 |
| The latest information on hydraulic and
pneumatic motion control.
|
July 20, 2009
|
Fluid power on
vacation
I'm on vacation this week, so thought it'd be nice to share our
annual "Fluid Power on Vacation" article from our July issue. See how
Delta Computer Systems helped simulate a water ride for the Discovery
Channel’s Prototype This program, and read on about hydraulic
hybrids, and more.
And if you're looking for a break, visit our forums where more than 1000 of your peers go to
get technical questions answered or just have a discussion on all things
fluid power.
Thanks for reading!
- Mary C. Gannon
|
Electrohydraulics goes wet 'n' wild
Water rides are a great way to beat the summer heat and have a lot
of fun while you’re at it. Trouble is, once your ride of less than a
minute is over, you have to tackle dozens of flights of stairs to do it
again.
But that may become a thing of the past if a prototype simulator catches
on. Imagine a water slide course 450-ft high and 3600-ft long —
essentially, an endless water slide that could actually fit in your back
yard. A prototype of this concept was presented on the Discovery
Channel’s Prototype This program. Prototype This is a series where a
group of engineers and scientists can design and build prototypes that
solve the world’s problems or are just plain cool.
|
Web Exclusive - Defining hydraulic hybrid
designs
Hydraulic hybrid vehicles that combine hydraulic, electrical, and
mechanical components to improve vehicle efficiency and performance
generally are either series or parallel hydraulic systems. The more
common system of the two is a series system, which is analogous to a
diesel/electric locomotive. In brief, this system uses a conventional
internal combustion engine to power a hydrostatic pump of variable
displacement which supplies hydraulic pressure to one or more hydraulic
motors that propel the vehicle.
|
Hydraulic hybrids on the rise
As gas prices rise and the green movement grows, more fluid power
companies are working to develop hydraulic drivetrains for everything
from large trucks to passenger cars and wind turbines. These
developments have ranged from complete systems to individual components
and ongoing research to complete car manufacturing.
|
Clean, dry air is money in the bank
Clean, dry air is critical to the success and efficiency of
pneumatic systems, but contamination and condensation are unavoidable
when generating compressed air. One source of contaminants is the air
being drawn into the compressor. Dirty, wet air is still dirty and wet
after compression. In fact, compression generates heat and increases
the air’s temperature and capacity to retain moisture. Without
filtration and drying, the air will contain all the contaminants of the
ambient environment.
|
Differential pressure transmitter
Model 240 4-20 mA differential pressure transmitter from Mid-West
Instrument is a simple, loop-powered 8-28 Vdc two-wire design that uses
a CSA, UL, and ATEX rated-sensor and explosion-proof housing. It
features a heavy duty, cast aluminum housing. Wiring access is through a
1/2-in. NPT port. Accuracy is ±2% from 20% to 100% of full scale.
Indicator accuracy is ±2% and is independent of the transmitter
operation. It provides total separation of high and low pressure by
means of a convoluted elastomer diaphragm. Pressure containing elements
are
available in aluminum or 316 stainless steel. Safe working pressure is
1500 psig with full over-range protection to maximum working pressure.
Differential pressure ranges from 0-20 in. H20 to 0-100 psid.
|
Hydraulic crimping machine
O+P H80 300-ton hydraulic crimping press from Wauseon Machine &
Manufacturing is designed for crimping hose up to 2-in. diameter and 6
wire. It can also swage tubing, crimp cables and provide component
assembly. Powered by a 7.5-hp motor, it has a constant working
centerline and maximum swage diameter of 4 3/8 in. and can produce up to
470 operations per hour. Two machine controls are available with storage
of up to 200 parts. Standard dies sizes range from 10 to 120 mm and are
available with custom dies for unique applications.
|
Level switch
Solid-state ELS-1150 electro-optic level switch from Gems Sensors &
Controls is designed for high temperature and high-pressure
applications. At just 1.38 in. long, it features a micro processor board
design to provide a wide range of capabilities including sinking and
sourcing and time delay outputs. Strong fused glass prism eliminates
leak potential and is capable of handling extreme temperature and
pressure applications up to 2500 psi. It is available in FM and EP
versions with wide voltage ranges and temperature ranges up to 125ºC .
|
Check Out the New EET Website
Are you looking for more information on energy efficiency? EETweb.com
features the latest efficiency updates, information on the basics of
energy efficiency and products available for energy efficient designs.
Click here to
visit the site and learn more!
Now Available On-Demand
The Energy Efficiency Web Conference & Expo
Engineers saw and heard great educational content at the Energy
Efficiency Web Conference and Expo. If you missed the live virtual
event, don’t despair! An archive of the full day’s agenda is now
available.
Design engineers are required to integrate energy efficiency into their
designs while maintaining lower costs, the highest reliability or both.
The editors of Machine Design understand these challenges
and have developed this conference to help engineers understand the
recently imposed energy mandates. The information presented at this
educational event will help engineers compare the different technologies
and product related to energy efficiency. Attendees will gain access to
the technical information needed to help them make the best decisions
without having to travel or take time away from current projects.
Visit the archive to:
- View informative webinars on energy efficiency
- Visit interactive booths where you can contact suppliers
- Peruse the Resource Center where you can download or link to
additional pertinent energy efficiency information
Register Now!
ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING
Click
Here for a list of archived Machine Design webcasts.
|
Exlar's patented actuator technology offers many times the
life of ball screw actuators and provides an efficient
electro-mechanical replacement for hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders.
These digitally controlled products
offer several advantages over other technologies.
www.exlar.com
Bulky conveyor diverter slims down with space-saving rodless
cylinder from Tolomatic
Engineers at one of the world's largest producers of conveyor systems
needed a space-saving solution for an overhead pull-off system. Learn
how a Tolomatic rodless-style actuator helped solve this problem.
www.tolomatic.com
Direct-acting valves
Air cylinders are available in heavy-duty brass or stainless steel in
bore sizes to 3 in. They are corrosion resistant and operate for
millions of production cycles. Online configurator offers CAD models in
2D and 3D for easier ordering.
www.clippard.com/cylinders/
|
|
|
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
©2009 Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
|
