Although there is no cohesive theme for this week’s news roundup, it still helps offer a glimpse of what is going on in the fluid power industry and broader motion control sectors we cover here at Power & Motion.

This week’s collection highlights many of the trends shaping the fluid power industry at the moment including merger and acquisition activity, technological innovations to aid with increased demand for data collection, and the ongoing need for maintenance services — and the market opportunities this is bringing for some companies.

American Packing & Gasket Holdings Joins Fluid Conveyance Family of Brands SHF, OmegaOne, and Texcel

American Packing & Gasket Holdings, LLC (APG) has joined the fluid conveyance family of brands Stainless Hose Fittings (SHF), OmegaOne, and Texcel. APG is a master distributor of sealing and fluid conveyance products, including O-rings, gaskets and couplings.

With these four companies coming together, they will be able to combine their shared industry expertise in fluid conveyance while also strengthening their product offerings and support capabilities.

The brands also see opportunities to accelerate their growth within various fluid power and flow control industries.

Fluid conveyance, the process of moving fluids (liquid or gas) from one location to another, is critical to the operation of any hydraulic or pneumatic system. And because these systems are still used in many mobile and industrial applications, fluid conveyance remains a strong business area for the broader fluid power industry.

As such, many are investing in this segment of their business in various ways, including through mergers and acquisitions.

DGD Fluid Power Receives Fourth U.S. Patent for CFT Cartridge Flow Meter Technology

DGD Fluid Power has received its fourth U.S. patent for its CFT Cartridge Flow Meter product line. The newly issued U.S. Patent No. 12,650,323 covers enhanced functionality of the CFT Cartridge Flow Meter, including its multiple output options.

By offering multiple output options, the device can seamlessly interface with a wide variety of electronic control systems, displays, data acquisition equipment, and machine controllers. This allows use of the output configuration that best suits application requirements.

The CFT Cartridge Flow Meter differentiates itself by enabling installation directly into a hydraulic manifold or machine circuit as a cartridge component whereas traditional flow meters are usually mounted externally. Internal mounting allows for accurate flow measurement and protection of sensitive electronics.

"This patent represents more than another intellectual property milestone," said Dale Dietel, President of DGD Fluid Power, in the press release announcing the new patent. "It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to delivering practical innovations that help machine builders improve reliability, simplify installation, reduce potential damage, and gain valuable hydraulic performance data directly from within the system."

The CFT Cartridge Flow Meter receiving its fourth patent demonstrates the innovation taking place within the fluid power industry as well as the need for technology capable of collecting performance data. This latter has become a key priority area for the industry and its customers as a means of helping improve machine productivity and reliability as well as more accurate and predictive maintenance.

LiuGong Brings Battery-Electric Machines to North American Market

LiuGong battery-electric construction and material handling equipment will now be commercially available to customers in the North American market. Machines in this platform have undergone years of testing and operation in real-world applications to ensure they can meet the performance requirements of customers in various applications.

Operational data gained during testing in mining, ports, aggregates, warehouses, construction and other job sites led to continuous improvements in battery performance, charging systems, thermal management, diagnostics, serviceability, and long-term durability. This has enabled LiuGong to bring a mature line of machines to the market.

The machines have also been tailored to the specific needs of the North American market in terms of charging standards, electrical infrastructure, software requirements, and safety certifications.

Machines initially available include the 856HE Battery-Electric Wheel Loader, 820TE Battery-Electric Loader, 924FE Battery-Electric Excavator, and LRSE4531E Fully Electric 45-Ton Reach Stacker. A range of battery-electric forklifts, warehouse equipment, and material handling solutions will also be brought to the North American market.

Electrification is still an important focus area for many in the mobile equipment industry, where it makes sense, as a means of reducing fuel and maintenance costs. And although the machines are battery-electric, they still rely on hydraulics for many machine functions, making electrification an important development area for many in the fluid power industry. For instance, development of more efficient hydraulics is necessary to help reduce battery draw in these machines.

Read the article “Compact, Efficient and Intelligent Hydraulics Desired for Construction Equipment” to learn more about what construction equipment OEMs are looking for today from hydraulic components and systems.

Lubrication Engineers and perma Hosting Lubrication Training

Lubrication Engineers and its automatic lubrication partner perma are hosting a 3-day lubrication training course August 25-27, 2026. An optional certification exam will be held on August 28.

The MLT I/MLA I training is geared toward plant managers, engineers and technicians interested in learning lubrication practices that will aid machine health and reliability. Per Lubrication Engineers, the course will also help educate attendees on how to move machine lubrication from a reactive to proactive approach and build knowledge that can bring labor savings, efficiency gains and reduced downtime.