Cleveland Community College, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Purdue University are the recipients of the spring 2012 semester gifts from the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation. Each gift will help strengthen interest in fluid power on their campuses and help the Foundation in its efforts to attract some of the best and brightest students to our field.   The Foundation has awarded 21 gifts and one grant to 16 schools to date.  These awards align with our strategy to bring fluid power to as many students as possible through our growing list of educator members.

Following are brief overviews of each project:

Cleveland Community College--Fluid Power in Automation
By Professor Mark Gengler

The goal of this project is to develop industry-specific, high skill level training components for a credit course at the two-year college level for automation application in the fluid power industry.  Measurable objectives for the project include the following:

Objective 1:  By March 2012, complete four unique industry assessments using resources through the
NFPA and the Automation Federation

Objective 2:  By May 2012, develop the course “Fluid Power in Automation”

Objective 3:  By September 2012, receive approval to offer the course from the accrediting body of the College and the NC Community College System

Objective 4:  Offer the course in Spring 2013 semester with a minimum of 10 students enrolled.  Course will be offered through synchronous and asynchronous methods.

Intended benefits of the project are to develop and provide industry-specific training in fluid power applications in automation systems.  Consequences include an increased interest and application of fluid power in automation systems and the project will act as a foundation for future courses to be developed with similar concepts.


Illinois Institute of Technology--Multiple Configuration Hybrid Hydraulic Transmission Demonstrator
By Professor Jose Garcia

The goal of this project is to design and build a test setup to show students diverse alternatives for hybrid vehicle propulsion using fluid power technology.  Specifically, this project seeks to build a demonstration setup that can be electronically controlled to replicate a scale model of a series or parallel hydraulic drive train.

The project will start in January 2012 and end in December 2012.  Milestones are as follows:

February 1 – Design of demonstrator frame
March 1 – Component sizing and selection
April 15 – Purchasing of components
May 1 – Completion of demonstrator frame
July 1 – Assembly of components
September 1 – Testing and troubleshooting


Purdue University--Test Bench for Energy Efficient Active Oscillation Damping on Mobile Hydraulic Machines
By Professor Andrea Vacca

The gift will permit the completion of an existing experimental apparatus that will not only better expose students to fluid power related topics, but also captivate students on advanced issues related to control of hydraulic systems.

The goal of this project is to expose Purdue students to the following aspects of valve controlled hydraulic systems:
a) Understand the function and operation of flow control pressure control valves according to different basic layouts of valve controlled systems: open circuits, load-sensing configurations, additional anti-saturation features
b) Understand the dynamic behavior of control valves and their inherent instabilities
c) Understand the typical solutions to prevent system oscillations (capacitive and resistive elements introduced in pilot lines, preset pressure of counterbalance valves, etc.)
d) Understand and quantify the energy losses associated with solutions in c) above
e) Understand and quantify the sources of oscillations in mobile machines (related to hydraulic systems and load oscillations)
f) Understand the potentials of different electrohydraulic control strategies
g) Understand the research component of the project:  development of adaptive control strategies aimed to damp system oscillations with reduced energy dissipations. Potentials of different feedback signals for the closed loop control (the case of accelerometers and pressure sensors)

Additional information about the spring 2012 semester gifts and previously awarded gifts can be found at http://www.nfpafoundation.org/Grants/CurrentProjects.aspx. If you would like to learn more about the gift program, please contact Sue Chase at (414) 778-3376 or schase@nfpa.com.  

Register Today. 

See Who’s Coming. 

This year's conference theme "Strategic Thinking in a World Out of Round" will include numerous opportunities for NFPA members to network and share knowledge about the thought processes, technology tools and global strategies needed to capitalize on the emergent markets without overinvesting in areas of decline. Because our members have a variety of different objectives for attending the conference, our featured speakers have been balanced to appeal to decision-makers across this spectrum. And importantly, because this diversity of membership provides opportunities to learn from each other, unique knowledge-sharing activities have been added to facilitate interaction.

