“The Wizard of Oz” is one of the most famous films ever made. Its characters are familiar to many: the Wicked Witch, the Wizard and of course, Dorothy and her companions Toto, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Man. Over the years they have become cultural icons that can be identified by fans of all ages. The Scarecrow, as most people know, desperately seeks a brain while the Lion desires courage. The Tin Man wants a heart but there is also something else that should be on his wish list: a lubrication system. Though that does not fit in exactly with the storyline, this poor woodman suffers from chronic rusting when exposed to rain, tears or moisture. It is a persistent threat for him and indeed, when Dorothy finds him, he cannot speak or move because his joints have rusted shut. [Continue Reading Article]

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that shook the island nation of Haiti on January 12, 2010 left in its wake a city in ruins. The capital city, Port-au-Prince, was reduced to rubble and residents found themselves searching desperately through the wreckage in hopes of rescuing loved ones. Equipment was needed to cut, spread, lift, pull and separate the tangle of concrete and rebar trapping victims. This machinery was powered by hydraulic pumps. The pumps work by creating pressure enough to move a liquid, often oil or water, through cylinders and hoses thereby creating mechanical energy. This energy is used to run generators, power excavators and hydraulic water pumps even provide water to the Haitian people. [Continue Reading Article]

Do you ever wonder how those heavy duty, high powered equipment vehicles work? I’m talking about tractors, bulldozers, cranes and trucks that lift, push, haul, dump, dig, crush and drill in countless large-scale applications. They harness enormous power to handle extremely heavy loads. You might be surprised, but the main part behind the power—hydraulic cylinders—are probably more simple than they seem, and they don’t require a lot of energy. They use the basic principle of fluid under pressure, and are featured in any system that needs multiple moving parts at once. These cylinders have been around for a while, since the 1970s, and haven’t changed much in design or function. Sure, their manufacturing processes are faster and the tolerances are tighter, but their classic construction still operates just as well with newer machinery as they do with old. [Continue Reading Article]

In the most general terms, the function of any kind of seal is to block the passage of liquids or gases. Rubber seals can be either static or dynamic. A static seal does not move and simply contains pressure or maintains a vacuum. The purpose of dynamic seals, however, is to reciprocate a give-and-take with mechanical motion, like for pistons and cylinders or rotating shafts. Mechanical seals are essential components of hydraulic and pneumatic systems, in which constantly moving mechanisms can be under extreme stress. Along with preventing leakage and protecting against contaminants, the mechanical seal helps maintain pressure levels in high temperature, pressure and speed applications. [Continue Reading Article]

What do miners, lumber jacks and bull dozer operators all have in common? Besides choosing dangerous heavy duty jobs as occupations, they all work with some pretty powerful and extreme machinery everyday. Their equipment, along with trenchers, marine winches, cranes and car crushers, use intense amounts of power to do their job. But where does energy powerful enough to flatten cars or move massive amounts of earth come from? The answer is hydraulic motors—components of hydrostatic power transmission systems that convert hydraulic energy into mechanical energy. These motors are able to harness the immense power generated from fluid pressure and supply energy to the most massive and extreme machines. [Continue Reading Article]

The full range of today’s hydraulic presses is some of the most powerful and versatile manufacturing equipment. Achieving the highest compressive force of all the power presses, these machines are crucial for the forming and molding of a wide spectrum of materials: metals, plastics and composites, rubber, wood, and laminates. From deep drawing essential parts, such as tanks and fenders, for the production of motorcycles to creating 2,640 plastic credit cards per hour, the manufacturing realm would be lost without hydraulic presses. The scrap metal processing industry also relies on shear hydraulic press force to smash discarded cars and such into compact, manageable squares of reusable material for pop cans, paper clips, etc. [Continue Reading Article]

The current types of water filtration systems dominating the market today—multimedia, screen or fixed barrier, disposable and membrane filters—may soon have a tough competitor. Undergoing testing at the US EPA in Cincinnati and the University of Alberta, R3F, or radial flow fluidized filter technology, is yielding very positive results. R3F filters could soon be available to manufacturers for the municipal, industrial and agricultural sectors of filtration systems. This filtration equipment uses both radial flow cartridge and non bonded media in the form of small, spherical glass beads. It is similar to microfiltration technology, but has significant cost and operational benefits. University of Alberta testing found that as they used smaller and smaller media (glass beads), the percentage of small particles were separated from the filtered water, a benefit known as selective removal, which is used to remove cysts and pathogens. The glass beads are as efficient as using sand, but more cost effective. [Continue Reading Article]

Manufacturing practices are becoming increasingly more scrutinized for their effect on the environment. Real changes are underway in the area of emissions, byproducts, packaging materials, fluid selection, and power consumption – to name only a few. While environmental payback may be the goal, many of these initiatives encounter obstacles, not the least of which is additional operational costs. Not so with lubrication - the greener the better. Utilizing very small amounts of lubricant at controlled intervals is productive for a number of reasons... [Continue Reading Article]