A CONTRACTOR from Mel-Ray Industries has installed a dual-line air/hydraulic braking system from Australian Brake Controls in his tractors and trailers.
According to Ray Galdes, towing a heavy trailer around worksites can be a potentially hazardous, high maintenance undertaking.
Trucks, tractors and specialized machinery can be subjected to loads that will place unusual stresses on standard components, including high demands on braking systems in situations where operators need to selectively and powerfully apply stopping and holding power.
Examples include going down a one-in-four slope with a 90-degree turn at the bottom. Gravity will see the trailer trying to push straight ahead, off the road. Galdes says he helped increase the responsiveness and control over the vehicles with the Australian Brake Controls system.
His latest system enables the driver to simultaneously control both the tractor’s hydraulic brakes and trailer’s air brakes from the same brake pedal. The operator can also operate the trailer brakes separately using an in-cab hand control.
Galdes says air brakes are the most effective, as other types of brakes get burned out quickly on slopes.
Australian Brake Controls engineered a system which incorporates a tractor-mounted half horsepower electric compressor feeding a nine litre pneumatic holding tank linked by airlines to the trailer brakes.
This pneumatic system is synchronized with the tractor’s hydraulic system via a reaction valve that automatically senses the amount of pressure being applied to the hydraulic system and turns this into an air signal for the trailer’s air system when the brakes are applied.
http://www.myfen.com.au/Article/Australian-Brake-Controls-air-hydraulic-brakes-keep-tractors-and-trailers-controlled/512696.aspx
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Hydraulic fracing dominates ExxonMobil-XTO merger hearing
A congressional hearing that ostensibly was supposed to consider a proposed merger’s market impacts quickly became a forum for debating whether to federally regulate hydraulic fracturing.
Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) convened the Jan. 20 hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee to examine energy market impacts of ExxonMobil Corp.’s proposed $41 billion purchase of XTO Energy Corp. “This merger heralds a fundamental long-term shift in US energy markets, and one that deserves our close attention,” he said in his opening statement.
But the discussion quickly turned to hydraulic fracing because the proposed combination’s agreement includes a termination provision if Congress enacts legislation making hydraulic fracing too costly and uneconomic.
“This country has a propensity to regulate. We need to protect our shareholders,” ExxonMobil Chief Executive Officer Rex W. Tillerson told the subcommittee.
ExxonMobil wants to acquire the Fort Worth, Tex., independent because XTO’s US unconventional gas resource base and technical expertise would go well with the major’s global reach, research and development capabilities, and financial capacity, Tillerson said.
“The development of our combined resources will create the opportunity for more jobs and investment in the production of natural gas across many parts of the United States,” Tillerson said. “It will support our nation’s economic recovery, strengthen [its] energy security, and help meet [its] environmental goals.”
Focus on gas
Bob R. Simpson, XTO chairman and founder, said the company’s management decided soon after it started to focus not only on gas, but also on long-lived, high-producing reserves. That led it to tight shale gas, where it eventually became an industry leader, he indicated.
“In reviewing our future path, we realized that we needed to look at options to take what we have achieved and bring it to a new level,” he testified. “We recognized that the opportunities before us could best reach their potential if we could find an organization that could bring additional scale, technology, and financial capacity to the work we have been doing. We found that organization in ExxonMobil.”
Markey suggested that the proposed merger has positive aspects, including the signal that another multinational oil company is willing to invest in developing unconventional US gas resources. But he also said that Congress wants to make certain those resources are developed safely, which is why it asked the US Environmental Protection Agency to study hydraulic fracing’s operating record.
Republicans on the subcommittee said the technology is safe. “It is well known that gas will play a more prominent role in a carbon-restrained world,” said ranking minority member Fred Upton (R-Mich.). “In fact, the success of any climate-change policy will need to rely heavily on gas. Yet some members of Congress are seeking policies that would take a majority of our domestic gas off the table.”
Several Democrats said the process uses toxic substances that would create serious problems if they entered drinking water supplies. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), who is not a member of this subcommittee, was allowed to participate because she introduced a bill last year to federally regulate hydraulic fracing under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
“I support hydraulic fracturing,” she said. “My bill would not make it illegal or impractical. It simply would require disclosure of ingredients in an emergency situation while protecting proprietary information.”
Fluid confined
Tillerson and Simpson both said they would not have a problem as producers disclosing ingredients in hydraulic fracing fluid, which is primarily water. They also pointed out that the process occurs several hundred feet below drinking water supplies, and that concrete casing keeps hydrofrac fluid confined while it’s pumped below the surface.
States already regulate hydraulic fracing aggressively, they continued. DeGette immediately challenged that idea, noting that only four states have regulations that specifically deal with the process. The executives responded that several others have water-management regulations that serve similar purposes.
They also contended that federally regulating hydraulic fracing simply would add another layer to a process that states already regulate well. Restricting its use would harm conventional production too, Tillerson added. “A lot of conventional wells use hydraulic fracturing to make production commercial,” he said.
When DeGette asked them how much they think having to comply with SDWA regulations in using hydraulic fracing would cost their companies, the ExxonMobil and XTO executives said they did not know. “Much of it would depend on how EPA decided to implement its regulation,” Tillerson told her. “I don’t know what would be in it, and neither do you.”
Markey concluded the hearing by stating, “There is no secret plot on this side of the aisle to ban hydraulic fracturing.” But when he was asked by reporters afterward if he planned to schedule DeGette’s bill for markup, the subcommittee chairman replied, “I’m going to have to have further discussions with her on it before I decide.”
http://www.ogj.com/index/article-display/6401687084/articles/oil-gas-journal/general-interest-2/companies/2010/01/hydraulic-fracing.html
Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) convened the Jan. 20 hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee to examine energy market impacts of ExxonMobil Corp.’s proposed $41 billion purchase of XTO Energy Corp. “This merger heralds a fundamental long-term shift in US energy markets, and one that deserves our close attention,” he said in his opening statement.
But the discussion quickly turned to hydraulic fracing because the proposed combination’s agreement includes a termination provision if Congress enacts legislation making hydraulic fracing too costly and uneconomic.
“This country has a propensity to regulate. We need to protect our shareholders,” ExxonMobil Chief Executive Officer Rex W. Tillerson told the subcommittee.
ExxonMobil wants to acquire the Fort Worth, Tex., independent because XTO’s US unconventional gas resource base and technical expertise would go well with the major’s global reach, research and development capabilities, and financial capacity, Tillerson said.
“The development of our combined resources will create the opportunity for more jobs and investment in the production of natural gas across many parts of the United States,” Tillerson said. “It will support our nation’s economic recovery, strengthen [its] energy security, and help meet [its] environmental goals.”
Focus on gas
Bob R. Simpson, XTO chairman and founder, said the company’s management decided soon after it started to focus not only on gas, but also on long-lived, high-producing reserves. That led it to tight shale gas, where it eventually became an industry leader, he indicated.
“In reviewing our future path, we realized that we needed to look at options to take what we have achieved and bring it to a new level,” he testified. “We recognized that the opportunities before us could best reach their potential if we could find an organization that could bring additional scale, technology, and financial capacity to the work we have been doing. We found that organization in ExxonMobil.”
Markey suggested that the proposed merger has positive aspects, including the signal that another multinational oil company is willing to invest in developing unconventional US gas resources. But he also said that Congress wants to make certain those resources are developed safely, which is why it asked the US Environmental Protection Agency to study hydraulic fracing’s operating record.
Republicans on the subcommittee said the technology is safe. “It is well known that gas will play a more prominent role in a carbon-restrained world,” said ranking minority member Fred Upton (R-Mich.). “In fact, the success of any climate-change policy will need to rely heavily on gas. Yet some members of Congress are seeking policies that would take a majority of our domestic gas off the table.”
Several Democrats said the process uses toxic substances that would create serious problems if they entered drinking water supplies. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), who is not a member of this subcommittee, was allowed to participate because she introduced a bill last year to federally regulate hydraulic fracing under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
“I support hydraulic fracturing,” she said. “My bill would not make it illegal or impractical. It simply would require disclosure of ingredients in an emergency situation while protecting proprietary information.”
Fluid confined
Tillerson and Simpson both said they would not have a problem as producers disclosing ingredients in hydraulic fracing fluid, which is primarily water. They also pointed out that the process occurs several hundred feet below drinking water supplies, and that concrete casing keeps hydrofrac fluid confined while it’s pumped below the surface.
States already regulate hydraulic fracing aggressively, they continued. DeGette immediately challenged that idea, noting that only four states have regulations that specifically deal with the process. The executives responded that several others have water-management regulations that serve similar purposes.
