Cybersecurity Will be a Greater Concern Going Forward

Another aspect brought up during the panel discussion on automation was the importance of cybersecurity going forward. In fact, this topic came up during several discussions I had at the show, not all of which were even related to automation.

Because components and systems are becoming more connected and communicating with the cloud or other devices, they are more susceptible to security risks. This means cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important to take into account during the design process.

Batteries and battery chargers, for instance, communicate with the rest of a machine’s powertrain system to indicate charge levels. This means they could be susceptible to security risks which is why cybersecurity features are integrated during the design phase noted Rod Dayrit, Global Director, Business Development for ZAPI GROUP’s charging solutions, during our discussion at iVT Expo USA.

And if you sell products into the European Union (EU), they will soon need to meet the cybersecurity requirements set out by the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). Hardware and software with digital elements will need to meet these requirements, making it necessary to take cybersecurity into account when developing components and systems for many going forward.

Increased Emphasis on System Solutions  

Not a new trend by any means, but the emphasis on providing a system solution that brings together multiple technologies could not be missed at this year’s iVT Expo. A theme that prevailed throughout CONEXPO earlier this year as well, providing system solutions helps ease the design process for equipment manufacturers.

As Chris Kolbe, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at HYDAC, told me, engineering resources are scarce at many OEMs, especially small to large manufacturers, and technology is moving quickly.

Partnering with a company able to offer a system solution can help overcome these challenges though. The technology partner can use its expertise to create a system that meets the application requirements, leaving the OEM free to focus its attention on what it does best, the remainder of the mache design.

Read the article “Beyond Components: Why Integrated Systems Engineering Is Changing Fluid Power Design” to learn more about the shifting trend toward providing full system solutions.

Rising implementation of electrification, digitalization and automation in particular are driving the need for system solutions, and with that system integrators capable of helping OEMs develop the systems required to meet these trends.

Many OEMs do not have engineers on staff with knowledge of the technologies used within these systems and so can greatly benefit from working with a supplier or system integrator that can bring together electrification and hydraulic components, for instance, which can then easily be placed into a machine.

One industry both Vanguard — Briggs & Stratton’s battery brand — and ZAPI GROUP noted during my discussions with them that they are seeing increased interest in electrification is from the agriculture sector. This has traditionally been a difficult sector to electrify due to the long hours machinery spends in the field and the lack of charging infrastructure that would be available.

Vanguard’s Luke Trudell told me the company has seen interest from the agriculture sector really pick up over the last 6-12 months. Some of that has to do with them wanting equipment that is safe to use around their animals and crops, so has no emissions or chances of oil leaks. Growing adoption of automation technologies is also driving the need for more electric technologies on machinery as well — an aspect ZAPI GROUP’s Dayrit also mentioned during our conversation.

Trudell also clarified that the Vanguard technologies are for lower voltage applications, so they won’t be used to power a tractor working all day in a field several miles away from a farm. But, they may be part of a hybrid or idle mitigation system in a small machine that does its work on the farm or within close proximity to it.

This enables a farm to get some of the benefits of electrification, such as reduced emissions and fuel use, without having to worry about operating range which is a concern for many when transitioning to electric-powered machinery.

These trends are of course by no means the only ones influencing off-highway equipment designs. But they help offer a look at where the industry is headed and how hydraulics and other technology suppliers to the sector are adapting to meet ever-evolving machine requirements.