From the Editor's Desk: What Unique Applications of Fluid Power Exist in the Market?

Fluid power systems are utilized in a wide range of applications from construction equipment and manufacturing machinery to airplanes and material handling equipment. Hydraulics and pneumatics perform a number of tasks in these and other applications, aiding overall operation. 

Components such as hydraulic hoses are commonly associated with agricultural machinery and other heavy-duty mobile equipment. But did you know these hoses have also become an important part of the cooling systems being utilized in the data centers now being built in various parts of the world?

Meanwhile, pneumatic technologies have become an important part of many robotics systems, particularly the grippers and other end-of-arm tools used on cobots and large industrial robots. The continued uptake of robots in the coming years as part of automation efforts will therefore bring opportunities for the pneumatics sector. 

Read the below content to learn more about the use of pneumatics in robotics applications.

As part of my efforts here at Power & Motion to cover the various technologies and trends in the fluid power industry, highlighting the many use cases for hydraulics and pneumatics is an important component.

So, I want to know — what are some of the more unique ways in which you have seen hydraulics and pneumatics technologies utilized? What unique system designs have you created? Are there any out of the ordinary applications you have worked on or seen in the industry that are using fluid power?

I'd love to hear about the unique uses cases you're seeing for hydraulics and pneumatics, and potentially share those stories with our audience. There is so much interesting work going on in the fluid power industry, and I think spotlighting this work, in both everyday and unique applications, is important to help show all of the great things happening in this sector. 

So often I have discussions with members of the fluid power industry that the industry as a whole needs to do a better job of showcasing all of the interesting things taking place within it, and how this could help attract younger engineers into the sector. 

I want to be sure Power & Motion is doing its part to show all of the great working being undertaken in the industry by sharing as many design stories and application examples as we can.  

If you have a unique use or application of hydraulics and pneumatics to share, let me know! You can answer our poll below or reach out to me directly at [email protected].