Together, hydraulics and pneumatics are
known as fluid power. Fluid power is a partner in an evolving
high technology alliance that provides the world with
unprecedented control of force, torque, position and motion.
The combination of fluid power systems
with advanced electronics adds control and flexibility to the
strength of hydraulics and the speed of pneumatics. These 23
application examples show some typical applications for
this technology. The examples, though simplified for clarity,
are based on real applications.
As you read each one, you will learn
why fluid power was chosen as a power source (whether it be
hydraulic or pneumatic), and which categories of electronic
sensing and control were central to the design. The
applications are organized around four motion control
categories - force, position, velocity and acceleration - all
typical output requirements of a vehicle, machine or system.
Each application is also linked to NFPA's
Fluid Power Product Locator. This locator, with its links
to NFPA's manufacturing members, will facilitate your
exploration into the world of fluid power.
In addition to the applications below, see
the latest Case Studies of Applications Utilizing Pneumatic
and Hydraulic Technology.
The following applications in PDF
format are included here: