inherent in hydraulic systems including pressures, temperatures, and flow rates. Currently, all existing devices to measure flow 20

FLUID POWER WORLD

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in a hydraulic system need to be installed external to any valve manifolds and are both cumbersome and expensive to implement. A patent is pending for the CFT, which is centered around the design of a turbine flow meter within a cartridge body. “The speed of the turbine is sensed differently than existing in-line meters on the market. Existing units use a sensor positioned to sense the tips of the turbine blades passing by. Currently, the geometry necessary to do this made packaging within a cartridge body impossible,” said Dietel. “To overcome this, my design uses a Hall Effect sensor to monitor the speed by sensing magnets in the hub of the turbine. This allows me to have the sensor placed along the axis as opposed to positioned on the circumference of the turbine. This also allows me to have a design without any dynamic seals or rotating parts other than the turbine, which rides on two bearing points on the shaft and with a finite spherical point against the sensing element. “The internal parts of the CFT are manufactured from 316 SS to keep from disrupting the magnetic field. The turbine

www.fluidpowerworld.com

and support element are molded out of Delrin. The CFT is rated at a maximum hydraulic flow of 100 gpm but is designed with field adjustable electronics that can reduce the 4-20 mA outputs to work in the 12-gpm range. Standard switch settings are 25, 50, 75 and 100 gpm,” Dietel said. What is unique about the CFT is the ability to design it into a hydraulic manifold. Current manifold assembly usually requires designers to disassemble in-line flow meters and reassemble the internal components inside integrated manifolds. The CFT eliminates the need to do that and makes replacement feasible as needed. Industry response to the ease of use has been favorable. According to Thomas Wanke, Director of the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Fluid Power Industrial Consortium and Industry Relations, there was nothing out there before that could do what the CFT can. “If you’re a person that’s troubleshooting and you’re looking at an industrial system that has integrated hydraulic manifolds with all these cartridge valves, this is the greatest thing since sliced

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Visit our website for details about these features and more

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Key Features Rugged IP6K9K Rating Wide Voltage Input Range Liquid Cooled Custom Mounting Options

DESIGN NOTES

The CFT is available in standard

M42 cartridge style design and Sun Hydraulics cavity T-18A, which is pictured here.

bread,” Wanke said. “Because the problem with trying to troubleshoot any of those types of circuits, you have to break into them to make those measurements. Even in those integrated manifolds, you don’t have enough pressure tap locations just to measure pressure between different valves in the manifold block and now you can put in a cavity and permanently install a flow meter.” Gary Gotting, President & CEO, Wandfluh of America Inc., added that the American-made design is portable, easy and fast to install. “This was designed by an experienced fluid power engineer that understands the needs of the industry intimately and designed it to meet an actual industry market need — not just because it was an engineer’s random thought,”

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Gotting said. “The well-built, robust design allows for wide flows to be measured.” Gotting added that a standard M12 connector makes for easy interface with standard cables. He also said that the CFT’s wide operating range of 7-36 Vdc makes it compatible with both mobile and industrial applications, while its 4-20 mA output makes it much less susceptible to external electrical noise interference. He said he sees the CFT being used in critical system circuits and systems — where failure would have significant impact. “It can be used as an integrated part of a manifold that will offer continuous and immediate operational information to allow preventative maintenance planning on key aspects of the system from pump output to filter condition to how the system is performing,” Gotting said. “And it can also be a standard installed part for remote equipment to report running health in real-time, i.e. wind power systems, oil recovery machinery, to prevent a catastrophic failure. “(The CFT) is great for a field tech’s tool kit — a single cavity manifold and solid design offers easy hydraulic hook up into the circuit where needed,” he concluded. “Instant and continuous in-place measurement of the circuit performance gives users the ability to make earlier and faster decisions based on real data.” The CFT can be used with hydraulic fluids, transmission fluids, oil-in-water emulsions, water and glycol mixtures and Skydrol. It has a recommended ISO cleanliness code of 17/15/12. The carbon steel cartridge flow transmitter has a < 0.05 sec 22

FLUID POWER WORLD

response time and ±0.5% full range accuracy. It is rated up to pressures of 5,000 psi and for temperatures between –20° to 70°C. “I was motivated to design a cartridge flow meter to fill a perceived gap in the fluid power market for system diagnostics, predictive maintenance and troubleshooting. The industry has had pressure and temperature sensing devices for decades, but flow measurement had been limited to inline devices which are effective, but difficult to apply,” Dietel said of his design. “The design of the CFT also enables it to have minimal pressure drop; less than 1 psi/gallon. “I am a fluid power professional and I realized that there was a gap in available diagnostic instrumentation used to monitor the performance of hydraulic systems and components. While there are many options to monitor and measure pressures and temperatures within a system, tracking fluid volume (flow) is limited to diagnostic equipment generally added to systems after a problem has occurred,” Dietel said. “This design is revolutionary and makes it easy to incorporate this device into a hydraulic system from both a design and a cost perspective. With the ever advancing and developing machine automation, Internet of Things (Iot) and Industry 4.0, closely monitoring fluid flow in a hydraulic system will enhance machine performance, lower operational costs, reduce downtime and enable improved predictive maintenance.” FPW

DGD Fluid Power dgdﬂuidpower.com

4 • 2022

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2020-08-12 2:07 PM

FUNDAMENTALS By Corey Holloway • Sales Manager, anyseals North America

Four tips to manage a sealing product shortage The painful reality is that supply chain challenges are the new normal. Unfortunately, current world conditions have resulted in unavoidable shortages and unforeseen delays in the global availability of all manner of supplies, and there is no clear solution in view. Nevertheless, sealing applications requiring O-rings, rotary sealing products like oil and radial seals, and various commonly used hydraulic and pneumatic seals are in constant demand. When these items are hard to ﬁnd or simply unavailable, what options do industrial customers have? Here are some technical tips to help maintain productivity.

1. Investigate suitable alternatives

There are many industrial sealing products with compatible or slightly better performing alternatives. However, when customers are willing to think outside the traditional supply box, several effective solutions may emerge. For example, the standard nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) oil seal is popular for various reasons. It offers high abrasion resistance and tensile strength and high resistance to petroleumbased oils and fuels, silicone greases, hydraulic fluids, water, and alcohols. Low gas permeability and compression set are additional characteristics. As an alternative, fully coated hydrogenated rubber (HNBR) can be used in the right size and dimensions because it offers comparable features with slightly different compounds. With these facts in mind, a customer seeking the standard NBR product may find the FDA/NSF 61 approved NBR 70 O-ring

| Courtesy of anyseals Inc.

FLUID POWER WORLD

4 • 2022

www.fluidpowerworld.com

appropriate for the application. The price is slightly higher, but FDA/NSF 61 compounds are in stock in many sizes in most cases. Size and color alternatives should also be explored. For example, an oil seal with a 10mm width can potentially be replaced with a 12- or 8-mm width seal. Additionally, FKM in unconventional colors (i.e., green, black) is often in stock. Style alternatives are also worth exploring. For example, a rubber-coated double lip style may serve as a suitable replacement if a customer requests a speciﬁc seal for an application, such as a rubber-coated single lip NBR oil seal. Another option may be a metal-cased O.D. seal with the exact measurements.

2. Know how compounds function

If a customer requests a material compound with a temperature range of –65° to 270°F, it may be pertinent to re-evaluate whether this exact range is necessary for the application. If there is some flexibility, an alternative standard compound with a range of –40° to 250°F, for example, may be sufficient. Using the oil seal as a practical example, the temperature load to which the seal is subjected consists of the temperature of the medium, e.g., oil temperature and the excess temperature induced by the friction between the sealing edge and the shaft. As illustrated in the chart on the next page, multiple materials may meet a customer’s need, although they may not have been considered initially. Temperature compatibility, while important, is just one of several aspects to consider when seeking to fill the need for a sealing product in short supply. Understanding the complete functional threshold of a compound lends itself to more flexibility for brands with comparable

Material

Hardness [Shore A]

Color

High temperature resistance [°C]

Low temperature resistance [°C]

NBR

Black

+ 100

-40

FKM

Brown

+150 continuous +200 max

-30

HNBR

Black

+125

-40

VMQ

Red

+150 continuous +200 max

-55

ACM

Black

+150

-20

specifications. A peer brand with similar performance characteristics may be used temporarily if a preferred brand is unavailable.

3. Re-evaluate your inventory management approach The greatest possible availability of the various standard seals requires substantial warehouse and picking capacity. This makes

a well-established inventory management system exceedingly critical, especially when supplies are low. Customers benefit from a secure product source procured from reputable, certified production manufacturers. Many are partnering with suppliers that use the virtual warehousing concept to meet this objective. This approach

helps suppliers better ensure the availability of a wide range of products when customers need them. And customers improve their productivity and delivery times on all products available. Suppliers like Brecksville, Ohio-based anyseals inc., partner with hundreds of distributors with similar product needs by providing more than 400 million individual sealing products in more than 65,000 sizes. With such a vast offering, the supplier is more likely to have a product, or a comparable alternative, in stock when a customer needs it.

view is imperative. The best thing to do right now is to be as flexible and adaptive as possible. Partner with a reputable supplier to help navigate the chaos when supplies are low and collaborate on preparedness when inventories are up. Finally, keep a finger on the pulse of developing events impacting the procurement of relevant raw materials and the shipping and port resources required by suppliers. These are strong indicators that allow the industries that depend on sealing products to make informed operating decisions.

4. Be realistic

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TRAINING Mary C. Gannon • Editor-in-Chief

Fluid Power Technology Conference returns in Minneapolis and Detroit Fluid Power World will once again be offering in-person technical programming for both iterations of its Fluid Power Technology Conference in 2022. The events are slated for June 6-7 in Minneapolis, at the Hyatt Regency and October 12-13 in Detroit, at Macomb Community College. The events bring together design engineers and maintenance personnel with fluid power manufacturers and industry experts.

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4 • 2022

The FPTC event provides in-depth programming including pre-conference workshops, keynote sessions, industry panels, hands-on technology demonstrations, and networking sessions with the industry’s brightest minds. Returning once again will be Thomas Wanke, Director of the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Fluid Power Industrial Consortium and Industry Relations, and Carl Dyke, founder of CD Industrial and LunchBox sessions. And joining the FPTC for the first time will be Robert J. Sheaf, founder and CEO of CFC Industrial. We are delighted to have three educators of this caliber helping us inform users of fluid power on how to design, use and troubleshoot fluid power technologies. Tom Wanke's 50-year career has been spent mostly at MSOE, helping to shape the minds of countless fluid power engineers.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

Dyke and Sheaf are North America’s most experienced fluid power instructors, bringing more than 60 years of hands-on training to our audience. Sheaf has been an integral part of the International Fluid Power Society throughout his career and Dyke’s LunchBox Sessions simulations bring fluid power schematics to life. Wanke, Dyke and Sheaf will lead several technical basic sessions. Their talks will be a mix of lecture style mixed with some more informal fireside chats to engage attendees in the conversations. Initial topics from them include the following, with more to come: Sensors, hydraulic test instruments and test methods, presented by Carl Dyke —

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as Dyke looks into pressure, flow, level, position and temperature sensors, along with programmable valve drivers and amplifiers. We’ll have fun together studying and measuring common signals and connection schemes. Learn how to use these tools along with test instruments to isolate problems and ensure uptime by diagnosing and fixing faults before they cause real problems. The 3 Biggest Mistakes in Hydraulic System Maintenance, presented by Carl Dyke — What does it really take to get long life and system

reliability from a hydraulic system? Is it knowing when to change ﬁlters or change out components before failure, or is it a matter of monitoring parameters and conditions? In this session Dyke will draw on his ﬁrm's twenty years of assistance with maintenance and system training for hydraulic systems across a broad range of industrial applications both mobile and stationary. Importance of Contamination Control in Hydraulic Systems, presented by Tom Wanke — Experts agree that 70 to 80% of all hydraulic system

failures are a result of contaminants circulating within the hydraulic system. This presentation will cover the types, sources and eﬀects of contaminants on hydraulic components and systems. Methods and technologies will be discussed that eliminate, reduce and/or control

contamination levels for improving hydraulic system reliability and maintaining optimal performance. Attendees will learn how to establish an effective fluid filtration and contamination prevention program. Hydraulic System Schematic Reading Skills with Live Schematics, presented by Carl Dyke — Making sense of the symbols and the

interconnections on hydraulic system schematic diagrams can be challenging. Join Dyke for an interactive presentation that examines the brief and recent history of hydraulic symbol standards. He will use Live Schematics simulations to simplify the reading of mining machine and pulp mill hydraulic schematics. Bring your phone, tablet or laptop to the session to interact with the same systems used in the presentation and to receive a complimentary 90 day account on LunchBoxSessions.com Wanke and Thomas Blansett, CFPAI, IFPS, will also lead two fullday pre-conference workshops in Detroit in October 11 on hydraulic system basics and advanced hydraulics. Additional presentations will be offered by sponsoring exhibitors with technical talks on specific components and technologies. Topics to be presented will include pressure intensifiers from IC Fluid Power, hydraulic pumps, electrohydraulic technologies, sensing and testing, fittings and hose, valves, cylinders, and more. Plenary sessions will include speaker presentations and panel discussions on challenges and solutions to workforce development, mobile hydraulic electrification, fluid power and the energy market, advanced manufacturing, and more. The event features networking opportunities, with manufacturers being available at their booths, during breaks, lunch and an evening cocktail hour. Supporting industry associations include the IFPS (International Fluid Power Society), NAHAD (The Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution), ESA (Equipment Service Association), International), FPDA (motion control solutions network), and ISD (International Sealing Distribution Association). Visit fluidpowertechconference.com for more details and to register for FPTC Minneapolis. Earlybird registration of $295 closes April 29. After April, registration will be $395. FPW

FLUID POWER WORLD

4 • 2022

FONTAINEBLEAU MIAMI BEACH MAY 14–18, 2022

NAHAD is a collaborative network of more than 400 distributors and manufacturers cultivating growth and dialogue in the hose and accessories industry. For 37 years, NAHAD members have gathered to share insights, learn from business experts, and forge connections. Join us this May for the 38th Annual Convention and discover the benefits of NAHAD membership.

WWW.NAHAD.ORG/CONVENTION

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT By Mary C. Gannon • Editor-in-Chief

2022 Maha fluid power conference

returns to Purdue University in May Purdue’s Maha Fluid Power Research Center will host the 2022 Maha Fluid Power Conference at Purdue University from May 17 to 19. The goal of the conference is to network, exchange ideas, and present the recent research trends in ﬂuid power and related applications. The conference program includes technical presentations, keynote lectures, and a half-day workshop. Social events, such as networking breakfasts, breaks, lunches, and dinners will also be included. Speakers will be coming from other prominent fluid power research universities, said Andrea Vacca, Maha

Katharina Schmitz, EngD RWTH Aachen University 30

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Fluid Power Faculty Chair, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, joint with Agricultural and Biological Engineering. “The two keynote speakers are from the two most important labs in Germany and certainly among the most important labs in the world. We have Katharina Schmitz from IFAS in Aachen and Jürgen Weber, from Dresden, who will give talks about mobile machinery. Then we have some other professionals from Europe, from Tampere University and Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, both in Finland and Linköping University, in Sweden,” Vacca said. “So really the top schools, the top centers for fluid power in the Scandinavian region that is traditionally very strong are well represented. And we have also some other presenters from Italy — from Technical University of Turin and the University of Naples. Then we have other speakers from Purdue, University of Michigan, and Minnesota. “I think the technical community is well represented. Then, we also have presentations from industry, and here we had a call for presentations,” Vacca said. “There is a lot that relates to challenges for mobile machinery, everything that is going on for the application side. But there is also a lot on the component side. We will talk about pump design, simulation tools for hydraulics, even use of artificial intelligence. We'll speak about electrification a lot. So really everything that reflects the top topics in this field.” Participants will have the chance to tour the Maha Fluid Power Research Center’s facilities before dinner on May 18. Participants will have also the chance to tour other Purdue facilities.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

The 2022 Maha Fluid Power Conference will have a similar structure as the 2019 CCEFP Summit, which hosted approximately 170 conference delegates (more than half from fluid power industry). The two keynote speakers will present opening lectures on the first two days of proceedings. Katharina Schmitz, EngD, RWTH Aachen University and Jürgen Weber, EngD, Technische Universität Dresden, will speak on May 17th and May 18th, respectively. Schmitz will speak on New Challenges for Mobile Machinery, while Weber will discuss Bauen 4.0 – Communicating Construction Machines as Prerequisite for Digital Construction Processes. A pre-conference workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 17. The half-day fluid power workshop will start at 8:30 a.m. Two topics will be offered: Topic A: Metering control technologies and demonstration — This will cover fundamental concepts of metering control in hydraulic control systems. The features of meter-in and meter-out hydraulic control are illustrated. The meter-in control concept is further expanded to the technologies of load sensing and open center control which are commonly used in mobile hydraulics. It includes a theoretical lecture followed by a hands-on experience on newer hydraulic trainers. Topic B: Uses of Augment Reality (AR) for fluid power training — This will focus on providing an overview of the essential software and hardware tools necessary to develop modules for fluid power training for applications in sales, component and system development or traditional onboarding. The workshop presents the

fundamental concepts for the creation of virtual elements and tools that can be used to augment the learning experience. Additionally, the event will conclude with a networking and recruiting event. On May 19 at 1:30 PM, companies are invited to attend a student recruiting event, highlight internships and job opportunities, and network with students. Students enrolled in Purdue's College of Engineering, College of Agriculture, and College of Technology will be invited. There is no fee to participate in the recruitment event. Deadline to register for the recruitment event (not participate in the Maha conference) is May 13. The Maha Fluid Power Research Center is a University Research Center of Purdue University and it is the largest academic lab in the United States focusing on fluid power research. The center has two core faculty members, more than 5 Jürgen Weber, EngD affiliated faculty, 2 permanent staff, and around 30 Technische Universität Dresden researchers focusing their research on various fluid power topics such as novel hydraulic components and systems, following original approaches including both computer modeling and real-world experimentation. The center has available 15,000 square feet of lab space, including several test rigs and prototype vehicles. Registration is free for students and faculty from academic institutions. See the full conference program and register at engineering.purdue.edu/Maha/2022_MahaConference.

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4 • 2022

FLUID POWER WORLD

DISTRIBUTER UPDATE By Mary C. Gannon • Editor-in-Chief

| Courtesy of Adobe Stock

Hose and accessories distributors to meet in Miami for NAHAD’s 2022 Convention The Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution (NAHAD)

•

2022 Convention, scheduled for May 14–18 in Miami Beach, brings together distributors, suppliers, and manufacturers for a program of engaging speakers and panel discussions, business development opportunities, and exhibits featuring the latest innovations and products in the industry. “After our 2021 convention in Arizona, we asked attendees what they wanted to see at this year’s convention. Their feedback and suggestions helped guide our planning to create the most valuable and informative event in the industry,” said NAHAD Executive Vice President Molly Alton Mullins. “Every year we keep the most important aspect of the convention: plenty of opportunities for members to network, connect, and strengthen business relationships.” Highlights for this year’s convention include: 32

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Six educational sessions on key industry topics, such as sales and marketing, succession planning, talent retention, and global economic concerns; The Showcase of Hose Solutions, where suppliers display the latest hose, fittings, equipment, and services offered by the industry. A current exhibitor list is included on the next page; The presentation of the George W. Carver Award, which honors a member who exemplifies the spirit of teamwork and commitment shown by NAHAD’s third president and founding father; and Multiple networking opportunities, ranging from speed networking to emerging leader social events to opening and closing receptions.

Key sessions include the Opening General Session on Sunday, THRIVE, with Meridith Elliott Powell, who will share innovative strategies to redeﬁne disruption and turn uncertainty into a competitive advantage. Breakouts on Sunday include workshops on succession planning with Powell and sales/marketing with Gerry O’Brion.

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Company Name

Monday’s sessions will kick off with a panel, “Winning the War for Talent” with Alex Chausovsky. The member luncheon, keynote and Carver Award will be held Monday afternoon. The keynote, “Exponential Success Through the Third Door,” will be given by Alex Banayan. Monday night will conclude with the Manufacturer and Associate Hospitality Suites, which will be held at various locations throughout the property, including the Ocean Lawn, La Cote Lawn, Reflect, Upper La Cote, Lower La Cote, Glimmer Terrace, and Arkadia Pool. The closing general session on Tuesday, May 17 will feature The Economist’s Vijay Vaitheeswaran. With experience as U.S. Business Editor and China Business Editor, he will break down the big picture trends to assess the challenging uncertainty in the economy and likely scenarios toward sustainable recovery for U.S. industries. The event will be held at the Fountainebleau, Miami Beach, which will afford many oceanside networking events, such as the opening and closing parties. The opening party will be held on the hotel’s Ocean Lawn, stretching along the Miami Beach boardwalk. The closing party will afford attendees views of the Atlantic from the Fontainebleau’s fourth-floor terrace. The popular Speed Networking will be offered on Monday, May 16 from 9-12. This fast-paced session matches up manufacturers and distributors in a “musical chairs” format. Registration is required, and manufacturers must limit their participation to no more than two attendees. “Our convention directly supports NAHAD’s position at the forefront of the industry,” said NAHAD President Jeff Scheininger. “With the engaging sessions and opportunities to grow business, the convention delivers forward-looking insights to stay competitive and profitable.” FPW

Visit www.nahad.org/convention for more information.

Booth Number

Company Name

Booth Number

Adaptall

410

OP USA Inc.

323

Air-Way Global Manufacturing

518

OPW

215

ALAFLEX

426

Penﬂex

423

ALFAGOMMA

206

PIRANHA HOSE PRODUCTS

207

Snap-tite Hose

219

Plastiﬂex

424

American Biltrite

532

Polyhose Inc.

306

Anco International

201

Ponaﬂex Hose Manufacturing, Inc.

313

APG

114

Premier Industrial Hose Manufacturing Ltd

329

Atlantex Manufacturing Corporation

409

Proco Products

305

Balﬂex

123

ProFlow Dynamics, LLC

326

BAND IT

503

ProPulse, A Schieﬀer Company

304

Bee Valve

104

301

Brennan Industries

113

Python Protective Sleeves + Covers

501

Continental

316

Rubber Tree Systems

333

Coronet Parts Mfg. Co., Inc.

327

Tricoﬂex by SAMES KREMLIN

106

Couplamatic Systems Inc.

404

Semperit

308

Coxreels

108

Service First Processing

432

CRP Industrial

415

SHF Family

107

CUSTOM CRIMP

405

Smart-Hose Technologies

128

Danfoss Power Solutions

508

Smithers

412

DDI System

310

Specialty Saw Inc.

416

Dicsa America LLC

233

Spectronics Corporation

Dixon

431/433

216

SRM INDUSTRIES INC

511/513

Entire Coupling

120

Stauﬀ Corporation

116

Faster Quick Couplings

517

Stucchi USA

232

FedPro

223

SUPERKLEAN

523

Fittings Unlimited INC.

125

Texcel

401

FLEXAUST

522

The Home Rubber Company

500

Gates Corporation

505

Titeﬂex / US Hose

109

Globe Products

225

Tramec Sloan

217

Green Leaf/TerreMax

425

Tribute, Inc.

400

HANSA-FLEX USA

214

Tuder FT

402

Thermoid

322

Ultra Clean Technologies Corp

317

Hi-Tech Duravent

328

UIP International Inc

421

Holmbury Inc.

315

Uniﬂex of America

227

Hose Master

300

Unilog

302

HYDAC Technology Corporation

314

Vitillo USA

112

Ideal Tridon Group

222

Watson-Marlow Aﬂex

411

IBS Industrial

407

World Wide Fittings

307

Interlynx Systems, LLC

509

Ximple Solutions

417

Jomar Valve

514

Kanaﬂex Corporation

332

KCI Publishing Corporation

111

Key Industrial Hose (KIH)

324

Kongberg Automotive, Fluid Transfer Systems

212

Kuriyama Industrial and Layﬂat Hose

209

Kuriyama Hydraulic Connections

210

Kurt Manufacutring

502

LGV Coupling

213

Finn-Power

319

Marken Manufacturing

309

Masterduct, Inc.

312

Jason Industrial/Megadyne America Midland Industries

414 406/408

MTO Hose Solutions, Inc.

205

NewAge Industries

422

NorthWest Hydraline

413

Novaﬂex

218

NRP JONES LLC

122

Omegaﬂex

119

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4 • 2022

FLUID POWER WORLD

ENERGY EFFICIENCY Ron Marshall • Contributing Editor

The magic of compressed air heat recovery A facilities manager at a building products plant attended a compressed air efficiency seminar sponsored by his local utility. He learned about optimizing air compressors, filters, dryers, and piping. He discovered how to arrange to have a baseline taken of his compressed air system to assess its efficiency. He discovered the excellent savings he could achieve if he reduced his leaks and changed his compressor control to variable speed mode. But the thing that really caught his attention was a bit he learned about heat recovery.

The biggest output of an air compressor, he discovered, was heat, and plenty of it. And heat was on his mind. It had been a mighty cold winter, and his maintenance workers were constantly complaining about the chilled working conditions they experienced in their drafty, poorly insulated old plant. Basically, for every kilowatt an air compressor consumes, about the same amount of heat is expelled from the compressor cooling system — in this case, an air-cooled compressor. He was changing his compressor anyway, so he arranged to have the ventilation ducting modified so that waste compressor heat, previously blown outside in winter, was directed right to the area where his workers were complaining. His staff were thrilled with the nice compressor heat blowing up their backs, just like a fireplace. He was thrilled because the compressor heat reduced his natural gas heating bill. And the power utility was happy too — so much so that they cut him a check to help pay for his new system. A win/win/win arrangement!

Are you interested in getting inspired by attending similar compressed air training? Check out the offerings from Compressed Air Challenge at compressedairchallenge.org. FPW

Heat from the air compressor is directed through these ducts to cold areas in winter. This feature was met with compliments from the plant employees who suffered through cool working conditions in winter. A damper directs the heat outdoors in summer. 34

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considerations for

offshore oil & gas environments by: josh cosford, contributing editor

envir onmen resistance, tally friendly fluids, technologie and fire- and e xplosiocorr osion options nec s are ju st some of th n-pr oof ess ary in of e fshore u se. design

offshore oil and gas applications are one of the most demanding environments for a machine of any name, let alone hydraulic equipment. Offshore describes the open water, of course, and those waters are nearly always salty oceans. If you’re reading this from the Salt Belt, you understand the destruction left in the wake of sodium chloride crystals spread across roads and highways to melt snow. Salt is very corrosive, especially in the presence of water, making the ocean a prime source of oxidative stress on metal components and structures.