They also contended that federally regulating hydraulic fracing simply would add another layer to a process that states already regulate well. Restricting its use would harm conventional production too, Tillerson added. “A lot of conventional wells use hydraulic fracturing to make production commercial,” he said.
When DeGette asked them how much they think having to comply with SDWA regulations in using hydraulic fracing would cost their companies, the ExxonMobil and XTO executives said they did not know. “Much of it would depend on how EPA decided to implement its regulation,” Tillerson told her. “I don’t know what would be in it, and neither do you.”
Markey concluded the hearing by stating, “There is no secret plot on this side of the aisle to ban hydraulic fracturing.” But when he was asked by reporters afterward if he planned to schedule DeGette’s bill for markup, the subcommittee chairman replied, “I’m going to have to have further discussions with her on it before I decide.”
http://www.ogj.com/index/article-display/6401687084/articles/oil-gas-journal/general-interest-2/companies/2010/01/hydraulic-fracing.html
Friday, December 25, 2009
Away in a manger - or a hydraulic shop
Eight years ago, I set up a CNN e-mail alert for "Osama Bin Laden." It was to alert me when he'd been caught or killed, you see.
The info in the forwarded articles is always very mundane, and I feel stupid whenever I receive one. Still, I haven't canceled them.
I keep receiving them for sentimental reasons, I guess, to remind me of a time when such dramatically positive developments seemed possible - redemptive even.
Meanwhile, the war in Afghanistan continues, and may have another eight years on the way on top of the eight we've already seen.
I have a child who is eleven. The war's been going on since she was three. She'll likely be in college before it's over.
I'm lucky, though. I can't imagine what it must be like to leave your young children behind while you go off on yet another tour of duty.
Frankly, I'm not sure I'd be able to go through with it. I'm glad I've never had to test that theory.
A couple of years after 9/11, when the Iraq war started, I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for American soldiers on the basis that they and their families were being abused and misused by their elected leaders.
I still feel that way to an extent, but I've long since stopped feeling sorry for them - for the simple reason that they don't feel at all sorry for themselves.
The servicepeople I know, and almost certainly the ones you know as well, don't consider themselves particularly unfortunate. Sure, they gripe about bureaucracy and politicians and regulations, as soldiers the world over have since the beginning of standing armies.
But they continue doing what they want to do, living the lives they've chosen to live, proudly, patiently, and largely without regret.
So when I relay to you the accompanying photo of a makeshift Christmas tree in a hydraulic shop on a U.S. base in largely treeless Afghanistan - reprinted with permission from my friends in the Ramus family - it's not to make you feel sorry for anyone or have pity for anyone, and it's certainly not to incite any particular political opinion either way.
It's there to reinforce the notion that Christmas is what we make of it, and happens wherever it is celebrated. Like that original scene in a manger in the Holy Land, it needs no fancy trappings and has no minimum requirements other than a belief in the possibility of redemption.
http://www.connectsavannah.com/news/article/101577/
View LargerDue to the lack of suitable Christmas tree specimens in Afghanistan, B Co 603rd ASB had to make do with what they had: Hydraulic line, a printer and goodies/decorations from home. (courtesy Staff Sgt. Paul Ramus)
I keep receiving them for sentimental reasons, I guess, to remind me of a time when such dramatically positive developments seemed possible - redemptive even.
Meanwhile, the war in Afghanistan continues, and may have another eight years on the way on top of the eight we've already seen.
I have a child who is eleven. The war's been going on since she was three. She'll likely be in college before it's over.
I'm lucky, though. I can't imagine what it must be like to leave your young children behind while you go off on yet another tour of duty.
Frankly, I'm not sure I'd be able to go through with it. I'm glad I've never had to test that theory.
A couple of years after 9/11, when the Iraq war started, I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for American soldiers on the basis that they and their families were being abused and misused by their elected leaders.
I still feel that way to an extent, but I've long since stopped feeling sorry for them - for the simple reason that they don't feel at all sorry for themselves.
The servicepeople I know, and almost certainly the ones you know as well, don't consider themselves particularly unfortunate. Sure, they gripe about bureaucracy and politicians and regulations, as soldiers the world over have since the beginning of standing armies.
But they continue doing what they want to do, living the lives they've chosen to live, proudly, patiently, and largely without regret.
