Hydraulics & Pneumatics articles from January 2004

Hydraulics & Pneumatics archives from January 2004

Illegal aliens dilute your vote.(Publisher's Page)
January 1, 2004... Do you sometimes get the feeling your vote doesn't count? Well, the fact of the matter is that it probably doesn't count as much as the votes of a lot of other people, and here is why. The main reason the federal government conducts a...

What China is importing.(Publisher's Page)
January 1, 2004... All is not bleak when it comes to exporting goods to China. Ranches in both the U.S. and Canada say China is their No. 1 engine of growth. China has become so prosperous that much of its workforce in Beijing can now afford a substantial steak...

More thoughts on bad management.(Readers' Forum)
January 1, 2004... I read your editorial about Type X managers, and I agree that this style seems to be back in vogue. My own experience has been that the suggestions from www.businessballs.com are unrealistically optimistic. I've seen that the Type X manager is...

Don't ask, don't tell.(Readers' Forum)
January 1, 2004... I really enjoyed your November '03 editorial. I think you had some good, practical advice. I have worked for many different types of engineering managers over the years, from the "artist" to the "ill-tempered tantrum-thrower." I even had one...

Letter from an ex-X.(Readers' Forum)
January 1, 2004... I enjoyed your article about Type X managers. I was one for many years. Thank goodness I found a better way. Gerald Gillette Foundry Coordinator J. R. Hoe & Sons Inc. Middlesboro, Ky. ggillette@jrhoe.com

A future engineer.(Readers' Forum)
January 1, 2004... Like father... like son. I've been reading your magazine since working in the industry and have found it to be extremely educational. Apparently my son, Gavin (2 years old), agrees. Keep up the great work! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

First in a series.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is the flagship program of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 to help young people develop an appreciation for science and technology....

Hydraulics hits prime time.
January 1, 2004... "Modern Marvels," the award-winning series broadcast weeknights on The History Channel, will be spotlighting hydraulics within the first quarter of this year. Scheduled topics for the one-hour episode include the history of hydraulics, its...

New ideas take shape in Italy.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... New ideas and innovations will be on display at Fluidtrans Compomac 2004, taking place Feb. 18 to 21 the Portello Halls in Milan, Italy. Components etc. provides a comprehensive showcase for trends in mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic,...

Testing ... one, two, three.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... ISO Technical Committee 131 recently began work on three International Standards for testing pneumatic components to determine reliability: * ISO/AWI (approved work item) 19973-1, Part 1--General procedures and calculation method *...

Air cylinder powers nonparallel broaches.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Simultaneous broaching of two nonparallel slots is achieved by an ingenious broach puller design in which each broach is attached to individual angular mounted shafts on the air-powered puller head through universal joint-type yokes. The yokes...

Big change at Bosch.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Winfried Witte, 62, president of Bosch Rexroth AG, is retiring on Apr. 30. In 1996, Witte took over as chairman of the Board of Management of Mannesmann Rexroth GmbH and was appointed president of Mannesmann Rexroth AG the year after. Since May...

A year of adapters.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Enjoy the whole year with Tompkins Industries, Olathe, Kans., 2004 calendar. This year's theme, Adapters in History, takes a quirky and imaginative look at the role of Tompkins hydraulic adapters in the history of the world. Were Tompkins...

Good news for the new year.
January 1, 2004... The construction machinery manufacturing industry anticipates a 3% to 5% growth according to an annual industry forecast from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). Sales increases are expected for all major product groups, with the...

Goodyear expands hydraulic hose business.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Goodyear Engineered Products, Akron, Ohio, will become a full-line provider of hydraulic hose, fittings, and crimpers in North America in 2004. Hydraulic hose assemblies use fluid to transmit power for a wide variety of applications from...

AEM establishes operations in Canada.
January 1, 2004... The Association of Equipment Manufacturers will establish a Canadian presence by incorporating the operations of the Canadian Farm & Industrial Equipment Institute into AEM. This becomes effective Jan. 1, 2004. All CFIEI members automatically...

Hydraulic fluid guide.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Hydraulic Fluids: A Guide to Selection, Test Methods, and Use, by M. Radhakrishnan, covers a broad range of issues important to engineers concerned with the selection, application, and maintenance of hydraulic fluids used in industrial...

