8:00am - 8:10am Connection Time/Prepare for the Event

We want to make sure everyone is connected and ready to go for an informative and interactive morning. Use this time to make sure you connection is working, familiarize yourself with the virtual platform and connect informally with other participants via the virtual networking tables. 

8:10am - 8:15am Welcome and Opening Remarks

Paul Michael (MSOE), and Eric Lanke (NFPA) will call us to order and provide an overview of today’s program and the supporting organizations.

8:15am - 9:00am

High VI Industrial Lubricants & Their Impact On Equipment Efficiency

Hydraulics and pneumatics are used throughout the industry for a large variety of end uses, e.g. hydraulic excavators, hydraulic plastic processing machines, hydraulic and pneumatic robots, pneumatic machine tools, air brakes, blow molding, etc. Most of these applications become more and more demanding with increasing operating pressure, smaller fluid volumes and higher specific workloads. A significant amount of power is consumed by these applications.

Besides robustness and reliability, energy efficiency is an aspect of increasing importance. Many end users are confronted with the need to reduce Total Costs of Ownership and like to consider every option to improve productivity and efficiency of their equipment. This is closely linked to the increased focus on sustainability.

This presentation will discuss the demand for more efficient operation of fluid power applications and will show how shear stable high VI hydraulic can improve the equipment efficiency by several percent compared to incumbent monograde fluids.

Ricardo Gomes, Evonik Oil Additives USA, Inc.

9:00am - 9:10am Networking Break

9:10am – 9:55am

Using Additive Manufacturing to Redesign Fluid Power Components for Greater Efficiency

Redesigning fluid power manifolds, pumps, motors, valves, actuators, and other components for the additive environment creates dramatic opportunities to reduce weight, increase efficiency, and even embed sensors and other devices for better monitoring and control. This presentation will review several production-ready projects that leverage the latest additive technologies to achieve these goals.

Dan Bagley, B&B Management Labs; Riccardo Nicastro, NIRI Engineering

9:55am – 10:05am Networking Break

10:05am – 10:50am

Increasing System Efficiency with Servo-Driven Hydraulic Gear Pumps

Project Phoenix was formed in 2014 as a research and development skunkworks project of Empire Southwest, one of the largest Caterpillar dealers in the world, and now holds dozens of granted domestic and international patents on its new Independent Electrohydraulic System (IES) technology. This IES is the first-ever servo-driven, drive-drive hydraulic gear pump that allows for the precise synchronization of an infinite number of hydraulic systems using sophisticated motion control and algorithms. Its algorithms provide early-warning alerts relating, most significantly, to mechanical gear-teeth wear and system contamination and has been shown to be more responsive, and energy saving, than traditional hydraulic systems.

Thomas Afshari, Design Engineer, Project Phoenix

10:50am – 11:00am Wrap-Up and Closing

Paul Michael (MSOE), and Eric Lanke (NFPA) will provide some summary comments, answer any questions, and thank everyone for participating.