Latest Pneumatics & Hydraulics Technical Articles

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Proportional Gain and Proportional Band Explained

Learn about proportional gain and proportional band, two key proportional control concepts, to better understand the most popular control system method in industrial automation.

November 01, 2022 by Antonio Armenta

Feedback for Fluid Cylinders: Bang Bang Control

Tracking the position of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder is often accomplished at a basic precision level, detecting only end stop limits with discrete digital values… But what methods accomplish this?

October 17, 2022 by David Peterson

Life on the Farm: Cleaning Stalls, Milking Cows, and… Robots?

Learn how one small farm in a rural community is upgrading production with advanced technology in several ways to overcome staff shortages, product demand, and regulatory compliance.

October 11, 2022 by David Peterson

Why is 4-20 mA Current Used for Industrial Analog Sensors?

Industrial analog sensor devices primarily use 0-10 volt or 4-20 milliamp. For those mA signals, learn the reasons for why the lower and upper limit standards were determined as 4 mA and 20 mA.

September 29, 2022 by Anish Devasia

End of Arm Tooling: Power Sources and Sensors

An EOAT, located at the end of an industrial or collaborative robot arm, is entirely customizable with nearly unlimited possibilities. Learn about the five main methods of how EOATs are powered and the sensors that they use.

September 12, 2022 by Damond Goodwin

Collaborative Robot Cells: Simple and User-friendly Design Priorities

Learn about the common applications, programming procedures, and safety protocols of collaborative robot work cells, which are often simpler and less expensive than industrial robot work cells.  

July 25, 2022 by Damond Goodwin

Configuring a Network With Pneumatic Valve Manifolds

There are many distributed fieldbus capabilities for valve manifolds that can save on network overhead and wiring. In this article, we will look at PLC programming of fieldbus manifolds highlighting Festo's CPX layout.

June 29, 2022 by Shawn Dietrich

Plug and Play End of Arm Tooling for Cobot Applications

In the world of modern manufacturing, we want the tools to be effective, safe, and very easy to install and commission. But when we say ‘easy’, how easy can it really be to commission robotic tools?

May 26, 2022 by Damond Goodwin

Controlling Hydraulic Devices with Open and Closed Loop Systems

What if you could control the end position and the speed of a hydraulic actuator accurately with just a simple signal? Some systems use simple open/close valves, but others require far more precision.

May 23, 2022 by Shawn Dietrich

Comparing Mechanical vs Hydraulic Forces

In honor of May the 4th, Star Wars Day, we compare the sources and applications of the two most common force-delivery systems - mechanical and hydraulic.

May 04, 2022 by David Peterson

Up Close and Personal With Automated Ag Equipment

Our Control Automation engineering staff got the chance to visit a commercial farm in North Dakota and learn the hardware and software making these huge automated tractors ready for high-tech ‘field’ work.

May 03, 2022 by David Peterson

Dynamic Braking Resistors for Motor Control Applications

Large DC and AC motor drives often provide terminals for installing a braking resistor. What are these resistors, and how do they slow down a machine? What hazards and cautions must be considered?

April 21, 2022 by David Peterson

Mechanisms of Linear Sensing and Linear Encoding

Linear sensors use electrical means to determine their position. Common linear position sensors are resistive, inductive, capacitive, and many rely on a property called magnetostriction.

April 19, 2022 by Seth Price

Linear Position Sensors - Control is Only as Precise as the Feedback

Linear position sensors are used in electrical and fluid-actuated motion devices. They allow extremely precise position, velocity, and acceleration control, and provide feedback to ensure product quality and tolerance compliance.

April 14, 2022 by Seth Price

Methods of Marking and Labeling for Wiring and Tubing

Labels are such a small detail in the world of robotics and automation, they are often given very little attention. However, they play a vital role in proper system function - from installation to troubleshooting.

April 03, 2022 by Damond Goodwin

Combating That Killer of Industrial Pneumatic Systems - Water

Moisture inside industrial pneumatic systems is a major cause for concern, and if the air is not filtered or dried properly, it can lead to serious failures.

March 30, 2022 by Anish Devasia

Info Byte: Definition of Pressure and Flow in Fluid Systems

Pressure and flow rate are terms used in all areas of hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Learn the definition and science of these terms, and the reason they are so important within industry.

March 07, 2022 by David Peterson

Mechanical Motion - Fluid vs Electric Actuators

Actuators are used to control the motion of manufacturing devices and raw materials. This article will compare both electric actuators and several types of fluid-powered actuators.

March 01, 2022 by Seth Price

ABB Robot Example Programming Tutorial

ABB robots are programmed using the RAPID language. Investigate an example of the code and structure elements in this part 2 of the robotics programming article series.

March 01, 2022 by Shawn Dietrich

Lock-out-tag-out (LOTO) Devices for Industrial Safety

One of the most visible elements of industrial safety is the use of lock-out-tag-out (LOTO) devices, familiar to those with experience. But, if you are new to the workforce, a brief introduction may be helpful.

February 16, 2022 by David Peterson