A new motion control design tool for engineers from Parker Hannifin Corp. aims to help with the proper selection of electromechanical and pneumatic linear motion. Dubbed Virtual Engineer, the free online tool is an intuitive interface where users can easily enter their application specifications, (for example, speed, load, external forces) and then quickly navigate to […]
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What size of pipe should I used to connect my air compressor?
Quite often, the compressed air pipe connected to an air compressor is sized to the same diameter as the connection on the compressor outlet.ย But this can be a mistake because it may lead to excessive pressure loss that can affect the operational efficiency of the compressor. For example, one manufacturer, to save costs, puts […]
The 5 most read pneumatic stories of 2017
From IFPE to Hannover Fair to PackExpo Las Vegas, 2017 has been a busy year in the world of pneumatics! Here’s a look back at the most-read stories to appear on บฺมฯณินฯTips.com during this past year … 5. Should I use a wet or dry storage receiver? Having both wet and dry receivers takes […]
Robots and fluid power
At first blush, the industrial robotics market doesnโt appear to be a place for fluid power. Walk through an industrial trade show, and youโll see a multitude of Delta, SCARA, Cartesian and other types of robots busy demonstrating their skills. And each of them is run by electric drivesโcertainly not hydraulics or pneumatics. But a […]
Piabโs recent acquisitions offer a glimpse into its future
I had the chance yesterday to sit down with Mike Tuohey, Piabโs Sales and Marketing Communication Manager, in his office in Hingham, Mass. Tuoheyโs name is one of the most familiar to me in all of fluid powerโheโs been in the industry for 33 years now and has seen a lot of history. But the […]
Compressed Air Fail: Control problem due to high flow events
By Ron Marshall A sawmill installed a VSD compressor in their compressed air system to save energy and provide better pressure control.ย The site had two 50-hp fixed speed compressors and a new 75-hp VSD controlled compressor.ย The system was supposed to be set up so that the VSD compressor would provide the variable flow […]
Building up a distributor network from scratch
When you think of distributor networks, what may come to mind is a network that has been in place for decades. But in the case of Koganei USA, their North American distributor partners are relatively new relationships. Koganeiโs parent company has been around for more than 80 years, and had previously used a single domestic […]
Compressed Air Fail: Tale of two plants
By Ron Marshall A protein products processor has two plants, separated by a one hour drive, doing about the same thing. The first plant has a standard 60 hp fixed speed, load/unload compressor with dew point controlled heated air dryer, and a 600-gal receiver.ย A compressed air assessment was done and the baseline for this […]
PackExpo Day 2: Believe it or not, more robotsโand pneumatics, too!
So much happened at this year’s PackExpo Las Vegas, here are some additional thoughts and sights from this year’s very crowded show: The AMK Automation booth was focused on flexible machine automation solutions,ย both centralized and decentralized. AMK showed a centralized single-cabinet design as well as a working decentralized machine, where a single cabinetless controller from […]
PackExpo Day 1: Smart machines … and a whole lot of robots
Pack Expoโs back at the Las Vegas Convention Center this year, and itโs looking like a good show thus far. PMMI, which runs the annual event, said that this is the largest Las Vegas iteration of the show in historyโmore than 30,000 attendees are expected, including 5,000 from outside the United States. The exhibit […]