So when I relay to you the accompanying photo of a makeshift Christmas tree in a hydraulic shop on a U.S. base in largely treeless Afghanistan - reprinted with permission from my friends in the Ramus family - it's not to make you feel sorry for anyone or have pity for anyone, and it's certainly not to incite any particular political opinion either way.
It's there to reinforce the notion that Christmas is what we make of it, and happens wherever it is celebrated. Like that original scene in a manger in the Holy Land, it needs no fancy trappings and has no minimum requirements other than a belief in the possibility of redemption.
http://www.connectsavannah.com/news/article/101577/
Friday, November 13, 2009
TrunkPump Introduces New Skid Steer Hydraulic Dewatering Attachment
Lowell Scott Enterprises Inc., manufacturers of the acclaimed PTO-powered TrunkPumps, announce the addition of a new line of hydraulically-powered dewatering pumps to their wide-ranging application of products.
The new HYD-3D provides the same low-maintenance, one-person operation conveniences as other TrunkPump models, with the added benefit of being powered by skid steer remote hydraulics and other hydraulic power sources.  | |
The HYD-3D provides a new dimension in pumping for construction companies, farmers and municipalities who need;to move water or irrigate. Those looking for an innovative alternative to conventional pumping methods will find the new HYD-3D TrunkPump, with its uncomplicated design and compact package, a must-have equipment staple. The HYD-3D may be purchased manufacturer-direct currently, and will soon be available through a host of domestic and international suppliers.
“Since our first product’s debut, a frequent request has been for a TrunkPump that could run on a skid steer,” said Chris Pappalardo, TrunkPump Co-Founder. “After a substantial R&D investment, we are excited to offer this highly innovative pumping choice that advances our original technology onto a new, ground-breaking platform,” Pappalardo continues. “Our goal is to change the way people move water – take the work out of pumping. Our new HYD-3D model broadens our simple-use technology to ever-expanding markets. It has been well received by industry professionals who immediately envision multiple new ways to generate revenue.”
About TrunkPump
Founders Doug McFarland and Chris Pappalardo originally designed TrunkPump in 2004 to solve golf course water problems. TrunkPump has since evolved to provide water movement uses to universities and municipalities, commercial institutions and industries, as well as farmers and residential home owners throughout North America and abroad. TrunkPump is easy and fast to use. No more frustrations fighting long hoses, needing a two-person crew to transport a pump safely, limited gas tank capacity, or the poor reliability of existing water pump products on the market. TrunkPump’s design eliminates all of these inconveniences. TrunkPump has steadily grown to meet the demands of the marketplace by addressing problems and finding simple, practical solutions.
http://impeller.net/magazine/News_en/doc4735x.asp
Friday, November 6, 2009
Netherlands: Holmatro introduces HEP 600 power pack and green hydraulic oil
Holmatro launches the HEP 600 to its existing power pack range. It is designed to provide power for multiple hydraulic applications on board.
Push button control hydraulics
Holmatro has designed this 24V 3kW hydraulic power-pack as a simple plug & play system, enabling you to power basic sailing functions such as backstay, outhaul, cunningham and vang cylinders. The integrated micro PLC allows you to safely control up to 6 functions, all controlled via your push buttons. This system lets you master your power!
Less crew, more performance
For short handed cruisers, this power pack allows you to handle higher loads with your finger tips. It allows families to sail in comfort with less effort in all conditions.
For regatta sailors it makes applying higher loads more quickly possible when every second counts.
The HEP 600 is designed to serve both targets. It’s easy, compact, safe, and won’t let you down.
Expanding the hydraulics range
“Our mission is to offer our customers reliable and particularly innovative products”. Holmatro strives to outperform others in product development, focussing on the true art of sailing. Our products allow yachtsmen to handle their sails quickly and efficiently. The Hep 600 hydraulic power pack is a good example of how we are meeting this mission.
New Holmatro sustainable green hydraulic oil
Effective immediately Holmatro Marine Equipment is implementing the use of sustainable “green” oil for all its hydraulic products and applications.
We at Holmatro deeply care about doing everything we can to promote a sustainable society. In this quest we have found an environmentally sound, high performance hydraulic oil. This sustainable oil, in accordance with the OECD 301F respirometric test for biodegradability, biodegrades 97.7% within 28 days. Despite its rapid biodegradation in the environment this oil provides better lubrication and a longer useable lifespan than other hydraulic fluids.