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Not all oil rigs are in bodies of water with names ending in Gulf, as it turns out. You’d be surprised with the number of oil reserves found in the Arctic. Take the effects of saltwater and add to it extreme cold, and you’ve got an extreme operating environment by any standard. So, you’d guess correctly that fluid power operates in all corners of the earth, and offshore oil and gas are not exempt. Hydraulic power finds itself the primary motivation for many machines and functions on offshore oil rigs, both above and below sea level. For example, motion compensators, blowout preventers and snubbers and various material handling applications take advantage of the power and control of hydraulics. In fact, some drill rigs employ fifteen or more hydraulic cylinders to activate various functions. A common thread to all hydraulic components in offshore oil & gas describes both the construction and finishing techniques. To stomp with the big offshore dogs, hydraulics must withstand the threats of its environment while also operating successfully in its sensitive environment. As it turns out, crude oil is quite flammable, so the control systems must take care to avoid being an ignition source. The right fluids for the job

The hydraulic fluid used in offshore applications must exhibit unique qualities suitable to the environment. First and foremost, that environment is the environment. As you’d suspect, the opportunity to harm our ocean’s flora and fauna with a toxic hydraulic oil leak should be mitigated without prejudice. Off-theshelf mineral-based hydraulic oil need not apply for this role. Environmentally friendly fluids mitigate the damage to fish, coral and plant life should a leak or blowout occur. Should it leak into the ocean, subsea environmental fluid is acceptable to discharge without causing any harm to its sensitive surroundings directly. Manufacturers offer both oil and waterbased fluids for subsea operation, and regardless of the base compound, both must meet the criteria for these extreme 38

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conditions. Extremely low viscosity fluid created from a synthetic base offers an advantage over conventional hydraulic fluid. A little-known property of hydraulic fluid is its propensity to become more viscous as pressure increases. In fact, hydraulic fluid may double dynamic viscosity as pressure increases from 1 to 400 bar. 400 bar (5,800 psi) sounds like extreme pressure, and in absolute terms, it is. However, you must consider how undersea operating depths may offset the design pressure of hydraulic components. At 10,000 feet deep, ambient pressure is 4,330 psi, so as far as the hydraulic components are concerned, they’re only withstanding 1,470 psi of relative pressure. However, in absolute terms, that 5,800 psi still increases viscosity. Because industrial hydraulics usually perform within stable thermal conditions, temperature changes are not extreme enough to change viscosity much. Conversely, undersea temperatures vary widely, sometimes in the exact location, so undersea hydraulic fluid should be manufactured with high viscosity index (its ability to maintain viscosity under a wide temperature range). Seals should be suitable for low-temperature operation because of near-freezing underwater temperatures and because not all offshore hydraulic components are underwater during operation. Design hydraulic machines for their environment, whether for an arctic SPAR or semisubmersible in the Gulf of Mexico. Because highpressure crude oil sprays with such vigor during a blowout, it atomizes like it was sprayed from a giant fuel injector, making a highly flammable combination of fuel and air. Hydraulic fluids for offshore oil & gas should not support flame, so high www.fluidpowerworld.com

proportional spool valves ng6 from Wandfluh are direct operated proportional spool valves with 4 connections in 5-chamber system. the pressure tight encapsulated Ex-protection solenoid coil prevents an explosion on the inside penetrating to the outside as well as an ignitable surface temperature, while the stainless execution is especially suitable for the use in wet and salty environment.

Unique and custom manifold from Wandfluh is used on ROV Launch and Recovery system (LARS) for winch use. It offers a full explosion-proof design, with low power 9W (L9) Ex (ATEX) coils. The all zinc/nickel plated manifold is rated for greater than 1,000 hours to red rust. Isolation ball valves are included for maintenance or for fluid safety.

water-based fluids make an ideal candidate, especially for abovesea applications. Any oil-based hydraulic fluid should be relegated for use only in subsea applications, where it cannot mix with air to create a flame thrower. Corrosion-resistance tops the needs

Whenever possible, hydraulic components such as cylinders should be constructed with corrosion-resistant materials. Reliability in the face of extreme conditions trumps every other consideration since something like a blowout preventer must absolutely work the ﬁrst time, even if it hadn’t been engaged in years. The alloy of choice for cylinders, motors, valves and

major components subject to rush is 316 stainless steel. Stainless can be expensive, especially for huge cylinders (and very many are large in oil & gas). So, using other methods of corrosion protection may be acceptable. For example, electroless nickel plating oﬀers excellent correction protection, wear resistance, and surface hardness. The laborious plating process isn’t inexpensive but oﬀers a solution a fraction of the investment in something like a 12-in. bore cylinder with some 20ft stroke or more. Valves constructed using corrosion-resistant technology are more important than you think. Sure, you can paint the outside of any valve with marinegrade epoxy, but that does

nothing to help the internals. Yes, corrosion and rust can occur inside steel components, even in the presence of oil. For undersea hydraulic applications, it’s nearly impossible to keep seawater out permanently. In fact, specialty hydraulic fluid manufacturers often publish data on their fluid’s resistance to seawater. Seawater must not be left entrained in hydraulic fluid, as it will degrade the fluid over time should it be left alone. With the potential for internal corrosion, stainless steel valves

rexroth offers directional spool valves with electrohydraulic actuation for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. | courtesy of bosch rexroth

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1-763-784-5531 www.SuperSwivels.com

O F F S H O R E

H Y D R A U L I C S

variable displacement axial piston pumps such as the v30d from hawe hydraulik are suitable for continuous operation in challenging marine applications. They adjust the geometric output volume from maximum to zero. as a result they vary the flow rate that is provided to the consumers.

make sense for oﬀshore oil & gas applications. Aluminum valve bodies and manifolds are ideally suited for internal exposure to seawater, but epoxy paint must be applied to external surfaces to prevent a galvanic reaction that corrodes aluminum. Also, aluminum should never be mixed with stainless steel, where this reaction is most extreme. Materials are key in fire-resistance

Epoxy paint for offshore applications must offer myriad performance benefits, such as flexibility, fire resistance and corrosion protection, all the while formulated with consideration to the environment. In addition, any paint used in offshore applications must be biodegradable to prevent damaging the surrounding animal and plant life. The rig manufacturer will provide the specs to the manufacturer of the cylinder, motor, valves or power units, which is likely the same type and brand used on the other critical rig components. As previously mentioned, conditions conducive to creating and supporting flame must be avoided. Not only is fire dangerous because of the quantity of fuel available, but it can also be tough to extinguish. Furthermore, once started, a fire can lead to explosions, which result in severe injury, death and loss of property. Passive fire protection is essential, like 40

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flame-resistant epoxy paint, insulated power unit enclosures, or all-metal construction, where possible. However, just as resisting fire is important, so too is avoiding igniting any leaking oil. A technology called explosionproof refers to the valve coil, controller or other components unable to send a flame or spark outside of itself, avoiding the possibility to ignite any fuel source. Explosion-proof technology is part of the industry specification and requires rigorous certification through independent bodies such as the Underwriter Laboratories. Unfortunately, the process is also expensive, so few manufacturers offer explosion-proof valves and components. For that matter, manufacturing anything for offshore oil & gas is expensive because reliability and safety are number one. But because hydraulics is just so good at what it does, the effort put into specialty components to serve the offshore oil industry is worth it. FPW

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect with thousands of engineering design professionals online.

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Build a better machine by partnering with HydraForce. You’ll gain access to unmatched systems expertise, manufacturing prowess and game-changing innovations of the world’s premier hydraulic control solutions company. Learn how our latest advances can give your machine a competitive edge at HydraForce.com

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HF Building Ad (FPW) 04-22 F.indd 1

3/14/22 1:59 PM

M O B I L E

H Y D R A U L I C S

NOVEL TUNNEL-BORING MACHINE TAKES ON MINING HYDRAULICALLY POWERED UNIT IS THE FIRST TO CUT RECTANGULAR TUNNELS IN HARD ROCK

KEN KORANE • TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

Circular,

full-face tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are well-engineered,

proven pieces of equipment, and they’re considered the most efficient machines for mechanical excavation of tunnels in rock. But they are not often used in underground mining. That’s because mines generally require a flat floor, so rubber-tired vehicles can readily transport materials and personnel. Driving a tunnel with a circular full-face TBM requires secondary operations to create the flat roadway, such as leveling the bottom slopes by drill and blast or by pouring a concrete floor. Such methods are time consuming and add expense. As a result, most mines excavate mining drifts and access tunnels through slow and arduous drill-and-blast techniques. 42

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Robbins, headquartered in Solon, Ohio, has now developed a non-circular tunnel boring machine, the MDM5000 (Mine Development Machine), to address these shortcomings. The MDM5000 produces a rectangular cross section 5 m wide and 4.5 m high with a flat tunnel invert. (The invert is the lowest section of a tunnel: the floor on a square-bottom configuration or approximately the bottom 90° arc of a circular tunnel.) If additional cross-sectional area is not needed for ventilation flow or other purposes, then the rectangular shape is most efficient. Compared with a circular profile, the rectangular tunnel can have the same useable roadway width with a smaller crosssectional area, which means substantially less rock to excavate and haul away.