International Sealing Conference set for October.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... The 13th International Sealing Conference will take place Oct. 5 to 6, at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. The conference will be held under the scientific auspices of Dr. Werner Haas of the Institute of Machine Components of the...

Fluid Power Pavilion at manufacturing show.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... The National Fluid Power Association and the International Manufacturing Technology Show have joined to create a Fluid Power Pavilion at IMTS 2004, Sept. 8 to 15, in Chicago. The pavilion will focus on motion control solutions for the...

Hagglunds launches valve program.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Hagglunds Drives, a supplier of hydraulic drive systems for pulp and paper, off-highway, marine and offshore, mining, recycling, and other industries, has launched a new valve program that optimizes the full potential of its Compact CA and CB...

NFPA launches CNR initiative.(NFPA News)
January 1, 2004... NFPA's Board of Directors and Education Committee have launched one of the association's most ambitious initiatives yet by recommending a proposal to establish a wide-reaching non-proprietary research network--a Cooperative Network for Research...

University of Missouri-Columbia develops fluid power program.(NFPA News)
January 1, 2004... Over the past six years, the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia (UMC) has been actively pursuing support for the development of a fluid power program in both education and research. The results of this effort have...

Schools and competitions receive funding.(NFPA News)
January 1, 2004... NFPA's Education Committee has awarded grants, in amounts up to $5,000, to eight schools and three competitions in support of 22 projects. All these grants support projects that actively engage students in learning about fluid power technology....

Weathering the tough times.(ASP Profile)
January 1, 2004... gene Kalhorn fondly remembers the day four years ago that he and his wife purchased TAPCO, a Cincinnati-based Automation Solution Provider. "It fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning my own company," he said. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] His...

Hydraulics helps pick up wind.(Ideas & Applications)
January 1, 2004... Watching three-armed giants rotate leisurely on the horizon, hardly anyone gives a thought to the highly technical equipment involved in the process. In order for wind power plants to operate at optimal efficiency, they must be constantly...

Joystick simplifies control selection.(Ideas & Applications)
January 1, 2004... Bobcat Co., West Fargo, N.D., made another incremental improvement to loader design with its new Selectable Joystick Controls (SJC) option for skid-steer and compact track loaders. Bobcat engineers introduced the low-effort joystick control...

"Put the pedal to the metal" becomes obsolete with electronics.
January 1, 2004... As electronic systems continue to weave their way deeper into control of mobile hydraulic systems, operators benefit from more user-friendly and versatile controls, and systems exhibit longer life and higher reliability. Among these new...

Understanding oscilloscopes.(Motion Control)
January 1, 2004... The accompanying figure shows the phase and amplitude relationships between a typical sinusoidal command signal and the resulting output signal and the resulting output signal from a test. For this example, the test specimen is a proportional...

Book teaches servohydraulics.
January 1, 2004... Designer's Handbook for Electrohydraulic Servo and Proportional Systems covers electrohydraulic system design, control, and analysis by teaching principles and reviewing practical problems from the real world instead of endlessly discussing...

Analyzing frequency response.(Motion Control)
January 1, 2004... The frequency response analyzer can be thought of as a "smart voltmeter." It has many useful features, and highly automated ones can cost more than $50,000. The photo at right shows a low-end analyzer of some vintage. However, it contains all...

Select the right transducer.(Sensor Tips)
January 1, 2004... Pressure transducers are mechanical structures made from more than one material. Because of this, they respond not only to changes in pressure, but changes in temperatures as well. These changes can affect both the zero and full scale output...

Thin film.(Sensor Tips)
January 1, 2004... Series 1500 thin-film pressure transducers and transmitters, from the Pressure Div. of PCB Piezotronics Inc., Depew, N.Y., feature all-welded construction and integral hermetic connector or molded integral cable options. The units ensure...

Make sense of cylinders.(Sensor Tips)
January 1, 2004... A cylinder position sensor from Balluff Inc., Florence, Ky., offers four built-in programmable setpoint outputs for detection of end-of-stroke or any position in between. The ProSet4 is the newest member of the Micropulse family of rod-style...

