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Fluid Power Reference Handbook review

Fluid Power Reference Handbook

Fluid Power Reference Handbook

This weekend I have received the first edition of the Fluid Power Reference Handbook from Fluid Power Society and in this article I would like to share my first impression about (my potential) ref-book for $75 USD.

Yes, I have paid $74.95 USD + 27.75 USD for delivery to Canada. If you are not a member of IFPS, the price for this handbook to be $99.95 USD. But if be honest, even $75 is pretty expensive for me. But I was assumed this book will be my table book for everyday usage and decided to spend so much money.

The book was delivered in a simple soft paper envelope and was damaged in its way, thanks to USPS and Canada Post. Actually, IFPS could send this book in a safe envelope with bubbles, but they didn’t do that, unfortunately. So, pages were crumpled and the back cover is with a scratch (the book has a softcover binding).

Anyways, it is what it is. Let’s take a look at what is inside of the book. And I’m going to compare this issue with my existing “Lightning Reference Handbook” (Eight Edition, 2001) that I was gotten from the vendor for FREE 6 years ago.

Fluid Power Reference Handbook consists of 20 chapters, 360 pages. Each chapter has own color with bookmarks at the side and it is really comfortable to search a targeted chapter. The paper is of pretty good quality and thickness what is good for everyday usage:
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Danfoss to Acquire Eaton’s hydraulics

Danfoss to Acquire Eaton’s Hydraulics Business for $3.3 Billion

Danfoss to Acquire Eaton’s Hydraulics Business for $3.3 Billion

The poster of the week.

This is an important event that can change the balance of power in the hydraulics market.

The Danfoss Group announced today that it had reached an agreement with Eaton to acquire Eaton Hydraulics for $3.3 billion. Eaton Hydraulics serves agricultural, construction, and industrial markets and will be transferred into Danfoss Power Solutions. The transfer will add 11,000 employees to Danfoss, which currently employs 28,000 people. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year.

More info by the link: “Danfoss agrees to acquire Eaton’s hydraulics business

Schlumberger mast CTU at the tests

Schlumberger mast CTUs at the tests

Schlumberger mast CTUs at the tests

25 years ago I made one of the major decisions in my life – selected a specialty in the University. I remember my questions to one of the teachers of hydraulic and pneumatic systems faculty department: how long fluid power systems will be in demand for machines and different equipment? What is the chance I can find a job as a hydraulic specialist in 20, 30 years?…

Oh yes, that was a time when computers and electronics start to go by huge steps and I thought in a close future all hydraulic systems will be replaced with electric/servo drives.

Now, 25 years later, knowing the benefits of hydraulic systems and areas where fluid power solutions can be used more efficiently, knowing the modern trends and system design evolution, I can respond to myself: at least the next half of the century most power machines still will use a hydraulic system with a demand for specialists in this area.

Take a look at the picture – two more CTUs at our backyard during the test today. It is very impressive how the hydraulic system drives all equipment. How easy to design units like this with hydraulics! And how more complicated, expensive and less reliable this unit will be without hydraulics!

Our customer will get these units in work at soon. Well done!

Parker 689B series valve obsoleted

Parker 689B series valve

Parker 689B series valve

So, Parker continues to discontinue nice products 🙂

Now they obsoleted valves 689B series…

It is hard to find panel-mounted hydraulic push button valves. Most of the push-button valves are cartridges and to be assembled with a body. Body has mounting holes and some design of brackets is required to mount to assy body + cartridge to the panel.

The benefit of the valve 689B series was in mounting holes at the top, which lets easy mount to the panel.

In most applications, I easily replaced this type with an electrical button that operates a simple solenoids valve. But some specific applications require simple hydraulic manual control (some equipment at the rig, where the electrical-over-hydraulic control is not allowed by safety reasons.)

So, the question to you guys, can you advise an elegant replacement for this valve?

Updates:

Jan 29, 2020 By the advice of couple vendors I ‘m going to try to use Doering push-button valve as a replacement:

Doering push button valve

Doering push-button valve

Different spacers can be used, but I’m going to proceed with custom spacers to make button hight as low as possible over the panel. Not really elegant solution but time is limited and I need to make a decision. I will update this pose as soon as the panel is done to show how the solution looks like.