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THE ROBBINS MDM5000 IS THE FIRST BORING MACHINE OF ITS KIND TO CUT RECTANGULAR TUNNELS. www.fluidpowerworld.com

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TRADITIONAL TBMS ARE DESIGNED TO CUT CIRCULAR TUNNELS. THEY’RE GENERALLY NOT USED FOR MINING.

MDM design While other machines have been developed for cutting relatively soft material, the MDM5000 represents the first successful foray into rectangular hard-rock tunneling, according to Robbins officials. It’s designed for use in rock up to 200 MPa UCS (uniaxial compressive strength). The MDM relies on much the same technology as in more traditional TBMs, said Chief Engineer Dennis Ofiara, including 30 double-disc cutters that each run in the same track during a boring cycle. Nominal individual load per cutter is 267 kN (60,000 lbf). During boring, front and rear hydraulic grippers extend against the tunnel walls and react against the machine’s forward thrust, as in standard TBMs. A unique floating gripper system pushes on the sidewalls and locks in place while propel cylinders extend, allowing the MDM to advance. Rear gripper and torque cylinders provide steering, much like on circular TBMs. Hydraulic thrust cylinders extend and push the cutters into the rock. The transfer of this high thrust through the rolling disc cutters fractures the rock, causing chips to break away from the tunnel face. Because the rock is mechanically fractured, no secondary crushing is required and the broken rock is well-suited for conveyor haulage. 44

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In addition, continuous ground support is placed immediately behind the cutterhead in a mine-standard pattern. Installation of ground support and utilities such as piping, ventilation, and lighting are done simultaneously to boring. The cutting geometry, however, is completely diﬀerent. Unlike other TBMs with rotating heads that bore a circular crosssection tunnel, the MDM5000 excavates with a reciprocating and swinging cutterhead

motion to generate the rectangular crosssection tunnel with a flat invert. Hydraulic cylinders swing the cutterhead up and down about a horizontal axis, and the cutters sweep across the rock face with nearly constant penetration to provide the most effective cutting action. Muck (excavated ore and rock) removal in the MDM also differs from a standard TBM. Each down-sweep of the cutterhead pushes muck rearwards onto an apron, where twin loading wheels on each side move it to a center hopper and onto a chain conveyor that carries it to the rear. A Robbins extensible tunnel conveyor system then hauls away the muck. On a standard TBM, in contrast, buckets empty onto a belt conveyor as the cutterhead rotates. Like other TBMs, the MDM is equipped with a hydraulically operated roof shield that protects the front gripper area. Special hightensile wire mesh for mine support and rock bolts are installed just behind the roof shield. Hydraulic percussive-type drills supplied by Fletcher install the bolts across the width of the roof. Impressive hydraulics To manage the major functions, sizeable hydraulic components and systems abound on the MDM5000. According to Ofiara, these include:

HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS ON A TBM PUSH DISC CUTTERS INTO THE ROCK FACE. HIGH THRUST THROUGH THE ROLLING CUTTERS FRACTURES THE MATERIAL.

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Two cutterhead swing cylinders with 430 mm bore, 260 mm rod diameter and 2,680 mm stroke. The swing cylinders provide 113˚ of operation in either direction from horizontal and generate 3,500 kNm maximum torque. Two cutterhead thrust cylinders with 850 mm bore, 750 mm rod diameter and 225 mm stroke. The cutterhead cylinders provide maximum thrust of 10,876 kN. A double-ended front gripper cylinder with 750 mm bore, 550 mm rod diameter and 2 × 550 mm stroke. Front gripper maximum force is 14,594 kN. Four 150 mm bore cylinders handle the hydraulic roof supports.

Seven high-pressure pumps for cutterhead extension and swing functions are rated at 317 bar (4,600 psi) maximum, said Oﬁara. Other circuits use lower pressures. The cutterhead units are variable-displacement Oilgear piston pumps with constant-horsepower control. They’re driven by 112 kW electric motors on soft start controllers. Various smaller pumps supply accessory circuits. The main power unit module holds six of the 112 kW motors and has installed power of 950 kW. This unit measures 1,100 mm wide × 1,800 mm high × 6,400 mm long. The main 8,100 l (2,140 gal) reservoir mounts above this pump module and measures 1,600 × 1,100 × 5,400 mm. In addition, four muck gathering wheels collect the cut rock and feed it to the central chain conveyor. Two wheels on each side are connected by power-transmission chain driven by a single hydraulic motor. The chain conveyor, driven by a 1,800 cc/rev piston-type motor from SAI Hydraulics, is run by a separate 75 kW power unit. Capacity is 300 tons per hour. Likewise, the roof bolting system has its own HPU with a 93 kW and two 55 kW modules. All power equipment, including three smaller auxiliary HPUs, mounts on skid type gantries towed behind the MDM. Like other TBMs, the MDM tows a back-up system composed of seven gantries, plus three storage gantries for supplies. The back-up gantries provide space to mount the power and control equipment, dust scrubber and ventilation system, muck removal and other systems. This

is, in essence, a tunneling plant that produces a finished, wellsupported roadway tunnel with life-of-mine piping installed. Contamination control The hydraulic system uses mineral oil fluid, standard for the Fresnillo silver mine in Zacatecas, Mexico where the machine operates. It also has an Ansul type fire-protection system. To control fluid contamination each pump has a suction separator and a pressure filter on the outlet side. A kidney-loop circulation system runs constantly and provides additional filtration and desiccant moisture removal. All large cylinders have induction-hardened rods and hard chrome plating, which Robbins engineers deemed to offer the best protection for this environment (abrasive materials but no acidic or aggressive liquids, only water). Special heavy-duty rod wipers are used. Fluid connections include welded pipe where feasible and hose protectors where possible. The cutterhead extension cylinders have a hood-type shield and an external wiper. Neither a telescopic hood shield, nor a boottype protector, could be used on the cutterhead swing cylinders due to limited space, particularly when the rod ends pass “over center” through the mounting clevis on the cutterhead rotation drum. The swing cylinders have a water flush system on the rods to help flush away debris from the rock cutting action. Large cartridge-type logic valves control the major cylinders, along with large counterbalance valves on cutterhead swing cylinders to control the overhung load. A PLC system controls all the valves. The machine operator sits in an air-conditioned cab with HMI and computer screens for operation, machine guidance, mine conveyor control, and control of accessories. CCTV provides the operator with necessary monitoring of the working areas. MDM in operation The machine is currently cutting an access tunnel at the Fresnillo mine. The MDM was assembled as completely as possible on the surface and transported to the -695 m level www.fluidpowerworld.com

THE FRONT GRIPPER CYLINDER PUSHES AGAINST THE SIDEWALLS AND LOCKS IN PLACE, PERMITTING THE CUTTERHEAD (NOT SHOWN) TO ADVANCE. THE CYLINDER HAS A BORE OF ABOUT 30 IN. AND SUPPLIES GRIPPING FORCE OF MORE THAN 3 MILLION LBF.

of the mine in three main modules: the cutterhead, front main frame, and rear gripper section. Final assembly was completed in a launch cavern only slightly larger than the 5 m x 4.5 m dimensions of the MDM cut. The MDM5000 is particularly suited for long access tunnels and development drifts or passageways, such as mine access tunnels, ventilation tunnels as well as ore haulage tunnels. The MDM5000 is currently boring in andesite and shale with quartz intrusions, with advance rates up to 52 m in one week and 191 m in one month. Thus, MDM tunneling has advance rates roughly twice that of a drill-and-blast heading, is safer, and results in smooth tunnel walls and less overbreak. Higher advance rates are partly due to the machine’s continuous progress, unlike drill-and-blast operations where crews must exit the tunnel during blasting for safety. In addition, simultaneous ground support installation further increases overall advance rates compared with drill-and-blast operations that must install ground support sequentially. The technology is not only useful for the mining industry, but for many applications in civil tunneling as well. FPW

Robbins robbinstbm.com

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best practices for providing dry air in a job shop Downtime and inefficiency don't have to be your production line's worst enemy. Contributed by Mike Kreklau, Technical Sales at Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions

You want shop equipment that comes with no strings attached -- no downtime and no maintenance. Maybe that’s a pipe dream, but there are ways to fix many air-related symptoms of an inefficient machine shop. Water in air lines can corrode, rust, and scale your air lines, which can create obstructions. The ensuing pressure drop hampers machine performance and has the potential to cause permanent damage. When clean, dry air is critical to your business, you need air preparation that’s efficient and effective. There are four best practices that’ll make your shop a well-oiled (and well-aired) machine. Here’s how you can efficiently provide high-quality air to your machines – without sacrificing their health.

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| All images courtesy of Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions

1. Start with the compressor (Did you know it’s common for a 100-hp compressor to create 30 gallons of condensate in a single, 8-hour shift?) The presence of a high-quality compressed-air system is a common oversight in factories. The common attitude seems to be, “As long as there’s not water shooting out the end of an air hose, we’re OK.” If your compressor draws air from inside the building, think of all the junk it’s inhaling: • • • •

Oils Coolants Vapors Welding smoke

It’s usually better to bring in fresh air from outside the building. This will also reduce demand on your air conditioners. Nonetheless, outside air needs reliable ﬁltering as well: •

Compressor rooms need thorough ventilation to oﬀset the extreme heat they generate – that heat expands the air’s capacity to hold moisture. Air input should be low to the ground, and output as high as possible. Vent it outside, if practical. During cold weather, pipe this air back into your facility to reduce heating cost.