Industry focus: automotive: NFPA-type cylinders address design features and dimensional tolerances not covered by standards.(Pneumatic Systems)
January 1, 2004... Pneumatics has always been especially well suited to high-speed automation. This held true when mechanical and air logic control gave way to electrical and electronic control. And the speed, repeatability, and reliability of pneumatics are just...

How to use space that isn't there: combining two components into one frees up space that otherwise wouldn't exist.(Pneumatic Systems)
January 1, 2004... As pneumatic systems have increased in sophistication, so has the need for cleaner, dryer compressed air. This is especially true with systems using miniature components because it doesn't take much water or dirt to cause malfunctions. ...

When your cylinders need a little guidance: specifying guide rod bushings involves evaluating performance factors, as well determining whether your system is better suited for conventional or composite materials.(System Design)
January 1, 2004... Benjamin Shobert Polygon Co., Walkerton, Ind. www.polylube.com Guide rod bushings are a necessary design component in most hydraulic and pneumatic applications. The selection criteria can vary widely, as can the family of material...

48th annual designer's guide to fluid power products.
January 1, 2004... The following charts are a collection of specifications for more than 50 categories of fluid power products and services, representing companies that have appeared in Hydraulics & Pneumatics during 2003. Following the charts is an alphabetical...

Manufacturers' index.
January 1, 2004... A A and A Mfg. Co. Inc., 2300 S. Calhoun Rd., New Berlin, WI 53151, (262) 786-1500, Fax: (262) 786-3280, www.gortite.com A&R Hydraulics, 23215 Hoover Rd., Warren, MI 48089, (866) DENISON, (586) 756-2810, Fax: (586) 756-2833,...

Space saver.(Design Closeup)
January 1, 2004... Conventional multiport fluid control components use multiple O-rings and backup rings to establish an axial seal between ports. But the width and depth of these sealing grooves increase the overall size and weight of the component. The seals...

Protective boots for cylinder rods.(Media Mart: Advertisement)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... Custom-engineered protective boots for cylinder rods are available for machine tools and other related industries. They stop rod scoring, prevent nicking, and extend seal life by protecting cylinder rods from chips, abrasive particles, and...

Proportional valves for air, gases.(Media Mart: Advertisement)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... The EVP combines the features of Clippard's existing EV valve--long life, low power, and outstanding performance--with the patented spicer armature. This valve provides air or gas glow control, and varies the output based on the current input,...

Primary source for stainless steel products.(Media Mart: Advertisement)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... A 30-page design and manufacturing guide-book offers updated technical information to help you select the proper size and material composition. It describes stainless steel tubing in stand and hypodermic (6 to 30 gauge), metric (1 to 26 mm OD),...

Hydraulic hose, fittings.(Media Mart: Advertisement)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... Alfagomma[R], for many years a leading brand name of hydraulic hose and fittings in Europe, is now becoming the high-pressure connector of choice for many in the U.S., and is marketed by Kuriyama of America Inc. Contact Brian Dutton at...

Protective covers for medical tables.(Media Mart: Advertisement)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... Custom-engineered protective covers for medical tables available in a variety of materials, colors, and construction methods. These bellows-type covers are ideal for enclosing the lift mechanism and base area of X-ray machines, MRI equipment,...

Differential pressure gauges.(Media Mart: Advertisement)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... Four-page brochure covers the DPH line of high-quality, low-cost differential pressure indicators for the filtration industry. Every gauge is individually tested and serialized. Certification of calibration is available. NACE certification is...

Hydraulic filters, strainers, accessories.(Media Mart: Advertisement)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... New, full-color, 85-page Catalog BB-7 details a complete line of hydraulic filters, strainers, and accessories. Included are sump and tank-mounted strainers; flow diffusers; suction screens; tank and filter breathers; pressure gauges; spin-on...

Fluid power handbook & directory.(Media Mart: Advertisement)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... The most comprehensive fluid power reference source available. Individual sections include: engineering data (basic circuits, components, symbols and standards); product index, manufacturers directory, product directory, trademarks directory,...

Instrumentation tubing.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... SPECS Size: 1/4 to 1/2 in. FEATURES * Stainless steel or copper * Thermoplastic, UV-resistant jacket * Insulated tubing reduces heat loss, protects personnel * Jacketed tubing offers corrosion, mechanical protection...

