 |
| The latest information on hydraulic and
pneumatic motion control.
|
March 16, 2009
|
Let us be your virtual
"school"
If gaining knowledge in the fluid power industry is critical to your
career, then be sure to visit our website
on a regular basis. Not only do we archive our technical articles from
our printed magazine each month, but we also include web-only articles
about applications and technology you won't find anywhere else.
In addition, tutorial style articles are available in our Fluid Power Handbook and our eBooks, written by industry consultant Bud Trinkle.
And if that's not enough, be sure to stop by our bookstore, where several popular titles can be
purchased, including the Lightening Reference Handbook, and all of Jack
Johnson's books as well.
In this issue, we begin our coverage of OTC - Offshore
Technology Conference, slated for May 4-7. Our April issue will
feature a show preview, so be sure to check it out and check back for
more OTC-related coverage.
- Mary C. Gannon
|
Fittings find a home under the sea
Conducting rebuilds and refurbishment in off-shore applications is
often a difficult, time-consuming task, so any system that can simplify
the process is a welcome addition. The instrumentation division of
Parker Hannifin Corp. offers one such component — its Phastite tube
fittings, which provide a new system building approach for high-pressure
offshore and subsea hydraulics and fluid applications. Using Phastite
fittings can slash assembly time, reduce tube material costs, and
eliminate 'hot work.'
|
|
Low cost polymer cable carriers emit
low noise
 High-performance
polymer cable carriers emit very low noise and little vibration. They
are ideal for applications requiring extremely precise and
low-maintenance operation. The short pitch and special link design of
igus Energy Chains reduce noise and vibration, which improves the
performance of any machine. These low cost Energy Chains are well
suited for printing machinery, measurement equipment, precision-cutting
systems and clean rooms. The modular design enables them to be easily
lengthened or shortened. Pair an Energy Chain with Chainflex
continuous-flex cables for a complete motion control solution.
Download igus' new Energy Chain® catalog now.
|
|
Hydraulics makes one sweet drive
Long before people started talking about going green, sugar cane
processing stood out as an industry that produces more energy than it
consumes. The process involves running raw stalks of cane through a
mill, where juice is squeezed out. The juice is heated to a temperature
to drive out moisture and crystallize the sugar, and the spent stalks
are burned to produce energy. Lots of energy — so much so that sugar
cane mills generally produce more electricity than they use, so it’s
not uncommon for electricity to be sold back to the local power company.
|
Mobile cylinders get smart
Off-highway equipment has seen a significant increase in the use of
electronics and electrohydraulic control. Driving this trend are demands
to increase machine productivity, provide greater machine performance,
and improve operators’ comfort and productivity. These demands —
combined with rising fuel prices, cost of inputs (fertilizer, seed,
asphalt, concrete, pesticides, etc.), and environmental and safety
regulations — have created a need for electrohydraulic automation in
mobile equipment, which, in turn, requires reliable electronic feedback
of cylinder position. The most popular means of meeting this need is
with an in-cylinder linear displacement transducer (LDT).
|
Valves enhance machine and worker
safety
It is easy to say that “Safety is everyone’s goal,” but what
is really meant by that? Sound workplace safety practices can reduce the
risk of injury to not only machine operators but to other people such as
maintenance technicians. Sound workplace safety practices can also
reduce the risk of accidental damage to machinery and other company
assets, or harm to the environment. Common industry standards
acknowledge that there is no such thing as zero risk, but nonetheless
provide guidance to machine builders and operators regarding how to
minimize risks. This is commonly referred to as machine safeguarding.
Here’s a look at some key factors.
|
Air filters
SuperStar filters from La-Man Corp. are designed to be installed at
point of use to efficiently remove moisture and contaminants from air
lines to improve and extend tool and equipment cycle life. Four-stage
filters operate most effectively within 25 ft of point of use. Charcoal
absorption element offers 0.01 μm rating with flow ranges of 50, 75, or
100 scfm and pressure ratings of 250 psi. Standard features include
built-in differential pressure gauges and automatic float drain; visual
indication of required maintenance; and discharge of moisture with no
electrical requirements.
|
Explosion-proof sensors
AST46HA media isolated explosion proof sensors from American Sensor
Technologies Inc. offer digital compensation and single seal approval.
They feature all stainless steel construction and suit extreme
temperature applications, including off-shore platforms. While
oil-filled sensor technologies can experience freezing or boiling at
extreme temperatures, these sensor use a one-piece stainless steel,
non-oil filled design offering continuous operation at temperatures that
cause other sensors to fail. They operate at a wide ambient temperature
range -40 to 85°C, and come standard with ±0.1% BFSL accuracy, EMI/RFI
protection of 100 V/m and a variety of output options including 4-20 mA,
1-5 V, and 0.5-4.5 V ratiometric.
|
Hydraulic oils
Mobil DTE 10 Excel series hydraulic oils from ExxonMobil are
designed to handle lubrication requirements of both industrial and
mobile high-pressure hydraulic systems. They exceed nearly all major
industry specifications, including Denison HF-O, Eaton M2950, CM P69 and
P70, ISO11158 HV, DIN 51524, and JCMAS HK-1. They help improve energy
efficiency, extend oil and equipment life, and reduce operational costs
associated with hydraulic machinery. They offer a high viscosity index
and shear stability, operating successfully in temperatures as low as
–30° F.
|
Inductive proximity sensors
Mobile Equipment Sensors from Pepperl+Fuchs are IP69K rated
inductive proximity sensors that are shock test rated to 50 G for
reliable operation in high shock and vibration environments. They
operate in extreme cold (-40°) and heat (+85°C/+185°F), and feature
10 times more powerful radiated field immunity than standard sensors.