• •

Keep air intake away from loading docks or exhaust vents to avoid collecting carbon monoxide from trucks and furnaces. Use storage tanks with automatic drains, and check them regularly. Many shops have drains but allow them to get fouled up with dirt and rust. This causes water to build in your tank and forces your air compressor to work harder.

2. Properly plumb the system (Did you know that for every 20°F that compressed air cools, it loses 50% of its capacity to hold water? If water condenses in a pipe, the only place for it to go is down — and into your ﬁlter or tool.) About 95% of industrial facilities (large and/or old ones in particular) have improperly designed air piping. Yet most of them don’t want to replumb their system because of the cost. Or, the “expert” involved plumbs the shop like they would a house because they don’t know any better. Installing an air dryer can act as a factory “replumbing” solution on its own. Unfortunately, many shops don’t have air dryers, or aren’t using theirs correctly. The lack of robust

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drying means you must put special detail into plumbing the air system. What can you do? Enforce the “looping” ability of your air system so it can travel in both directions. Why is a looping system important? Example: Picture a 100 ft2 building. If your system only uses a straight, 400 ft piece of pipe, you might start with 120 psi. Anything traveling along that pipe creates friction, so by the time air reaches the pipe’s end, it might only have 80 psi. If the application requires 90 psi or more, you’ll have to increase initial pressure beyond

Properly ventilated compressor rooms with low intake and high exhaust maximize eﬃciency and equipment longevity.

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Point-of-use dryers and ﬁlters, pictured here and lower right, protect critical equipment where needed. 120 psi, so it’s still above 90 psi when it reaches the machine. To improve system eﬃciency, develop a properly looped main header line that eliminates dead ends where water can collect and minimizes pressure drop throughout. 1.

3. 4.

Make room for storage tanks. Tanks that are too small for the demand may cause the compressor to cycle more often. Using larger tanks conserves electricity and reduces heat generation at the compressor. Use a regulator to store air at a higher pressure so you don’t need to run your entire system at that pressure. Use large-diameter piping to mitigate pressure drops. (Never use PVC plastic.) Use a drip leg at low points. If there’s condensation in your pipes, it’ll run down the drip leg and to your auto drain for ejection. Downstream from there, install a riser pipe with a 6 in. minimum height. Since it’s hard for water to flow uphill, this component should reside off the top of your air pipe. Install an automatic tank drain to ensure your tank stays free of moisture. Bulk water in your air tank reduces its capacity for storing air. This promotes tank corrosion, reduces motor efficiency and can allow moisture carryover.

3. Treat air efficiently The purpose of a compressed-air dryer is to reduce humidity and condensing in the lines. But don’t assume your equipment receives dry air just because you have a dryer in-house. Addressing the most critical, dewpoint sensitive, air requirement in your facility with only one dryer is pricey and inefficient. A 50°F dew point dryer often works fine for general applications in which the goal is simply “no liquid water.” In some cases, a smaller point-of-use dryer tailored for a specific machine or application can slash your up-front cost and energy use while providing extremely clean, dry air (down to –80° dew point). Even if multiple small dryers are used in this way, they’ll still combine to use less energy than a single large dryer. Your filter’s location also affects its performance. Many installers place filters right on the compressor’s outlet. This accomplishes almost nothing — warm air will

In some applications, point-of-use ﬁltration becomes equally, if not more, important. Whether you have an air dryer or not, many pieces of equipment need coalescing ﬁlters to remove oil and tiny particles.

FLUID POWER WORLD

4 • 2022

www.fluidpowerworld.com

suspend vapor, which a filter can’t remove. Example: Say you have a welding shop with a plasma cutter. Your air filter is on the wall, 200 ft away from your machine, so you run an air hose to the cutter. There are different temperatures on the floor versus up on the wall, which expedites cooling of the air. This means condensate will travel through your line and wreak havoc on your plasma cutter tips. Instead, place the filter directly on or within 3-10 ft of your cutter. The closer, the better. Notably, many folks don’t even realize the need for filtration in front of a dryer. Why? Because a lot of sellers don’t provide this all-in-one solution. Consider investing a little more up-front for an air-drying system rather than a single component — your capital equipment budget will thank you. This system should include filtration, automatic drains, etc. in addition to the dryer. When specifying an air dryer type, consider your shop’s needs and how you can maximize the dryer’s effectiveness. • • • • •

How much air does the application need? What pressure does it require? How much moisture can it tolerate? How much moisture needs removed? Are the dryer and compressor compatible?

4. Maintain equipment religiously In any air system, the biggest bang for your buck comes from eliminating leaks. Imagine you use a 100-hp compressor. By ﬁxing your leaks, you could get away with a 75 hp compressor. In a leak that’s 100 ft3/min,

Did you know about 25-30% of all compressed air is lost to leaks?

that’s $14,000 in savings per year! And don’t forget the capital costs you save by buying a smaller compressor. Now, where to start fixing these leaks? By not touching them — yet. Improper and unsafe blowoff pressures cause compressed air demand to spike. Dropping your system’s pressure from 7.5 bar-g to 6 bar-g immediately eliminates 17.6% of your leak rate — without touching the actual leaks! Reducing your system pressure will be a breeze after you’ve completed steps 1-3 above. Keep the air dryer in mind too — it’s often overlooked as an efficiency solution due to the maintenance required. However, that maintenance is much less work if you follow the usage best practices in tip number 3. Due to the oily, smoky, dusty environments in many shops, plan weekly, monthly, and annual maintenance for your air system. Assign someone to replace filter elements as needed, blow out heat exchangers where applicable, and check automatic drains regularly. A congested air dryer will work less effectively, even if it’s new.

Where can your shop improve uptime and efficiency?

Some of the biggest savings in compressed air systems come from rectifying long-standing waste. Once you have a new eﬃciency goal in mind, your next steps are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Set your compressor up for success Install a closed-loop air system Install air drying that meets your application’s needs Fix leaks! Use regulators Choose effective equipment (dryers/filters) that provide low pressure drop at rated flows.

Air preparation keeps your factory running better, longer. Don’t skimp on your air prep system or its upkeep. FPW

Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions, div. of Suburban Manufacturing Group gosuburban.com

THE POINT-OF-USE DRYER YOUR AIR SYSTEM HAS BEEN WAITING FOR. Dual tower regen. dryer drops dew points down to -40°F

Built-in pre-filtration removes water and oil

1-gal. storage tank provides laminar air flow

Regulator controls air pressure for application

H A N N O V E R

M E S S E

S H O W

P R E V I E W

HANNOVER FAIR 2022 ADDRESSES SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES THE WORLD’S LARGEST INDUSTRIAL

The Hannover Fair, considered by many to be the world’s foremost trade fair for

TECHNOLOGIES TRADE SHOW

industrial technology, will run May 30 to June 2 in Hannover, Germany. Its lead theme

RETURNS TO HANNOVER MESSE MAY

“Industrial Transformation” includes hydraulic and pneumatic technologies on display

30 TO JUNE 2. BY: KEN KORANE, TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

FLUID POWER WORLD

4 • 2022

in the Automation, Motion & Drives exhibit halls, as well as areas devoted to Digital Ecosystems, Energy Solutions, and Engineered Parts. Leading topics include digital platforms, Industry 4.0, IT security and carbon-neutral production. The Fair, originally scheduled for April, was moved to allow pandemic restrictions to ease. “When we postponed Hannover many people were longing for normalcy,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of show organizer Deutsche Messe. “Now, due to the condemnable aggression against Ukraine, we have had to return to another crisis mode.” This will not prevent the Fair from going forward. But the actual topics of Hannover will be brought into sharper focus, he said. “Recent actions have put us at a turning point. There are rising energy prices, disrupted supply chains, and a major impact on worldwide industrial production. At the same time, combatting climate change has become more important than ever,” he said. www.fluidpowerworld.com

KEY HANNOVER FAIR FLUID POWER EXHIBITORS

“In view of the current global political situation, the topics at Hannover Fair are more relevant than ever,” continued Köckler. “At the heart of the matter is how we can ensure security of supply and growth in a dynamically changing world — politically, environmentally and economically — while counteracting climate change. Innovative technologies will play a key role in this,” he said. Under the banner of “Industrial Transformation,” more than 2,500 Hannover Fair exhibitors will supply the necessary products, software and systems to advance sustainability. Not only can the production of virtually all goods be made more resource-conserving and energy-efficient with the help of state-of-the-art machinery and equipment, but solutions from mechanical and plant engineering, electrical engineering, and the software and IT industry can also vastly improve the control processes of complex systems, thus boosting innovation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Most of Hannover’s core exhibitors have returned. They range from large multinational companies such as Siemens and Bosch Rexroth to mid-sized, often family-owned companies like Festo and igus, as well as roughly 100 small start-ups. A list of key fluid power companies is included. They are complemented by major research institutes like Fraunhofer and Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT). The Fair, thus, serves as an ideal platform for networking among such a diverse group of exhibitors, said Köckler. More than 120 companies from Partner Country Portugal have registered for Hannover Fair 2022. Under the motto “Portugal Makes Sense,” they will present products and solutions for digital transformation, the energy transition and reliable supply chains. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa will jointly open the exhibition. In addition to the exhibits at the show, attendees can look forward to a first-rate supporting program. The four conference stages cover topics like automation, cloud and infrastructure, analytics and data management, digital platforms, robotics, IT security, artificial intelligence, renewable energies, green hydrogen, energy-efficient and CO2-neutral production, digital energy management, the circular economy and much more. The complete program will not only be available to visitors on-site, but will also stream simultaneously via the Hannover Fair website. FPW

