Fluid Conveyance

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Here is an excerpt from OEM Off-Highway's February installment of the Fluid Power Series: "The ability to direct energy between pumps and actuators in neat packages has given equipment engineers the freedom to design machines to best suit its intended function... Mounting the pump on the business end of the engine and routing hoses to the actuator means the powerplant can be placed virtually anywhere on the machine, unencumbered by gears and chains."

A high-pressure hydraulic system is only as good as the team of fluid conveyance components that direct it around the machine.

We've asked several suppliers of fluid conveyance products (hose, tubing and connectors) about trends or changes in this part of the hydraulic system.

What are customers asking for?

Dennis Kemper, account application engineer, and Tim Saupe, product application engineer, Worldwide Hose & Connector Product Application Dept., Gates Corp.

OEM customers want leak-free hydraulic hose assemblies that are dependable, eliminate rework expenses, reduce warranty claims and speed up the time to attach the hoses on the assembly line.

To accomplish this, Gates and other suppliers are developing new hydraulic systems with fewer threaded connections, more modular constructions, hose/tube combinations, fewer adapters where possible, and more robust designs for their threaded connections.

In applications where hose-to-hose and hose-to metal abrasion is a problem, careful consideration must be used in specifying sleeving for "Line of Sight" protection. "Line of Sight" protection is becoming more and more important every day.

In addition, environmental issues continue to drive new product developments. Materials are being developed for compatibility with biodiesel fuels from B20 to B100 and temperatures up to 275 F.

Mark Robinson, applications engineer, RB Royal Industries

The primary concerns remain the same from a decade ago: a desire for higher pressure and better flow through a smaller OD product with high temperature and durability characteristics.

Systems are routing more and more through smaller spaces, demanding more from fluid conveyors.

A more recent surge is a desire for quick-connections to reduce assembly time while maintaining a zero-leak environment. Greater use of O-ring seal connectors have also been a part of this trend. Another trend is stronger corrosion resistance, with a greater focus on establishing base-metal combinations which do not form galvanic circuits to avoid creating corrosion conditions in the first place.

Companies are also increasing the level of configuration complexity to have a reduction in leak paths.

Scott R. Kane, global platform manager — mobile, Fluid Connectors Group, Parker Hannifin Corp.

Historically, the fluid power industry has been slow to change, but we are now seeing the beginning of wide spread, accelerating changes driven by the power density demands of evolving industries such as alternative energy.

Today, customers continue to demand more from their suppliers. They request added value like design support and 3-D models of our products. In addition, many are asking for products that are more environmentally friendly, lighter weight, able to handle higher pressures, reduce assembly time and are readily available worldwide.

Very recently, I was approached by a U.S.-based OEM that also builds and markets equipment in China, India and the Czech Republic. They were asking for a recommended global standard as well as availability for their hydraulic port and fluid connector needs. To meet these customer demands, it's imperative that motion and control companies are able to manufacture and supply the products customers need in the same geographical areas of the world that the OEMs are making machinery. It is unacceptable in today's fast-paced economy to wait for a hose assembly or tube to be exported from the U.S.