Fluid Power Forum host Eric Lanke interviews Paul Michael, director of the Fluid Power Institute at Milwaukee School of Engineering, about NFPA’s whitepaper “Preventing Leaks in Fluid Power Systems.” Michael shares his background in lubricant formulation and hydraulic testing and describes MSOE’s hands-on fluid power education. The discussion explains why leak prevention is critical to hydraulics because pressurized fluid stresses connectors, hoses, tubes, and seals, affecting reputation and sustainability.

A committee of about 25 contributors developed the report and conducted a voice-of-the-customer survey, with 75% reporting leakage problems tied to customer satisfaction, downtime, and warranty costs. Adapters and connectors were cited as the largest component-related leakage source, with 31 causes identified across design, installation, mounting, selection, and material compatibility. Michael emphasizes application-driven design to minimize maintenance, the importance of standards (including SAE hose and performance tests), and avoiding tapered pipe threads in favor of modern straight-thread and O-ring sealing approaches.

Host Eric Lanke welcomes Ehren Polheber, corporate fluid power engineer at Scot Forge, to discuss how material science and selection affect hydraulic systems and fluid power component manufacturing. Polheber shares his 22-year fluid power background and 14-year tenure designing and troubleshooting large forging equipment, and explains that correct material grades and heat treatments are critical to avoid catastrophic failures under high loads while enabling lightweight designs in mobile equipment.

He outlines a selection process based on applied loads, operating conditions (fatigue, temperature, corrosion), trade-offs (strength, machinability), and cost of ownership, noting that supplier-customer collaboration is essential. The episode compares casting and forging: castings offer near-net complex shapes at lower cost, while forgings reduce porosity and align grain flow for high-stress, mission-critical hydraulic applications.

Host Eric Lanke interviews Barun Acharya, system engineering manager for electrification at Parker Hannifin, about energy efficiency gains from electrified hydraulics and insights tied to NFPA’s white paper and a CONEXPO technology conference. Acharya describes how emissions rules, noise limits, and ESG mandates are driving electrification, and outlines key challenges including unclear duty cycles (addressed via energy mapping), power-density mismatch between hydraulic and electric actuators, complex system integration (CAN, software, EMC, operator feel), and revealed hydraulic noise once diesel is removed.

He explains that traditional inefficiency is largely the engine–pump coupling, while smart hybrid architectures use batteries to buffer transients and run engines near optimal BSFC. He details a hybrid backhoe case with engine downsizing and indoor electric operation, enabled by sensors, data, and machine-learning use for duty-cycle classification, predictive maintenance, and operator coaching.

In this Fluid Power Forum episode, NFPA host Eric Lanke shares a recorded NFPA webinar on advancing technologies for controls, IoT, and data—featuring Scanreco Director of Sales Andy Gray.

Gray explains how Scanreco’s professional radio remote controls serve OEMs and system integrators for mobile and industrial machinery in harsh environments, translating operator intent into hydraulic actuator motion from simple on/off to highly proportional control to improve safety, precision, and productivity. Discussion covers operating at safer distances, integrating camera feedback and Human Machine Interface, HMI, information onto remotes, and the growing role of assisted operation and autonomy across applications like agriculture, forklifts, drilling, demolition, forestry, and fire equipment.

Gray describes field research with operators, integration via CAN and software tools, OEM preference for open integration ecosystems, and progress to unify remote control, advanced displays, and onboard computing amid trends of digitalization, electrification, automation, and usability.

Additionally, get a sneak peek at Camozzi's booth at the upcoming Conexpo-Con/Agg trade show in 2026, where they will showcase their enhanced product portfolio, including valves, fittings, and IoT components.

Host Eric Lanke welcomes Mitch Van Remortel, strategic channel manager at Charter Casting, to discuss material science innovations relevant to fluid power and why material selection affects total cost of ownership.

Van Remortel outlines his background and explains Charter Casting’s focus on large, complex iron castings, emphasizing consistency, quality, and an engineering-led approach. He describes key material-selection factors—mechanical performance, manufacturability, and life-cycle performance—and notes that early material choices are hard to change later. He highlights cost drivers beyond raw material price, citing a frack pump conversion from low-carbon steel that saved about $200,000 annually and reduced weight by roughly 60,000 pounds.

The episode covers gray vs. ductile iron characteristics, system-level impacts like vibration damping in hydraulic cylinders, channel/distribution collaboration, and future trends including data-driven tools and AI in material evaluation.

Subscribe to the Fluid Power Forum today to never miss an episode. The podcast is available on all of your favorite podcast platforms, including YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeart Radio.