Hannover Fair | hannovermesse.de

FESTO HAS DEVELOPED AN INDUSTRY 4.0 PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE SYSTEM THAT REDUCES DOWNTIME IN SERVOPNEUMATIC WELDING GUNS BY 25%. ALREADY USED IN MORE THAN 2,500 WELDING GUN ROBOTS AT A LEADING CAR MANUFACTURER, THE TECHNOLOGY IS NOW AVAILABLE TO OTHER AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS AND METALWORKING OPERATIONS, AS WELL AS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY WHERE PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE – IN THE FUTURE WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – ENSURES THAT PROCESS DEVIATIONS ARE DETECTED IN GOOD TIME, MAINTENANCE IS OPTIMIZED AND ENERGY IS SAVED.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

Exhibit Name

Hall

Stand Number

3d Signals

009

F33

Aidro

006

C76

AIGNEP

006

C76/1

Akgul Kalip

006

C72/1

Arafan Naein

006

D77/1

Atam

006

D75/1

Barboflex

006

G36

Borubar

006

A60

Bosch Rexroth

006

C26

Bosch Rexroth

004

F23

Bosch Rexroth

Open Air site P154

Busch Vacuum Solutions

013

D47/1

Cabol Fluid

006

D68

CAPRONI

006

D62/1

Chemnitzer Zahnradfabrik

006

B57

DO Hortum

006

A60

Eckerle Technologies

006

D76

Emerson

T145

Emerson

006

C57

Esmaksan Eser Makina

006

A60

ETO GRUPPE TECHNOLOGIES

006

D58

Eurofluid Hydraulic

VIR

Farmunited

006

D58

Faster

006

A47

Festo

006

C22

Filancore

006

D58

Fricke, Wilhelm

006

D68/1

G.W. Lisk

006

D61/1

GDC Hydrolik Pnömatik

006

A60

HBE

006

D58/1

HP Systems Hidrolik Güc Sistemleri

006

C80/4

HV Hydraulic

006

G64

Hydrotechnik

006

B57

Industriebedarf Krüger

006

C80

Istanbul Ticaret Odasi

006

A60

J. M. Voith

006

C47

Kazcioglu Otomotiv

006

A60

Konfit Italia

006

D75

KRACHT

006

C60

KUZU FLEX Metal

006

B78

Laminar Technologies

006

B78/1

Mashprom-KMH

006

C80/1

MCS Otomasyon

006

A60

Medifly

006

G68

METAL WORK

006

B48

MOTA

012

B47

OLEOTEC

006

D58/1

Özcelikler Hidrolik

006

Pneumax

006

D47

Pnomek Hydrolik Pnomatik Kontrol

011

B63

Radius Machining

004

G54

Resato International

006

C68

Seal Concept Dichtungen & Hydraulik

006

B57

SFB Schwäbische Formdrehteile

004

C03

Simplinx Elektronik

006

A60

SMS Tork Endüstriyel Otomasyon

006

A60

TECHNO-PARTS

VIR

Teseo

006

C07

Tierre

006

B73

Toros Filtrasyon Teknolojileri

006

A60

Ugur Hidrolik Pnömatik

006

A60

VDMA Antriebstechnik und Fluidtechnik

006

B57

VDMA Fachverband Antriebstechnik

006

B47

VDMA Fachverband Fluidtechnik

006

B51

VDMA Services

006

B57

VDMA Services

006

B47

VDMA Services

006

B51

Vimpi Viskoz Mayi Pompalari

006

A60

4 • 2022

FLUID POWER WORLD

O T C

S H O W

P R E V I E W

BACK TO BUSINESS AT

OTC 2022 The Offshore Technology Conference returns May 2-5 at NRG Park in Houston. E D I T ED BY MARY C. GANNON • E DITOR- IN- CHIE F | All images courtesy of OTC

AFTER ONE YEAR OF cancellation and then a smaller, later event than normal in 2021, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) will return to NRG Park in Houston this May, as the forum for energy professionals to meet and exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. Founded in 1969, OTC’s flagship conference is held annually in Houston. OTC has expanded technically and globally with the Arctic Technology Conference, OTC Brasil, and OTC Asia. OTC ranks among the largest 200 trade shows held annually in the United States and is among the 10 largest meetings in terms of attendance. 52

FLUID POWER WORLD

OTC Show Preview FPW_vs3.indd 52

4 • 2022

OTC is sponsored by 13 industry organizations and societies, who work cooperatively to develop the program each year. OTC also has two endorsing organizations and ten supporting organizations. The event is still trending smaller than previous years, with less exhibition space. However, a fair number of fluid power exhibitors will be returning to OTC 2022, with more than 60 companies showcasing hydraulic and pneumatic technologies and services. A complete exhibitor list is on the next page. An in-depth technical program will be offered to highlight how technology, best practices, emerging trends, and proven methods can provide the energy needed for the world. This year, there is a focus on continued digital transformation, with sessions covering big data, digital twins, sustainability, robotics and more.

Ground-breaking innovations will be highlighted throughout the event, especially through the event’s popular Spotlight on New Technology Award, which is presented to OTC exhibitors who are revolutionizing the future of offshore energy through technological advancement and innovation. A total of 14 companies, including seven small businesses, were recognized this year for their breakthrough hardware and software technologies. Bosch Rexroth, who won in 2020 for its hydraulic Subsea Valve Actuator, will be recognized once again. This year, Rexroth is awarded for its SVA R2 – the world’s first electric Subsea Valve Actuator with safety by springs. The design is as compact as a hydraulic actuator. FPW

Visit 2022.otcnet.org to learn more and to register.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4/20/22 5:55 PM

OTC FLUID POWER EXHIBITORS Company Name

Booth Number

Company Name

Booth Number

Accumulators Inc.

3917

Parker Hanniﬁn Corp.

2614

Alfagomma S.P.A.

3043

Pascal Industries Pte Ltd

3921

Atlas Copco Tools & Assembly Systems

1176

PMC Engineering, LLC

2206

Bauer Compressors Inc.

823

Pneumatic and Hydraulic Co. LLC

3067

Blue Ribbon Sales & Services Corp

3108

Sauer Compressors USA

3023

Bonﬁglioli USA

3157

SCF Sealing Technology Inc.

766

Bosch Rexroth Corp.

2306

Seatools BV

3315

Brennan Industries

3018

SFP Hydraulics Inc.

2680

CEJN North America

1302

Smalley

1703

Columbus McKinnon Corp.

2809

Specialty Fluid Components Manufacturing

1705

Continental ContiTech

2263

Spir Star Ltd.

902

Custom Hydraulic Equipment Co.

774

Stucchi USA Inc.

3107

Danfoss

2010

SunSource

427

DICSA America LLC

3477

Swift Filters Inc.

1178

D-LOK

360

The Lee Company

1735

Douce Hydro SAS France

2539

Tsubaki - Kabelschlepp

3822

Elite Instruments

1268

Tube-Mac Piping Technologies Ltd.

810

Ellwood Group

907

Wandﬂuh of America

2010

Evonik Corporation

3267

Wichita Clutch

2506

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies

3017

Wilkes and McLean

2376

G.W. Lisk Co.

865

Gates

3707

GP:50

3108

Graco Inc.

1502

Hatfield and Co.

1212

HAWE Hydraulik

1101

Hetronic

1061

HP Valves & Fittings India

3980

Hycom B.V.

3127

Hydradyne LLC

2300

Hydraquip , Inc.

2010

Hydraulics International Inc.

1807

Hy-Lok USA

2002

Innovative Fluid Power

3365

Innovative Hydraulics LLC

2770

Kaustubha Udyog/Aptek Instrumentation Pvt Ltd

3679

Kracht

2266

L&M Radiator Inc.

3503

MFP Seals (A Division of Martin Fluid Power)

2507

Midwest Hose & Specialty Inc.

3083

Motion Industries

3273

NRP-Jones LLC

1317

PacSeal Hydraulics Inc.

