Eric Lanke hosts Fluid Power Forum with guest Bruno Dupuis of Famic Technologies, discussing his 2026 Advanced Hydraulics Conference presentation on using Automation Studio CAD and simulation to model off-highway hydraulic circuits and quantify energy efficiency improvements.

Dupuis explains building a component-level system model (hydraulics, electrical, and 3D mechanism) and running a repeatable test cycle (lift, rotate 135° CW/CCW, pick and drop load) to compare five case studies: a basic fixed-displacement, pilot-controlled circuit; an electrohydraulic version with joystick control, counterbalance valves, and a load-sense pump; an ideal electric motor drive at constant and variable speed; and a battery-powered permanent magnet synchronous motor system modeled with and without energy recuperation.

Eric Lanke interviews Jon Jensen, National Product Sales Manager for Energy and Safety at SMC Corporation of America, following Jensen’s Automate 2026 presentation on smart and sustainable monitoring for pneumatically driven machines.

Jensen describes his background from theater automation using hydraulics and pneumatics to 25+ years at SMC, and outlines SMC’s global industrial automation reach beyond pneumatics. The discussion focuses on why compressed air efficiency now matters for sustainability, how airflow monitoring translates to energy cost and CO2 impact, and why machine-level data is needed beyond compressor-room metering.

Jensen explains SMC’s Air Management System, which replaces a traditional FRL, measures pressure/flow/temperature, supports additional sensors, uses scalable wireless remotes, and can automatically reduce or shut off pressure during idle states without changing machine PLC logic. A bottle-filling line case study reports ~33% air reduction, ~€30,000/year savings, and ~15-month ROI, with additional productivity benefits and a future direction toward predictive maintenance using flow profiles.

Host Eric Lanke interviews Jim Diehl and Chris Parisse of Bosch Rexroth about a decentralized hydraulic drive solution showcased in an animatronic dinosaur exhibit at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Replacing an older gear-pump/servo-valve/PLC dinosaur, the new eight-foot “T‑Rexroth” uses four color-coded, interactive axes with visible components and lighting to teach hydraulics while operating quietly, compactly, and with easy maintenance. The system uses a CytroPac hydraulic power unit with variable-speed drive and individual motor-pump groups near each actuator to reduce noise, simplify architecture, and limit failure points. Advanced sensors, closed-loop motion control, and remote monitoring track pressures, temperature, strokes, and fluid cleanliness for reliability and troubleshooting.

They note broader applications in pressing and testing for quieter, energy-efficient, space-saving machines with improved repeatability in a digital age.

Host Eric Lanke interviews Jim Diehl and Chris Parisse of Bosch Rexroth about a decentralized hydraulic drive solution showcased in an animatronic dinosaur exhibit at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Replacing an older gear-pump/servo-valve/PLC dinosaur, the new eight-foot “T‑Rexroth” uses four color-coded, interactive axes with visible components and lighting to teach hydraulics while operating quietly, compactly, and with easy maintenance. The system uses a CytroPac hydraulic power unit with variable-speed drive and individual motor-pump groups near each actuator to reduce noise, simplify architecture, and limit failure points. Advanced sensors, closed-loop motion control, and remote monitoring track pressures, temperature, strokes, and fluid cleanliness for reliability and troubleshooting.

They note broader applications in pressing and testing for quieter, energy-efficient, space-saving machines with improved repeatability in a digital age.

In this Fluid Power Forum episode, host Eric Lanke interviews Trevor Combs, global technical manager for off-highway at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, about preventing external hydraulic leakage in linear rod applications using a system-level approach emphasized in NFPA’s whitepaper “Preventing Leaks in Fluid Power Systems.”

Combs explains how leakage is driven by interactions among the counter surface (rod substrate, coating, and surface finish), the hydraulic fluid (viscosity index, temperature range, cleanliness/contamination control, lubrication), and the seal system (geometry, materials, and multiple components like primary/secondary seals, wear rings, and wipers). He discusses balancing lubrication film versus leak prevention across extension and retraction strokes, key variables such as pressure, speed, duty cycle, and surface roughness beyond Ra, and innovations including back-pumping seals, pressure-relief buffer seals with integrated check valves, and venting wipers.

Future focus areas include surface treatments, moving away from chrome, PFAS-free materials, compatibility with sustainable fluids, and predictive maintenance using customer data.