Learn how to reduce the damaging side effects of noise and vibration caused by hydraulic power units in industrial settings. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor There’s nothing quite like the high-pitched racket emitting from a hydraulic power unit. The combination of noises originates primarily at the hydraulic pump, but secondary harmonics and reverberations contribute to…

By Ron Marshall Compressed air is one of the most expensive ways to supply energy to facility tools and equipment. This is due to the inherent inefficiencies in the process of compressing air — the biggest product is heat and the secondary output is compressed air. While this is disappointing, there are still things that […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Some objects are universal by their very nature, mattering not where you reside or if you’re part of a colonial legacy. No matter where you travel, a wheel is a wheel because it’s so absolutely perfect for the job that it leaves any other method of moving heavy objects obsolete. […]

Risks versus rewards of complete hydraulic drive maintenance practices Contributed by Timothy McCrea, market segment manager, aftermarket, pulp & paper, Hägglunds – Bosch Rexroth Corp. Hydraulic direct drive systems are a crucial part of industrial recycling operations. Engineered for reliable performance under demanding conditions, recyclers and other users of these systems will sometimes postpone critical…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Encoders are electronic devices manufactured to relay movement and position. For example, for fluid power applications, the decoder relays an electronic signal to a PLC or other electronic device for the positional measurement of hydraulic cylinders or motors. In most cases, encoders use a light shone through a coded plate […]

Question: I need your advice about how to adjust the dew point for the dryers which are equipped with a dew point controller. Also, for those not having a controller, how can we determine which dew point is the best setting — -40 or -70? Answer: This is a complicated question. The method for adjusting […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor The venerable return filter is just as crucial to your hydraulic system as your kidneys are to your body. Could your hydraulic system survive with no return line filter? Sure, I suppose in the same way you could survive without kidneys if you strapped on the dialysis machine for five […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Most variable displacement hydraulic pumps create and use internal leakage. The leakage is a function of the pump, designed from the factory to lubricate wear components, provide hydrostatic bearing pressure and offer pilot energy to critical functions like pressure compensators. Without controlled leakage, a variable pump would stop working at…

Today’s hydraulic fluids are forced to operate in hotter environments. But the right formulation can help reliably moderate temperatures, creating significant operational benefits for end users. By Blayne McKenzie, Technology Development Manager, Industrial Products, The Lubrizol Corp. Mobile and stationary hydraulic systems have gone through major changes in recent years. Widespread efforts toward higher efficiency […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor How long is a piece of string? So what? Did you think you’d get a straight answer on a subject like “what is the best cylinder piston seal?” There is no best piston seal, just like there is no best car (it’s the Mazda Miata, by the way). If you’re […]

A hydraulic pump is literally the heartbeat of your hydraulic system. If you’re new to hydraulics, you’d be surprised at how many ways you can push fluid under pressure. The rotating and/or reciprocating of gears, vanes or pistons offer a designer constrained by any performance or budget envelope the options to best suit any application, […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Nobody’s perfect – I certainly am not. It takes a level of self-awareness to admit you’re not perfect but exponentially more self-awareness to do something about it. Try as I might with my nutritional plan; I regularly fall short of perfection. But even if perfect was possible to manifest, even…

What should you do when it comes time to decide if you should repair or replace your aging air compressor? There are a few things you should consider. Air compressors are like motor vehicles — if they are used continuously, hardly shutting down, they should not be expected to run for a long time without […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor “Fluid power” is the all-encompassing term to describe how we achieve work through pressurized matter pushed through enclosed circuits. In short, fluid power is hydraulics or pneumatics, sometimes simultaneously (hydropneumatic accumulators, for example). Inherently, we know they’re different because one uses oil and the other air, but what else is…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Hydraulic power units are both the source of hydraulic energy and fluid conditioning. The hydraulic reservoir provides a mounting surface for the hydraulic pump and its prime mover while offering up real estate to mount filters, coolers, valves and accessories. In addition, the reservoir stores the hydraulic fluid, providing a […]

Keeping equipment working at optimal performance with less downtime and supporting a longer life span are significant factors that make fire-resistant hydraulic fluids a safe and pragmatic choice. As in any hydraulic system, a strong maintenance strategy is vital to reduce component corrosion and thereby avoid the significant costs of replacing parts and unplanned repair […]

Slip rings are small but mighty devices that serve multiple purposes and can be used in various industries. They come in different types, shapes, and sizes and are installed where the stationary part of a machine meets a rotational part. Basic designs include rings that rotate with the rotating part of the machine and static […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor A motor is any device designed to convert one form of energy into rotational mechanical force. For example, an electric motor converts electrical potential into mechanical torque, and a hydraulic motor converts hydraulic energy from pressure and flow into mechanical torque. And an air motor converts compressed air into that […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Pneumatic actuators take advantage of compressed air to provide your machine with quick and powerful actuation of nearly infinite possible functions. Pneumatic actuators may take the form of cylinders, motors, slides, grippers and rotary actuators, each of which receives pressurized and compressed air to create linear or rotational force. The […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Permanent plumbing connections, such as those piped or welded, offer the most reliable form of connection for your hydraulic system. But, of course, when the connection is neither flexible (like a hose) nor detachable (like a weld), you have little reason ever to remove the plumbing until you change the […]

Pneumatics is a fluid power technology similar to hydraulics in that it transmits force through a pressurized medium to create useful work. However, pneumatic technology differs from hydraulics in every critical fashion — compressibility. To be fair, hydraulic oil compresses as well, but only 0.4 percent every thousand psi or so. However, in the simplest […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Rotary actuators are devices used to transmit torque through a limited rotational arc. Rather than pneumatic motors, which rotate continuously, pneumatic rotary actuators move a load through a limited range of motion. Some actuators rotate through two discrete positions, while others are capable of positioning at any angle around the […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Hydraulic hose failures are much like vehicle collisions — they’re not accidents. No longer can you blame weather, road conditions or distractions because it’s always someone’s fault. Unless a meteorite slams into your windshield, causing you to blow through a red light, there is always a cause of collisions. The […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Do me a favor — stand up near a wall just out of arm’s length reach. Now raise your arm with your palm facing the wall and very slowly move toward the wall. Without yet touching the wall, tell me where the force comes from to move your body close […]