MD_Fluid Power Monthly_: Hydraulics makes excavator a contortionsist

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The latest information on hydraulic and pneumatic motion control.

April 20, 2009

Staying at the top of the fluid power game

This week, we supply you with two articles about remanufacturing and repairing hydraulic components, a critical aspect of the industry that most users will take advantage of at some point. Other articles are more industry- and application-specific, as we highlight "green" fluids for offshore use and a unique machine that uses hydraulics for construction.

We also showcase new products, including hydraulic and pneumatic components, as well as an introduction to an industry-specific item for wind power. We hope these web-only articles and products, as well as the printed articles you find in your issue each month, help you stay on top of the latest fluid power technology.

To that end, we also invite you to our Fluid Power Conference & Expo in June. This time, we're co-locating with Waste Expo on June 8-11 in Las Vegas. The event offers an extensive conference program. We will return again with popular information sessions on hydraulic troubleshooting, safety, and more.

Attendees can see all exhibits in both shows, plus attend any and all Fluid Power Conference & Expo seminar sessions. The cost is only $75 for one day, and $150 for two days! Register here and click on “Non-Member Registration” to get started. (To get the $75 or $150 price, be sure to register for “Fluid Power Conference & Expo.”) For more information on the Fluid Power Conference and Expo, contact Michael Ference or call (216) 931-9352. For more information on WasteExpo, contact Rita Ugianskis or call (813) 994-4654.

- Mary C. Gannon

Articles

Hydraulics makes excavator a contortionsist

Excavators and other off-highway equipment generally make extensive use of hydraulics for multiple functions. Pumps and motors pair up in hydrostatic drives for propulsion; motors and rotary actuators produce rotational and pivoting motion; and cylinders provide articulation for booms, arms, and buckets; for steering; for boom extension; and more. But few excavators — if any — offer the impressive moves of the Spider R105 from Euromach SpA, Montichiari, Italy.

This one's a real fixer-upper
Everyone knows the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But what happens when it is broke? How does business — production, design, and manufacturing — continue, when machinery or one of its critical components, breaks? We live in a time when to just toss something into the trash is costly and not environmentally friendly, so it’s no surprise that most manufacturers and machinery operators turn to remanufacturing to get their machines up and running again. Not only do remanufactured components run just as well as new, they help eliminate downtime quicker than buying a new component, they cost less, and are a more green option.

Clean and green hydraulic fluids

Continuous lubrication is essential to keep industrial equipment operating efficiently, reliably, and for long periods of time. So high performance of hydraulic fluids are especially important in the offshore industry, where equipment may be located more than a hundred miles from shore. When spare components and replacement parts may be days away, making sure everything is fully functional is critical to the bottom line.

Web Exclusive: Understanding the repair, rebuild, and remanufacturing industry
The repair-rebuild-remanufacturing phenomenon has taken a strong grip on the fluid power industry in the 20th century and is here to stay through 21st century technology and beyond. The repair-rebuild concept depends upon durability and economic value. Certain types of engineering products — which are designed to be “throughway type" — may not bring much economic value to the repair-rebuild process. Conversely, there are many products that can have a second life after the refurbishing process.

New Products

Differential pressure gauge
Model 124 differential pressure gauge from Midwest Instrument is designed for safe working pressures of 10,000 psi and a proof pressure of 20,000 psi. It is available with 316/316L stainless-steel bodies, 316 stainless-steel springs and internal parts as well as a wide variety of elastomers. It is over-range protected in either direction up to 5000 psid. Available differential pressure ranges are 0-5 through 0-400 psid. Hermetically sealed S.P.S.T. or S.P.D.T. magnetically actuated reed switches are available as options and provide high and/or low alarm control. Dials come in 2½, 3½ or 4½ in. sizes.

Exhaust valves
Super Quick Exhaust valves from Humphrey Products Co. are designed to outperform flat-disk-type diaphragms. Molded shuttle is designed for quick exhaust valve service. They stop lubricant back-flow through the control valve on exhaust cycle, allowing progressive oil flow to the cylinder. Shuttle's full-formed seating surface provides long cycle life and eliminates need for flow restricting metal body webbing. Port sizes range from #10-32 to 3/4-in. They operate at speeds to 600 cpm, have a pressure range to 150 psig, and working temperature range from -25° to 180°F.

Hydraulic cylinder sealing
Zurcon Dualseal single-seals from Trelleborg Sealing Solutions improve performance in hydraulic cylinders. They offer an easy retrofit design that resists twisting and ensures easy assembly while replacing O-rings. They are resistant to high-pressure extrusion and capable of a radial sealing gap of 0.20 mm. They are suitable for all HL and HLP hydraulic fluids. They operate in pressures to 7250 psi and in temperatures from –35° to 110°C.

Wind-power technology
The Drive & Control Technology for Wind Turbines brochure highlights Bosch Rexroth Corp.'s industrial hydraulics technology developed specifically for the wind energy market, including electrohydraulic rotor blade pitch adjustment systems, electrohydraulic brake control, gearboxes and more. It introduces technology that addresses several technical requirements one must consider when developing drive systems for wind turbines, such as operating environment and wind loads, durability, output efficiency, noise, size, weight and serviceability.

News from MD

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

	Membrane Switches for Harsh Environments
	Joseph Schwartz from The Bergquist Co. shows Lee Teschler of Machine Design magazine the advantages of heat-sealed membrane switches over pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) membrane switches in harsh environments.

Ask the Expert

Do you have a question about CAD software? John Buchowski, a 13 year veteran at PTC and Director in the MCAD product management group, answers your questions on machindesign.com. Visit the web site now and ask John a question.

Ask Now

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

Improving Collaboration with Customers and Suppliers
Sponsored by PTC
DATE: April 23rd, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT

The need to respond and capitalize on new customer requirements is more important than ever during the current economic downturn. However, the pressures of globally distributed design teams and more stringent time, cost, regulatory and quality requirements continue to complicate the product development process. In order to succeed, Small and Medium Organizations need to collaborate across project teams more efficiently to bring the right products to the marketplace at the right time.

In this live webcast, you’ll learn best practices to effective collaboration:

Enabling concurrent engineering with members of a distributed design team
Conducting efficient design reviews across the value chain network
Creating a controlled collaboration environment
Proving secure collaboration to the design team and suppliers

Learn how to build an engineering collaboration framework that’s best suited for your business

Click here learn more and to register!

ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING

Click Here for a list of archived Machine Design webcasts.

Energy Efficiency Web Conference & Expo –May 14

Machine Design Video Spotlight

Ask the Expert

Check Out the New Machinedesign.com

Energy Efficiency Web Conference & Expo –
May 14