The increase in electrification is nothing new — even consumer markets have seen the transition from gas-powered to battery-powered in items like lawn mowers and power tools. Many are enthralled with Tesla after the rapid growth of its electric vehicle business over the last decade ... Continue Reading

The science of machinery avoiding obstacles is nothing new. Early automobiles added rear view and side mirrors to try and reduce the problem, but even as recently as 1906, Indianapolis 500 drivers had a mechanic who rode onboard ... Continue Reading

When these vehicles encounter rough terrain or environmental conditions such as sand, mud or extreme temperatures, they struggle to operate and can get stuck because they can’t get enough traction ... Continue Reading

Fluid power engineers and users seem to understand that energy efficiency is an admirable goal. But maybe it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Let’s look at efficiency in terms of dollars and cents to add a bit of perspective. In 2018 ... Continue Reading

No one wants to wake up with the sound of a diesel engine outside their window anymore. Electromobility is a key topic throughout the mobile-equipment industry today. What’s behind the push for electrification? One of the key drivers is the increased ... Continue Reading

This is both a simple and deceptively dense question for production managers and maintenance personnel. Without any operating or performance data, the answer to this question remains straightforward; they’re either working or they’re not. But we know that there is a large chasm of performance between... Continue Reading

The project aim was to design a system that enabled automated and digital electrohydraulic control of any pilot-operated excavator. The system would have to integrate with the existing hydraulic circuit on any machine and not replace the main control valve. Our performance target was to produce a full-speed automated grade with ... Continue Reading

You hear a lot in the hydraulic field how a majority of hydraulic system failures can be attributed to some kind of contamination. In the beginning of my career, I spent a lot of time repairing hydraulic pumps and motors. From a repair point of view, close to 100 percent of all the failures looked at that were attributed to ... Continue Reading