Actuator

H&P Insights: Tip on Controlling Hydraulic Actuators; Refine Air Prep in Harsh Environments

July 12, 2021
A review of the day’s top trending stories from Hydraulics & Pneumatics editors.

Tip on Controlling Hydraulic Actuators

Today’s daily tip comes from Peter Nachtwey, president of Delta Computer Systems Inc. of Battle Ground, Wash. in a recent Hydraulics & Pneumatics article about controlling two or more hydraulic actuators:

“If the motion controller controls the actuator, the target position, velocity and acceleration should be used rather than the feedback or actual position, velocity and acceleration. Always try to follow a computer-generated target position, velocity and acceleration because these are usually high-precision, floating-point values rather than noisy and quantized positions.”

Refine Air Prep In Harsh Environment

Getting air preparation right in the best of conditions is valuable; having top performance in harsh environments improves performance and extends the life of components. A new white paper from Hydraulics & Pneumatics and Norgren looks at how to achieve optimal air preparation performance for even the most rugged industrial applications. Some of the key areas include employing shut-off valves to provide safety; maintaining filters regularly; using the right filter; installing automatic condensate drains; applying metal filter bowls for high-pressure applications; properly choosing and operating pressure regulators; employing pressure switches and feedback; employing lubrication as part of your maintenance solution; and incorporating smooth start dump valves.

About the Author

Bob Vavra | Senior Content Director, Power & Motion and Machine Design

Bob Vavra is the Senior Content Director of Power & Motion and its sister publication Machine Design. Vavra has had a long career in publishing, media and events. He has covered all aspects of manufacturing for the past 20 years and is a regular attendee at events such as IMTS and Hannover Messe. Vavra is also a sought-after webcast moderator and event emcee, and has presided over events in the U.S., Germany and China. 

Continue Reading

Oct. 5, 2022
Through mergers and acquisitions, companies have the opportunity innovate faster and serve new markets.
Jan. 13, 2020
The goal is to match kinetic energy of the press to the work required. It’s seldom quite that simple.