Test kit.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... FEATURES * 63-mm low-pressure gauge * Sets, measures gas pressure * Available in three ranges * Secure latch for safe handling * Includes 3-ft rubber tubing, rubber tube nipple [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Winters...

Stainless-steel ties.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... SPECS Size: 3/16 in. wide X 0.01 in. thick Length: 5 to 47 in. FEATURES * Bundle cables, hoses in harsh environments * 150-lb minimum loop tensile strength * Internal self-locking bar * Resists most chemicals,...

Miniature valves.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... SPECS Cycle speed: to 600 min Temp range: -0[degrees] to 140[degrees]F FEATURES * Explosion-proof * For pneumatic, hydraulic applications * Response time: 4 to 16 msec * Encapsulated coil [ILLUSTRATION...

Heat exchangers.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... SPECS Pressure: to 1,000 psi FEATURES * One-, two-, four-pass models * Stainless-steel fluid contact parts * Shell-and-tube type * Heat transfer surfaces from 1.2 to 576 sq ft [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SSCF...

Flow control valves.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... SPECS Diameter: 0.187, 0.281 in. FEATURES * Miniature, dual metering * Stainless-steel components * Forward, reverse flow rate can be different * Customize to specific flow requirements [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Torque limiter with sensor.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... FEATURES * Disconnects main power source from downstream components if overload or jam occurs * Ensures proper torque transmission * Air chamber sealed with O-rings, back-up rings * Contains proximity sensor * Semi-open...

Transducer interface.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... FEATURES * For 600 Series linear position sensors * Broad range of shaft mounts, mating connectors * Select 1- to 12-in. stroke length * 0.62-in.-diameter external sensor body BEI Technologies Inc., Duncan Electronics...

Grease-fitting caps.
January 1, 2004... FEATURES * 0.47 in. center-to-center between cap, retaining ring * Prevents contaminants, moisture from entering grease fittings * Resists weak acids, solvents * Inside locking mechanism * Standard red color * Made of...

Linear transducers.
January 1, 2004... SPECS Length: to 250 mm Stroke: 72.3, 109.5, 128.3, 148.0, 162.3, 186.3, 192.3, 194.3, 217.3, 250.1 mm Temp: -40[degrees] to 105[degrees]C FEATURES * Metal sensor tube * Analog, PWM outputs * Custom-length...

Digital thermometer.
January 1, 2004... SPECS Temp: -58[degrees] to 158[degrees]F (external); 14[degrees] to 122[degrees]F (internal) FEATURES * Min/max memory function stores lowest, highest readings for instant recall * High/low temperature alarm setting *...

Control yourself.(Web Wire)
January 1, 2004... Cleveland-based Control Line Equipment's online home, www.control-line.com, boasts details on their valves, cylinders, hand pumps, counters, and motion control products. There is also a short company history, and users can download selected...

Neat-commerce.(Web Wire)
January 1, 2004... Pressure Systems Inc.'s e-commerce site has been upgraded. The site, located at www.levelandpressure.com, allows for easy ordering of the company's level and pressure transducers. There are several nifty features, including order tracking...

Bridging technology.(Web Wire)
January 1, 2004... Check out a variety of bridge-building information at www.bridgepros.com. There are interesting links to all sorts of bridges, including current construction projects and those in the planning stage. For example, one bridge being built over a...

Forget fuschia.(Web Wire)
January 1, 2004... Here's an intriguing site that explains how color trends work--it's due in large part to the "color mafia" that rules the world's color palettes. Read up at imaginationstreet.com/art/colortrends.stm, and you'll be the envy of your friends, not...

Taking the test.(Web Wire)
January 1, 2004... This editor's nephew, currently in engineering school, passed along the following great site: www.cyberslayer.co.uk/jokes/joke0908.html. Described as an "Engineer Identification Test," it provides questions to help you separate the true...

Fluid power & bratwurst.(Web Wire)
January 1, 2004... There are only a couple of months left before the 4th International Fluidpower Conference is held in Dresden, Germany. Visit the official Web site at www.ifk2004.com/Start_Englisch.htm for details on papers to be presented, topics, and travel...

Get away.(Web Wire)
January 1, 2004... If you have the post-holiday blahs, surf over to www.go-today.com, one of the easiest to use last-minute vacation sites we've seen. You can select either your local departure airport or your intended destination to get a listing of deals. The...