I was wondering. Now that the i-pod has done so much for Apple's fortunes and now that they have taken the next step and introduced the i-phone, is there such an iconic breakthrough in the future for fluid power technology?

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is there such an iconic breakthrough in the future for fluid power technology?

Not as long as Industry keeps depending on the Fluid Power Manufacturers and Fluid Power Distributors to do their Circuit Design, Training, Trouble Shooting and Maintenance.

Withiout trained Fluid Power Engineers and Mechanics in the end users facility Fluid Power will keep muddling along and thinking there is no more that can be accomplished and the Status-Quo will continue ad infinitum.

Fluid Power is the only system that does not have dedicated persons who design and maintain the systems and who are capable of recommending ways to improve the present offerings. Imagine the Electrical field operating in the same manner, as an example.

I wanted to put a picture of the person rolling on the ground, holding his stomach and laughing uncontrollably, below the quote but couldn't find one. Perhaps a picture of the person who is crying uncotrollably would work as well.

How sad it is that a system as old as Fluid Power and that is used so extensively is so little understood and what little understanding there is does not come from education sources but from the manufacturers and distributors of the equipment.

I don't think anyone is listening though!!!!

What about breakthrough advances in fluids that make hydraulic systems easier to use?

How can fluid power component suppliers get ahead of the curve? By that I mean how can they devote more time to innovating such new products when they are required to devote so much attention to providing very competitive versions of existing components?

Let's brainstorm and think outside the box. Innovators, please help me here.

Mike;

I know this is beginning to sound like an old record that is stuck in one groove and repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, adinfunitum BUT, I still see an analogy with the ELECTRICAL FIELD.

The ELECTRICAL FIELD has TRAINED, DEDICATED PESONS in most facilities whose only JOB is to DESIGN and MAINTAIN all ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.

These persons understand the system so well that they can offer reliable feedback to the manufacturers on Electrical Equipment that prods the manufacturers to develop new products.

I DO NOT SEE THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE END USERS OF FLUID POWER EQUIPMENT AND I BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT FLUID POWER TO GIVE THE TYPE OF FEEDBACK THAT WILL MOVE MANUFACTURERS TO DESIGN AND BUILD NEW AND BETTER PRODUCTS.

If it were not for the Electrical field getting into Fluid Power design, VFD Motors for one, there would have been very little change in my 40 years in Fluid Power.

I'm not sure what will get Fluid Power off Dead Center but I have about given up hope that I will live long enough to see it happen.

I know this is not "Thinking Outside the Box," just the same Broken Record I have been playing for many years. After all this time I have determined my thoughts must be off the wall and really of no use and a waste of mine and everyone else' time so it's about time I get off my Soap Box and leave it alone.

Thanks Peter for being interested enough to respond. Maybe the other three will also have some feedback.

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Thanks Peter for being interested enough to respond. Maybe the other three will also have some feedback.

Bud,

I am very interested in knowing what the next steps will be in fluid power innovation. My limitation is that I do not have the level of technical expertise that you and Peter have. That is why I am turning to people like you for concrete but still forward thinking ideas. Keep in mind that you may need to frame these ideas in language that non-technical people can more easily grasp for starters.

In today's world with the internet and Forums like this and many others, the exchange of ideas is more important than ever.

For that reason, I would like to have some ideas posted that are perhaps even in the "oh you could never do that" stage. Isn't that how great innovations start?

At one time, rheological fluids were thought to be break through technology but I don't know what ever became of them.

Are there developements in fluids that take cause them to handle heat better or just not EVER leak? What about lighter weight, more compact, quieter systems. The ERC for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power will certainly produce some great new developments. Maybe an idea here would be food for thought for them. I hope to get some of the individuals involved in the ERC to become active on this Forum.

I believe that we are always on the verge of a breakthrough. It would be great to find out what some of them are.

Mike;

I beleive I know what te problem is on "Thinking Outside the Box" when it applies to Fluid Power.

You have to be "In the Box" to think outside of it and therein lies the problem. The only ones "In the Box" are Fluid power Manufacturers and Distributors of Fluid Power equipment and they are so busy with everyday stuff that they seldom have any reason to look for new innovations.

Mike wrote:

I believe that we are always on the verge of a breakthrough. It would be great to find out what some of them are.

How about ELECTRIC CYLINDERS? They look like a great addition to the Fluid Power field. Oh, Darn, they were developed by electrical types. I wonder why????

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bud T,

What about emerging markets? First of all, what are they? Secondly, how can fluid power take advantage of emerging markets?

It is out there.

What about alternative fuels as an emerging market for fluid power? Is the medical market growing in fluid power usage?

Yes mike,

We are seeing changes comming the way of hysraulics. In all the feilds of applied hydraulics.

I am from india and we have now started in the direction of innovative developement in the controls.

Changes can only brought if the consultant/designer is ready to come out and show his strength as though those of the scientist in the past.

Much of the ideas fail to sprout pratically for the fear of job insecurity / loosing a client account.

Regards

Fluid Intelligence

("Dont Anticipate the changes to come by be a contributor to the change"

Mike;

Sad to say the 6 other posters on this and the other Forum's are not interested enough to keep the subject alive. About average for this orphaned Fluid Power World.

I strongly believe there will be no changes until there is some feedback from the End User of Fluid Power equipment.

A lot of Fluid Power types like to keep all the knowledge in house for fear of being under bid. In my way of reasoning that means there won't be much assistance from that quarter.

I am impressed that Peter is putting on some much needed information about Motion Control so we can get be upgraded in that area.

I recently, last week, got the brain storm to put some questions on some of the Mechanical Forums and am getting some interest. I finally figured out that we maust take the information to the mechanical persons even though they are not asking for it. At least there has been some interest so far.

Looks like feedback on emerging technology in the Fluid Power Field has not peaked anyones interest.

I beleive that VFD driven pumps could be a great leap ahead in energy savings and pump longevity but I don't see Fluid Power types running or even walking with it. Maybe that technology would reduce replacement sales?????

Who came up with using VF drives on hydraulic pumps anyway? was it some electrical type???

Sorry for being so negative but there seems to be little desire in the Fluid Power realm to really move ahead in the mundane everyday use of hydraulics and pneumatics.