Swiss mathematician and physicist Daniel Bernoulli discovered 250 years ago that a partial vacuum is created when a medium such as air flows past an object quickly. The object is not blown away, as expected, but rather sucked in. Airplanes make use of this elementary effect in fluid dynamics resulting from flowing gases and liquids—it […]
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New valve family opens additional application possibilities
By Paul J. Heney and Mary Gannon Cincinnati-based Clippard Instrument Lab created its EV line of valves in 1973. The company’s workhouse pneumatic valves have seen a lot over their lifetime—video games like Pong have evolved into lifelike realty games and mobile phones the size of loaves of bread are now compact, thin devices that […]
Looking ahead to Aventics’ next moves
I recently had the chance to chat with Kjell Lyngstad, the Director-North American Sales, Marketing & Engineering for Aventics, the former Bosch Rexroth Pneumatics. Aventics has its U.S. headquarters in Lexington, Ky.; Lyngstad has been with the company in Sweden since 1997, and he relocated to the U.S. in 2001. Q: How do you think […]
Compressed air fail: The cost of dryers
A number of years ago, a metal fabrication plant started up an operation in an outbuilding to add to the production capacity of a larger plant. The new plant had several new processes that had never been tried out before, so the air loading was unknown. The plant had a couple of used air compressors […]
Norgren offers Express Service for emergency parts
Downtime means lost profit, so it is important for engineers to keep machinery and equipment up and running. To do this, they need to be able to get the parts they need in a timely manner. But with the vast number of choices available in the fluid power industry, designers can waste precious time sifting […]
CCEFP update: Pneumatics that’s made for walking
The lowest power test bed of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) is directed towards developing technologies for human assist devices. The platform for this test bed has been developing portable fluid powered orthoses. There is a need in physical medicine and rehabilitation to create orthotic devices that better meet the needs […]
IFPS plans “Fluid power professionals day” for June
The International Fluid Power Society (IFPS) has dedicated June 19 as “Fluid Power Professionals’ Day”—a day of recognition for everyone who works in the fluid power field. Fluid power has been described as a “hidden giant,” because it is so common in our day-to-day existence that we have simply overlooked the obvious. There is not […]
Gripper learns … through trial and error
You might say that the LearningGripper from Festo behaves just like a baby. But that’s a good thing. Newborn children gradually—and by trial and error—learn how to hold, move, and turn an object, such as a parent’s finger or a toy, with their hands. They want to look at it from all sides and form […]
Pneumatics through the ages—a timeline of evolution
So much of today’s modern machinery utilizes some form of pneumatic component within its makeup and function. Yet it can be argued that the majority of people know little about the industry and how components have evolved into being essential elements the likes of jet engines. To understand how pneumatic components have become important parts […]
Compressed air fail: A pork plant’s incorrect purchase
A pork processing plant installed a modern compressed air system with excellent components. The compressors were cutting-edge VSD style, connected to a sophisticated controller. Air dryers were desiccant style with dew point control and low differential filtration. Significant storage was installed to assist in keeping the compressors running efficiently without pressure issues. This system should […]