The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) has launched a task force focused on electrification in fluid power which is having a large impact on the industry as well as those it serves.
“We all know that electrified off-highway machines is having a big impact on our industry,” said Eric Lanke, President and CEO of NFPA, during the association’s recent Industry & Economic Outlook Conference (IEOC) where the new task force was first announced. “And we all are wrestling with some of the confusion that still surrounds electrified terminology and different technologies in the marketplace. So, we view this taskforce as central to both our mission of strengthening the fluid power industry and as part of our commitment to updating the technology roadmap for our industry every other year.”
Mike Terzo, CEO of Terzo Power Systems and member of Power & Motion’s Editorial Advisory Board, will chair the task force. Terzo has several years of experience working on the electrification of hydraulic systems, particularly in heavy-duty applications and which is a key focus for his company.
READ MORE: Terzo Introduces New Hydrapulse Unit to Aid Electrification in Larger Applications
Terzo will work together with Lanke and other members of the task force “to help us define the most common electrification architectures that are coming onto the market,” said Lanke. Additionally, he said the group will describe the likely impact of those architectures on the fluid power industry and its various products, as well as explore strategies for effectively marketing fluid power products in this evolving space.
Currently there are about 40 people signed up to participate on the task force, said Lanke, and anyone with an interest in joining is welcome to do so. Those who are interested in participating can contact Lanke.
Goals for the Task Force
On September 1, the first meeting of the new task force was held following the NFPA’s quarterly Fluid Power Industrial Consortium (FPIC) seminar. During this meeting, objectives for the task force were discussed which included exploring various industry myths, trends and buzzwords and how, if at all, they apply to the fluid power industry.
Looking at the myths and trends will help to determine what information may be lacking in the industry. For instance, it was brought up there is not as much understanding regarding thermal management as there should be, making it a topic the task force wants to ensure it evaluates and informs the industry about.
Overviewing the buzzwords related to electrification also provides an educational opportunity. Terms like range anxiety, PEV (plug-in electric vehicle), well to wheel and others are often heard or read in relation to electrification but not everyone in the fluid power industry necessarily understands what they mean. By looking at which of these terms are most applicable and offering definitions, the task force can provide hydraulics and pneumatics professionals with a glossary of key terms they may need to know and understand when working in the electrification space.
A key objective for the task force is determining the definition of electrification for the fluid power industry. As was expressed during the meeting, it can sometimes be too broad a term which includes incorporation of electronics and software for performance enhancements. It was noted these are aspects of the process but it may be necessary to narrow the definition further to ensure the evolution in power sources—to batteries, fuel cells and other alternatives—currently taking place in the industry is included.
Once the task force is able to define electrification, it will be better able to determine the rest of its discussion points and information to share with the fluid power industry.
Ultimately, the goal of the task force is to get industry input on what is currently taking place regarding electrification and help educate fluid power professionals about this growing trend so they can appropriately design solutions for the market.
The task force plans to meet virtually once a month and is aiming to present its findings to the industry in the form of a white paper tentatively scheduled for publishing in March 2023, just in time for International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE).
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