They are fully compatible with Deutsch, Weatherpack (Packard) and
Amp/Tyco connectors and are available in 12-, 18- and 30-mm diameters to
deliver 4-, 8- and 15-mm sensing ranges, respectively. Load dump
circuitry protects the sensor against power spikes during machine
start-up. Heavy-gauge, cut-proof PUR cables are unaffected by oil,
grease, and other fluids common to such applications.
|
Energy Efficiency Web Conference & Expo –
May 14
Do you know you can get in-depth education on energy-efficiency and all
the benefits of an in-person trade show without ever leaving your desk
or spending a dime?
The intelligent use of energy is making headlines. Product designers and
manufacturers are striving to deliver products that consume less power,
extend battery life, generate less heat, or work from alternative energy
sources. Our Energy Efficiency Web Conference and Expo will
educate design engineers, product developers, and managers on how to
make the best use of energy-efficient product innovations and devices,
and on how to arrange them in systems to lower power consumption and
stay "green." This special one-day event will include sessions
on such areas as:
- Power-efficient drive techniques for lighting
- ROI for high-efficiency capital equipment
- Energy monitoring and energy standards
- Designing for SEMI S23 and the Energy Act of 2007
- Working with alternative power and battery technology
Make plans now to attend the Energy Efficiency Web Conference and Expo. The
event offers a full day of live webinars and interactive booths, along
with a Resource Center where visitors can download or link to additional
materials.
Register Now!
Machine Design Video Spotlight
 |
Proportional Control
of Pneumatic Cylinders |
 |
George Haithwaite and Jose Riofrio
from Enfield Technologies demo several applications for pneumatic
cylinders with proportional position control. |
Check Out the New Machinedesign.com
Our newly redesigned web site still features the best content and
information for engineers provided by engineers but with these new great
features.
Multiple Path Navigation
Find content your way. Improved site navigation creates multiple ways to
find the content you are looking for.
Supercharged Search
The search function has been highly improved and tested to provide the
most effective results for engineers.
Highlighted Resources
Looking for CAD drawings? Find them in our CAD Library.
Download whitepapers in the Whitepaper
Library. Valuable educational content is featured in the eBook
section. Check out the latest in editorial and sponsored video
in the Video
section.
UPCOMING WEBCASTS
Design Essentials for Plastic Gear Peformance
Sponsored by Thermotech
DATE: April 9th, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
Engineers are focused on creating cost effective, energy efficient
designs that offer performance and high value to the end customer.
Luckily, advancements in design, materials, manufacturing and inspection
have made it possible to meet product development goals and expand
plastic gear applications.
The webinar presents a unique approach to plastic gear development
including:
Critical gear design principles
Performance requirements to determine optimal materials
selection
Overview of tooling optimization technique
Metrology methods for plastic gears
Live question/answer session with presenters
Click here to register!
ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING
Click
Here for a list of archived Machine Design webcasts.
|
Engineering Technology Services' Hydraulic Training
Courses
Register today for quality hydraulic training courses to educate
engineers, sales reps, technicians, operators, students or anyone
interested in the fluid power industry. E.T.S. provides textbooks with
practice & work material, video films and overhead slides. The building
of circuits and simulating systems are conducted on our state-of-the-art
test stands. For schedule and registration info, go to: www.etshydro.com then click "Hydraulic Training"
or call for additional info: 901.413.7737
Free pneumatic sizing software from Tolomatic
Download easy-to-use sizing and selection software that helps simplify
your design process. Enter your pneumatic application information and
the software will calculate sizes and models that work best for your
application.
www.tolomatic.com
|
|
|
Thank you for reading the Fluid Power Monthly Newsletter from
Machine Design.
This email was sent to #email#. You've received this e-newsletter for
one of two reasons:
1) You signed up for it on one of our web sites.
2) You are a reader of Machine Design magazine.
Manage Your Subscription
To quickly unsubscribe from this newsletter, click here Unsubscribe
To subscribe or unsubscribe, to this or any of our newsletters, visit our subscription page.
To CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, visit our subscription page, login with your
old email address, then change your address.
Contact Information
Editorial questions: Mary Gannon
216-931-9498
Advertising/sponsorship opportunities: Virginia Goulding
216-931-9893
Machine Design
1300 E. 9th St.
Cleveland, OH 44114
©2008 Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
|