Helios Technologies Inc. announced this week the newest program launch from one of its operating companies, Sun Hydraulics. Developed to offer cross compatibility solutions, Sun Common cartridge valves are reliable, universal solutions for a broad variety of hydraulic systems from highly demanding applications requiring multidirectional fluid flow to simpler, lower pressure requirements. The Sun Common […]

When thinking of hazardous locations, one’s mind conjures an oil/gas drilling rig, refinery, or underground coal mine — all these locations have in the past utilized traditional pneumatics as risk reduction because they do not have a spark risk, which a solenoid’s electrical actuation requires and creates. Expanding our view of hazardous locations, we should […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor The lever-operated directional valves used to control the fore and aft movement of cylinders, or motors’ rotation, offer a performance advantage well above electric solenoid valves. Although inexpensive options are typical for either option, lever valves tend to flow more than their solenoid counterparts. In addition, because pressure and flow…

By Robert J. Sheaf, Contributing Editor I use the attached hydraulic circuit in most of my training classes to see how well the students understand what is going on when the press is in neutral, extending or retracting. The design was used by an OEM who builds several presses. One requirement this particular customer insisted…

The extreme pressures and volatile environments in oil & gas require all that hydraulics has to offer — precise control and safety at high pressures. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor I love the town of Ithaca in upstate New York. We discovered it years ago in a casual drive in and around the Finger Lakes.…

Flow dividers provide a unique solution to a specific problem in hydraulic applications — splitting flow while limiting its tendency to take the path of least resistance. Without a flow divider, any time you wish to split flow to two or more downstream subcircuits, the path with the lowest pressure will steal most (if not […]

Emerson has announced that its Aventics Series Advanced Valve (AV) valve system with Advanced Electronic System (AES) Profinet and Ethernet/IP is now available with preinstalled Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) functionality, making it the first and only valve system to offer this directly integrated capability. The AES helps users solve interoperability challenges and […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Environmentally friendly fluids, corrosion resistance, and fire- and explosion-proof technologies are just some of the design options necessary in offshore use. 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,…

HYDAC is pleased to announce the introduction of the new HPK16SE/SF piloted directional control valve. 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 @ 3,000 psi Multiple preload pressure settings…

The new directional control valve type ROLV from HAWE Hydraulik is a directional valve and shut-off valve in one. With a CETOP 3 standard connection pattern it can be integrated directly into valve banks as a flexible control block. Connection blocks for direct pipeline installation are also available. In use, the machine designer and plant…

Pressure valves use a poppet, ball or (rarely) a spool pushed offset by a spring, and that description you’ll find accurate for nearly every pressure valve ever made. This is because a pressure valve simply resists hydraulic pressure until the force to overcome its spring rises above the value of that spring — common sense. […]

In the most traditional sense, a directional control valve simply dictates the direction of hydraulic flow in some regard. The inline check valve is generally regarded as the most basic version of a directional valve, and simply allows flow in one direction while blocking flow in the opposing direction. Their advantage lies in their simple, […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Although many valves have a manual adjustment, as the knob on a flow control or the hex screw on a relief valve, we generally consider a manual valve to be a directional valve operated by a lever, button or knob. Many hydraulic systems run exclusively with manual valves, like your […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor In fluid power, safety is always a concern. Everyone understands the force capacity of hydraulic actuators (which explains why some YouTube hydraulic press channels have millions of subscribers). Indeed, a high-powered hydraulic press can make nearly any material appear no stronger than modelling clay. It’s wise to respect the power […]

Winners of the 2021 LEAP Awards (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) were announced this afternoon in a digital ceremony, with products across 12 categories. This annual competition saw a record number of submissions, as it aims to celebrates the most innovative and forward-thinking products serving the design engineering space. This year’s winners were chosen by […]

Linde Hydraulics GmbH & Co. KG has introduced a new generation of control valves for use in wheeled excavators. The new valve block VW 22/18 M5-03 for the open circuit is characterized by its modular system, while the monoblock with five sections plus pressure relief section represents the basic set-up. Optionally, three additional sections can […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Check valves are the most basic form of directional valve. In their simplest form, a check valve has the singular task of allowing flow in one direction while blocking flow from returning in the opposite direction. These valves are not only simple in their operation but also simple in their […]

By integrating pneumatics technologies, consumer packaged goods companies can reduce their carbon — and equipment — footprint. Contributed by Mark Densley, Director Business Development Factory Automation, Emerson Customer demand, as well as a sense of environmental responsibility, is driving consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to drastically reduce their carbon footprint. While many companies seek ways to make […]

The M35 series valve from Ross Controls is designed to supply air to a zone or entire machine/system until signaled to shut off and exhaust residual downstream pneumatic energy from the machine. This reduces the hazards associated with the presence of residual energy during employee access and/or minor servicing. The safety function of the M35 […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Cartridge valves are a type of compact hydraulic valve that slips or screws into the machined cavity of a ported manifold or block. Unlike other valves, such as monoblock lever valves or stackable industrial valves, the manufacturer leaves the porting for you to decide. Cartridge valves still use poppets or […]

The RPEI electrohydraulic inverse proportional pressure relief valve is a new high-capacity pressure control that provides smooth, precise speed control in fan drive applications. Designed for use in fan drive applications, the RPEI combines attributes of an electro-proportional adjustable pilot stage valve and a high-capacity main stage valve to provide precise pressure control inversely proportional […]

The AirFlowSaver supplies energy- and cost-optimized compressed air based on unique SmartValve technology. Contributed by Wolfgang Teichmann, CEO and Markus Koenig, CSO, KTW Technology, Wehr, Germany nad Andy Pott, Vice President, PHIR Technologies, Hartland, Wisconsin For well over a century, compressed air has been commonly used across many industries because it is a simple, flexible and […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor The line that separates the performance of servo and proportional valves has blurred in recent years. Some may consider a servovalve to be any valve capable of accurately positioning your actuator with closed-loop control. However, in everyday hydraulic circles, many industry professionals describe a servovalve as a valve with a […]

Far-reaching hydraulics powers a show-stopping display. Contributed by Paolo Leutenegger, General Manager  •  Duplomatic Motion Solutions, Parabiago, Italy  Expo 2020, delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, opens October 1 in Dubai. The world’s fair, set to welcome 190 participating countries with an estimated 25 million visitors from across the globe, aspires to increase awareness about the…

Argo-Hytos is launching new sophisticated and versatile proportional electronic control units for hydraulic applications. The EL7 control unit offers multiple types of analog input signals (nine) and also gives the user the option to switch to the CAN bus interface. Everything is easily parametrizable via Bluetooth using the ARGO-HYTOS app, which is free to download […]