There is much going on in the world of fluid power and motion control, from technology introductions and industry advancements to new trends and industry leaders. Each week the Power & Motion team collects some of the latest industry news to help keep our readers up to date on what's happening in the industries in which they work.
Husco Expands Automation Projects
Husco International has received $40 million in new projects which will be spearheaded by the company's off-highway division. The aim of the projects is to make construction and other heavy equipment automation ready reports BizTimes.
According to Bob Mortensen, president of Husco's off-highway division, use of advanced software controls, improved solenoid technology and patented valve technology will help to enable machine automation. Adding more automated systems and working toward fully autonomous equipment is growing as a means of helping overcome the labor shortages facing construction, agriculture and other heavy industries.
To support its development of autonomous technologies, Husco plans to invest $40 million in new equipment, research and development, and tooling at all of its locations which do work in the off-highway sector. In addition, the company intends to hire as many as 150 full-time employees with focuses on engineering, computer science and manufacturing automation.
READ MORE: Danfoss Looks to Overcome Labor Challenges with Autonomous Solutions
Volvo CE Delivers First Electric Wheel Loader in North America
In November, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) delivered its first electric wheel loader, the L20 Electric, in North America to a customer based in Vermont. The compact wheel loader is one of five electric-powered machines now available from the OEM.
Delivery of the L20 Electric signifies the growing use of electric-powered machines in North America and around the world. In addition to reducing emissions, electric machines like the L20 run quieter due to the replacement of the engine with batteries.
Hydraulic components still play an important part in enabling machine functions, and can even have their efficiency improved depending on the design of the electric machine.
In Volvo CE's press release announcing the delivery, the customer who purchased the machine said the L20 Electric runs smoother than a diesel and provides instant power. Work modes enable just the right amount of power for attachments, further benefiting the customer's productivity.
RISE Robotics Receives Technology Patent
RISE Robotics has received a U.S. Patent for its technology known as the High Reduction Belt-Driven Linear Actuator. This latest patent is in addition to the dozens of pending, issued or granted patents the company holds worldwide.
"RISE™Technology leverages a recent advancement in materials science: the modern steel reinforced polyurethane flat belt. These belts are capable of operating at pulley interface pressures in excess of 1,400 psi for millions of bending cycles," said RISE™Robotics Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Blake Sessions in the company's press release announcing receipt of the patent. "This new design paradigm contains analogous subsystems to perform all of the functions that a conventional hydraulic circuit performs today. We have constructed power transmission systems that are able to animate a machine's work functions with very high efficiency and without the use of hydraulic oil."
The company's technology provides an electromechanical alternative to hydraulic systems capable of providing the high force necessary in various heavy-duty applications.
WATCH our video interview with RISE Robotics to learn more about the company's technology.
Festo Introduces Online 3D CAD Configurator
Festo has added an online 3D CAD Configurator to its website to help OEMs select the appropriate pneumatic actuators and associated accessories for their applications.
Once users have selected an actuator, they can click on accessory hot spots to determine the appropriate options. The configurator tells users if the chosen accessory and actuator are compatible with one another, helping to ensure performance of the final machine design.
The configurator is focused on in-stock and quick-ship core products to ensure customers are able to choose products they will receive in a timely manner to meet their own production deadlines. These include Festo's most widely applied pneumatic components as well as some of its more innovative offerings.
Selected actuators and accessories are shipped in a one-bag kit with a single Festo ID to make reordering faster and easier.
Festo's new configurator tool supports most common CAD formats and creates a single CAD file of the selected actuator/accessory assembly to minimize the amount of files OEMs need to store.
New Emissions Targets for Trucks, More Electric Vehicles for USPS
Ongoing emissions reduction goals being set across the globe, and the move toward electrification because of these targets will continue to impact the way vehicles and equipment are designed going forward — as well as the components within them such as hydraulics and pneumatics. As such, it's important to monitor the progression of these trends.
Just before the end of 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final emissions rule for heavy-duty vehicles. Applicable to model year 2027 and newer vehicles, it is said to be the strongest standards yet; the EPA said the new emissions rule is 80% stronger than current standards.
The new rule aims to reduce nitrous oxide (NOx) by 40% as well as other air pollutants.
READ MORE on the new emissions rule from our colleagues at FleetOwner.
Around the same time EPA made its announcement, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced it would add more electric vehicles to its fleet. Vehicle OEM Oshkosh Defense received the contract to update USPS's fleet, of which a portion would be electric vehicles.
Due in part to new funds available through the Inflation Reduction Act, USPS now plans to purchase a total of 106,000 vehicles with at least 66,000 being electric powered from Oshkosh Defense and other manufacturers. The postal service is also looking at other ways to improve the efficiency of its operations.
