IMTS ties manufacturing to fluid power

More than 1800 exhibitors will occupy 1.2 million ft² of exhibit space at this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), which takes place September 10 to 15 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The biennial event brings individuals involved in every facet of manufacturing together at one location to discuss new opportunities, network and gain insight to improve business. They also come to learn, so IMTS offers a wide array of opportunities to learn about materials, manufacturing technologies, alternative manufacturing processes, quality assessment and control and plant operations.

IMTS has added a new conference for this year: the Motion, Drives and Automation (MDA) Conference, which will be held held September 10 and 11 in the Lakeside (East) Hall. The MDA Conference will feature two in-depth conference tracks running simultaneously — Hydraulics and Pneumatics in Automation and Motion Control in Automation. Attendees who register for this two-day conference will have access to both tracks. Researchers, executives and engineering technology leaders will speak about topics covering reducing costs and boosting machine efficiency to recent advances in technology and security in industrial automation.

The conference, sponsored by Bosch Rexroth. was organized by Hannover Fairs and the National Fluid Power Association, and Hydraulics & Pneumatics and Machine Design magazines produced the technical program.
With the current pressures on performance, efficiencies, security and the environment, engineers are even more pressed for the most up-to-date educational information on manufacturing equipment and industrial automation systems. The Motion, Drives and Automation Conference offers the perfect opportunity to obtain critical content during IMTS. Learn more at bit.ly/KMO21v

Following is a schedule and summary of the MDA conference and a list of exhibitors offering products and services related to fluid power.

Monday, September 10 — Fluid Power Technology

Closed-Loop Position and Force Control
10:15 - 11:00 am
This session delves into considerations and techniques for closing the control loop of electrohydraulic systems, including the valve, actuator, and controller.
Peter Nachtwey, President – Delta Computer Systems.

Hydraulicspneumatics Com Sites Hydraulicspneumatics com Files Uploads 2012 06 Marty Barris

Controlling Hydraulic Contamination to Improve Reliability
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Contamination of hydraulic fluid is the top cause of equipment malfunctions, so this session explores techniques to achieve and maintain clean fluid with a tight budget.
Marty Barris, Engine Liquid & Hydraulics Product Director – Donaldson Co.

Hydraulicspneumatics Com Sites Hydraulicspneumatics com Files Uploads 2012 06 Hettinger Ryan Cropped

Electronic Control Options for Pneumatic Systems
1:45 - 2:30 pm
Today’s pneumatic systems can operate from fieldbus systems, all the way down basic operators. This session summarizes control options and how to determine which is best suited to an application.
Ryan Hettinger, Applications Engineer – Festo Corp.

Hydraulicspneumatics Com Sites Hydraulicspneumatics com Files Uploads 2012 06 Michael Paul 2011 5 0

Performance and Comparison of Hydraulic Fluids
2:45 - 3:30 pm
You can improve the efficiency of a hydraulic system simply by switching to a different type of fluid that’s more suited to the application.
Paul Michael, Research Chemist – Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Hydraulicspneumatics Com Sites Hydraulicspneumatics com Files Uploads 2012 06 Bob Sheaf Picture 0

Reducing Noise in Hydraulic Systems
3:45 - 4:30 pm
Noise generated by hydraulic systems can be significantly reduced by following simple design and component selection techniques.
Robert J. Sheaf Jr., President – CFC Industrial Training.

Energy- Efficient Hydraulic Drives
11:15 am – 12:00 pm
Simple, yet effective hydraulic components and circuits can be incorporated into a hydraulic system to total cost of ownership, especially energy consumption.
Speaker: Robert J. Sheaf Jr., President – CFC Industrial Training.

Hydraulicspneumatics Com Sites Hydraulicspneumatics com Files Uploads 2012 06 2 Hank Van Ormer

Reducing the Electrical Costs of Pneumatic Systems
12:15 – 1:30 pm
Virtually every manufacturing plant has multiple compressed air systems, which hold potential to save tens of thousands of dollars in electrical consumption every year.
Speaker: Hank VanOrmer, President – Air Power USA.

Monday, September 10 — Motion Control in Automation

Techniques for Boosting Machine Efficiency
This session covers methods for increasing energy efficiency, including machine controls and how certain setup techniques can shorten nonproductive machine phases and raise overall efficiency.
Speaker: Dr. Jens Kummetz, Head of Application Development, Dr. Johannes Heidenhaim GmbH.

Hydraulicspneumatics Com Sites Hydraulicspneumatics com Files Uploads 2015 01 Jaylee

Recent Advances in Predictive Technologies for Next-Generation Machines and Manufacturing Systems As more software and embedded intelligence are integrated in industrial machines and systems, infotronics technologies can use advanced algorithms to predict performance degradation and autonomously manage service needs.Speaker: Dr. Jay Lee, Professor, University of Cincinnati.

Hydraulicspneumatics Com Sites Hydraulicspneumatics com Files Uploads 2015 01 C Case

Security in Industrial Automation Discussions about control safety, maintaining machines remotely and detecting unfair warranty claims.Speaker: Clark Case, Technology Manager, Rockwell Automation.

Hydraulicspneumatics Com Sites Hydraulicspneumatics com Files Uploads 2015 01 Roger Hart

Next Generation CNCs Here’s a future-looking discussion of CNCs and motion controllers that are the brains of many manufacturing systems.Speaker: Roger Hart, Research and Development Engineering Manager, Siemens Industry, Inc.

Hydraulicspneumatics Com Sites Hydraulicspneumatics com Files Uploads 2015 01 0d76c5b

How Smart Engineering & Modular Hardware Concepts Contribute to Effective Machine Automation Solutions We will explore the latest market trend of OEMs transitioning from a one-size-fits-all approach to custom-built machines and systems and how a mechatronic-engineering approach can improve equipment productivity, efficiency, and reliability.Speaker: Robert Muehlfellner, Director Automation, B&R Industrial Automation.

Tuesday, September 11

Think Like a Machinist
This discussion will offer some practical tips on how engineers and CAD/CAM users can design easier-to-manufacture components that cost less, offer faster turnaround and consistently higher quality.
Speaker: Jon Helt, Project Manager, Aztalan Engineering.

Mechanical and Structural Considerations for Precision Motion Control
We examine mechanical factors engineers should consider, such as inertia, natural frequency, vibration, thermal deformation and other factors that lead to a loss of precision and explain how to compensate for or totally eliminate the problems.
Speaker: Clint Hayes, Product Management Supervisor, Bosch Rexroth Corp.

Trends in High-Speed Bearings
New bearing designs, lubricants and sophisticated software help solve current problems and push the machine design envelope.
Speaker: Carl White, Engineering Manager, Schaeffler Group.