2007

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4 • 2022

FLUID POWER WORLD

FOR YOUR MOST DEMANDING APPLICATIONS TRUST YUKEN WHERE OTHERS HAVE FAILED, WHERE OTHERS FEAR TO GO, OR WILL NOT GO. BE IT IN • • • • • •

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YOU CAN TRUST YUKEN PROPORTIONAL VALVES, LINEAR SERVO VALVES AND SERVO-CONTROLLED SYSTEMS. ALA INDUSTRIES LIMITED 3410 Delta Dr • Portage, IN 46368 Tel: 877-419-8536 Fax: 219-762-2066 www.alaindustrieslimited.com

PRODUCT WORLD

Piloted directional control valve for size 16 cavities HYDAC is pleased to announce the introduction of the new HPK16SE/SF piloted directional control valve with working pressures up to 5,000 psi and ﬂows up to 40 gpm. The valve is currently available for size 16 cavities. Additional features include: • • • • •

Hardened body and spool for maximum service life Innovative damping features to extend service life Internal leakage less than 100 cc/min at 3,000 psi Multiple preload pressure settings enhance circuit design options Outstanding operating limits eliminates the need for pressure reducing valves at the pilot ports

Split hydraulic flange plugs MOCAP is pleased to announce that it has added another product line to its ever-expanding offerings: the SHF series Split Hydraulic Flange Plugs. These plugs are designed for use on SAE 3,000 lb, four-bolt split hydraulic flanges, allowing for maximum flexibility. Designed to protect the port, flange surface and bolt holes from damage and debris during transit, handling, and storage, the SHF series Split Hydraulic Flange Plugs are easy to install and remove. SHF Series parts are molded in red LDPE plastic to fit 3/4-12 thru 2-1/2-40 Nominal Flange sizes.

Miniature thumb controls product line

Sure Grip Controls Inc. announces the expansion of its portfolio of miniature thumb controls. Complementing its extensive line of joysticks, handles, switches, control electronics and other components, Sure Grip has added SIL 2/PLd compatible versions of its miniature thumb controls. The new redundant configurations increase Sure Grip’s already broad range of configuration options that include proportional, switched, momentary, maintained, and friction options. For manufacturers who must comply with IEC61508 or ISO13849 for safety, Sure Grip’s miniature thumb controls are now available in SIL 2/PLd compatible versions. Unlike many other SIL 2/PLd redundant controls, Sure Grip’s miniature thumb controls feature small and narrow designs that fit into more control applications. Their quick-mount, slide-in brackets also simplify installation.

www.fluidpowerworld.com

4 • 2022

FLUID POWER WORLD

PRODUCT WORLD

Pneumatic hose clamps igus has introduced a new CFX series clamp designed to provide strain relief for pneumatic hoses in e-chain cable carriers. To avoid permanent cross-sectional changes from over tightening, igus has expanded the CFX series with a new clamp model that does not compress the cables. To provide protection for as many pneumatic hoses as possible, igus manufactures the blue stacker saddles in several sizes. The inserts, which the company previously produced for the design study using a 3D printer, are now available as cost-eﬀective injection-molded versions for cable diameters of 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm. Additionally, to save space, it is even possible to position two hoses next to each other in a stacker saddle for cables with diameters of 4 and 6 mm. Therefore, up to ten hoses can be accommodated in one clamp.

Safety blocks for hydraulic accumulators

Offering an improved design that helps to minimize space requirements and to ease installation, Parker Hannifin’s new safety block (SB series) for hydraulic accumulators helps customers simplify their selection. The series is available in sizes 10, 20 and 32. Users can enjoy advantages such as a standardized temperature range of –20° to 80° C, and high corrosion resistance compliant with ISO 9227. In addition, the SB series is PED-certified and suitable for use in ATEX environments (manual version only). Suitable for all bladder, diaphragm and piston-type accumulators, customers can select from models with electric or manual relief valves. The SB series features either a BSPP or SAE accumulator connection, with size 32 offering an SAE accumulator connection as standard. Furthermore, size 32 offers the choice of flanged or threaded hydraulic connection. A variety of voltage options (24 Vdc, 110/120 Vac, 230 Vac) ensure the SB range is suitable for all types of industrial applications, with the pressure range corresponding to the accumulator operating pressure (up to 350 bar).

Braided hose couplings Kurt Hydraulics announced the vast expansion of its braided hose coupling line to over 743 styles and sizes. These compression-style hydraulic hose fittings feature RoHScompliant plating that makes them suitable for a variety of industry applications and deliver superior performance, durability, and quality. Kurt Hydraulics’ braided hose couplings are available with many different end configurations, including SAE, metric, and other styles. Available from 1/4 to 1 1/4 in. I.D., the available variety will make it easy to find the right size and style for virtually all hydraulic applications.

FLUID POWER WORLD

4 • 2022

www.fluidpowerworld.com

Cut-off hose saw The advanced RYCO RYCS10 cut-off saw has been designed for the safe, clean, and efficient cutting of textile or wire braided, suction, and multi-spiraled hydraulic hoses for use in workshops and mobile service van environments. With its all-metal body and high-quality componentry, it can be used in the harshest conditions. The RYCS10 cut-off saw has been designed to cut hydraulic hoses up to a maximum outside diameter of 55 mm (2 1/8 in.), including multi-spiral hoses up to 1 1/4 in. (-20, DN 31) and other braid hoses up to 1 1/2 in. (-24, DN 38) nominal inside diameter. With its ergonomic design and compact base of only 60 cm wide, the RYCS10 cut-off saw can be easily mounted to any workshop bench or mobile service vehicle with minimal footprint without compromising safety or functionality.

HOW ARE YOU ASSEMBLING PUSH-LOK HOSE AND FITTINGS? BARB-TECH III IS NOW AVAILABLE, a second tool with increased capacity has been added to our product line to handle up to 1” hose and fittings. WORKS WITH A VARIETY OF FITTINGS using easy to change Click-On mandrel system. Mandrel design services are available for your specific application. PORTABLE, take it to where the hose repair is, no additional tools needed, a convenient carrying case with extra storage is included. SAVES TIME, install fittings correctly the first time with an easy to load hose grip and up to 300 psi of fitting insertion force. REDUCES INJURIES by reducing required hand forces to a 1/3 of the typical fitting installation process of gripping the hose by hand.

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BARBTECHTOOLS.COM | 541-204-1899

Contributing to Your Success

We offer thousands of critical components designed to help our customers operate more efficiently. Look to STAUFF for Quick Couplings, Clamps, Hydraulic Filters, Test Points and many other components to keep machines—big and small—moving you forward. STAUFF Corporation 201.444.7800

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STAUFF Canada Ltd. 416.282.4608

Contributing to Your Success

3/24/22 1:18 PM

COMPONENT FOCUS By Josh Cosford • Contributing Editor

What hydraulic hose cutting blades should you use? Every hydraulic hose must first be cut to length before assembly, and one would think all cutting methods are equal. The truth is quite the opposite actually. Any safe, reliable hose assembly requires a perfectly cut hose tip to allow the ends to fit snug before crimping. Any amount of fraying or imprecision prevents full insertion depth and risks premature hose failure. Abrasive cutoff wheels are not suitable for hydraulic hoses, directing far too much friction as it cuts through the cover, reinforcement and tube. In addition, the high friction blade bends and pulls on the wire of the reinforcement as the wheel passes, which frays the wire and in turn damages the polymers surrounding it. Should a handheld cutoff saw employ such an abrasive wheel, you also risk cutting the hose at anything less than a right angle, creating a shape inadequate for hydraulic hose. Indeed, special blades make cutting hose both easy and precise. In most cases, the blades are all metal sharpened very fine. The smooth faces of the metal blade offer low friction to prevent the fraying that occurs with abrasive wheels. A clean, sharp bevelled edge will quickly cut through light-duty hydraulic hose with little smoke. The durable metal blade may be sharpened many times, and

high-volume hose shops will stock spares, so production continues when blades are out for sharpening. For more demanding hose cutting requirements, such as six-wire high-pressure hose, the metal cutting blade should include a form of serration to help cut through the wire yet still not cause fraying. A scalloped finish with its wavy design rips through heavy wall hose with ease and may still be sharpened as with plain bevelled blades. For high volume cutting of heavy 4- and 6-wire hose, some abrasion in the form of a diamond-coated blade offers superior cutting speed while offering less dust than standard abrasive wheels. Although non-serviceable, these diamond-coated blades are incredibly durable despite their demanding task. The smooth surface of a metal blade tends to cause the hose to pinch inward, resulting in friction that may cause the blade to stick or even stall the machine. Therefore, special hose cutting machines place an opposing bending action opposite the blade to prevent stiction. These bench-top chop saws range from 7 in. blades to 14 in. blades depending on the size of the hose requiring cutting. Knife-edged circular blades do not work on standard chop saws that traditionally run abrasive wheels. With no mechanical means to bend the hose, blades simply stall and burn. So, a purpose-built hose cutting machine is required. FPW

a debris, ducing rated into e r y ll a Drastic ort is incorpo p cutting vacuum of this hose to signed ign the des 7-in. saw is de 4-spiral is in. saw. Th t up to 1 1/4 u c cleanly hose. Inc. lic hydrau f Specialty Saw esy o

| Court

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4 • 2022

FLUID POWER WORLD

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

Follow the whole team on twitter @FluidPowerWorld

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