This oil will be available from Holmatro in different viscosities in one and five litre containers and will now be used in all Holmatro Marine Equipment products.
http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=62404
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
5-Star Stocks Poised to Pop: Sun Hydraulics
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 140,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, hydraulic valve and manifold maker Sun Hydraulics (Nasdaq: SNHY) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Sun Hydraulics' business, and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Sun Hydraulics facts
Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 99% of the 1,409 members who have rated Sun Hydraulics believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include DavidBear and All-Star Gedmitri, who is ranked in the top 20% ofour community .
A few months ago, DavidBear tapped the stock as a rather boring way to secure stimulating returns:
http://www.fool.com/investing/small-cap/2009/10/05/5-star-stocks-poised-to-pop-sun-hydraulics.aspx
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Sun Hydraulics' business, and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Sun Hydraulics facts
| Headquarters (Founded) | |
| Market Cap | $330.9 million |
| Industry | Industrial equipment and components |
| Trailing-12-Month Revenue | $124.5 million |
| Management | CEO Allen Carlson (since 2000) CFO Tricia Fulton (since 2006) |
| 21.2% | |
| Cash/Debt | $31.4 million/$0 |
| 1.8% | |
| Other Highly Rated Industrial Equipment Stocks | Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) United Technologies (NYSE: UTX) Deere (NYSE: DE) |
| CAPS Members Bullish on SNHY Also Bullish on | General Electric (NYSE: GE) Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) |
| CAPS Members Bearish on SNHY Also Bearish on | Dillard's (NYSE: DDS) |
On CAPS, 99% of the 1,409 members who have rated Sun Hydraulics believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include DavidBear and All-Star Gedmitri, who is ranked in the top 20% of
A few months ago, DavidBear tapped the stock as a rather boring way to secure stimulating returns:
This is a well run company with a solid management and a business model that values people and innovation. Sure making cartridge valves and manifolds is not the most exciting technology in the world, but they will always be needed for power transfer. [H]eavy construction equipment will make a comeback, and [Sun Hydraulics] is surely best-of-breed.In a more recent pitch, Gedmitri explains why Sun Hydraulics seems to be peaking through the clouds:
This stock has managed its balance sheet very well during this downturn. Its price is the same as it was in early 2005 with a stronger balance sheet and positioning in the market. ... Their products are necessary for the eventual economic turnaround and their rapid delivery gives them a further advantage. With some companies, the attraction to buy comes from a low price, good management, lots of cash, or some other reason. This company has them all and then some.What do you think about Sun Hydraulics, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. The CAPS community is waiting to hear your opinions. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!
http://www.fool.com/investing/small-cap/2009/10/05/5-star-stocks-poised-to-pop-sun-hydraulics.aspx
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
GSF to distribute Interfron hydraulic power units
GSF Slides has been appointed sole distributor for the UK, Ireland and Australia for the Interfron range of backpack and hydraulic power units.
The SP700 and VP700 are battery-powered backpack units that provide hydraulic power for cutting tools and other hydraulic equipment such as hydraulic jacks used by emergency services as well as in many other situations.'The range of battery-powered backpacks gives emergency crews complete freedom from petrol-driven or vehicle-mounted power supplies,' said Jon Lye, managing director, GSF.
'No hydraulic extensions and no attachments mean no entanglements, which in low-visibility, high-risk environments, reduce accidents and increase access to enclosed and otherwise inaccessible spaces,' he added.
The SP700 and the VP700 can be fitted with the appropriate hydraulic connectors, enabling the units to operate rescue tools from all major manufacturers, including Holmatro, Amkus, Lukas, Zumro, Weber, TNT, Lancier, Nike Centaur, Resotec and Enerpac.
The units can be adjusted to use hydraulic pressure at 5,100, 9,200 and 10,500 psi.
Each unit has a total weight of approximately 18kg (40lbs).
'Our backpacks have 30 minutes of operational use and it takes seconds to refit a new battery,' said Lye.
Other key features include (on the VP700) integral control valves, which enable control of equipment extensions such as hydraulic rams.
In addition, the VP700 has been designed for varying emergency conditions.
The VP700 is water tight to a depth of 2m, meaning it is a quick, free-moving system suitable for sea and water rescues.
The Interfron range also includes three conventional, free-standing petrol-driven hydraulic pump units, which are designed with protective roll cages, scope to connect two tools at once and built-in controls.
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/gsf/gsf105.html
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