Speaker Spotlight
Thriving in a Changing and Macroeconomic Environment - John Caslione, President and CEO of GCS Business Capital, LLC

John will offer thought provoking insights into global business strategy based on the reshaping of global market and macroeconomic trends that has been taking place in recent years and is expected to continue through the decade of the twenty-teens. He will present a compelling case for developing an international business portfolio with emphasis on emerging markets to help balance out the new shape of business—that characterizes the western world going forward.
 
John is a merger and acquisition advisor to U.S., European and Asian middle-market companies seeking to globalize their businesses through mergers, acquisitions and strategic joint ventures.

Click here for conference details, speakers and their presentations.

See YOU in March.

(Be sure to register and reserve your hotel room before the cut-off date of February 3, 2012.)

The end of 2011 brings a close to another successful year of NFPA Fluid Power Challenge events. Since the program began in the U.S. in 2008, more than 1,500 students in six states have been exposed to fluid power technology. This number will keep growing, as more Challenge events have already been scheduled for next spring.

The Challenge events that took place this fall were sponsored by Deltrol Fluid Products (at Harper College, Palatine, IL); Daman Products Co. Inc. (at Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, IN); and at MSOE—the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, WI).

“Exposing students to fluids and engineering problems is all new to them,” said one middle school teacher in Indiana. “But this exposure is invaluable because they may have gone through life without even knowing the possibilities of fluid power. You have turned on their radar to look for examples of fluid power and engineering in the world around them.”

New this year, the winning team from each location will receive national recognition.  A review committee will evaluate the portfolio and two-minute competition video from each winner, and then select those meritorious of special awards. 

NFPA Member Uses Challenge to Introduce Fluid Power to Son's Class

Last fall, Andrew Binversie, Manager, Press Series & Light at Bosch Rexroth Corporation bought a few Challenge Lifter Kits and took them to his son’s class at Steffen Middle School in Mequon, WI. Soon after, the students were on their way to learning about fluid power and entering the Fluid Power Challenge at MSOE. One Steffen team went on to win the Design Champion award and another Steffen team won both the Teamwork and Team Challenge Champion awards.*

“The kits really were a huge part of our success at the NFPA Challenge this year,” said Steffen teacher Matthew Heuser (right). “They provided the students with a hands-on learning experience to help them better understand some concepts of fluid power. They are very inexpensive and provide a learning experience in teamwork, fluid power, structures, and proper use of tools and equipment. I will continue to use these kits in my classroom because of the great experience they provide my students and the fun they have in the process of using them.”

What prompted Andrew to buy the kits? He explains “Working for a global leader in fluid power and my eighth grade son in a PLTW program, I was interested in trying to introduce the PLTW students in my son's class to fluid power so they might see a connection to what they are doing in the classroom to real world opportunities and applications. The NFPA Fluid Power Challenge led me to the "mechanical kits" offered as a practical, hands-on, economical approach to quickly engage and introduce the students into combining their PLTW program experience, basic mechanics and fluid power instruction. These kits were an ideal tool and super economical so I was able to purchase a number of kits for the school. Our middle school will use them for future PLTW enhancements as well as future NFPA Challenge opportunities.”

Would you like to introduce fluid power to your local middle school? Contact Carrie Tatman Schwartz at ctschwartz@nfpa.com or (414) 778-3347.

*Coming soon, visit www.nfpafoundation.org for updates and videos of all the winning teams.

The NFPA 2011 Chicago Regional Lunch Meeting held on December 8 boasted a packed room, insightful updates from attendees, and two presentations.  This year’s meeting also served as the occasion to announce a new partnership program between NFPA and the U.S. Foreign and Commercial Service.  Two representatives from the U.S. Commercial Service were on hand to present this new program and answer questions.  Matt Kennedy, Strategic Partnership Office Director and John Coronado, the Commercial Officer based in Chicago.  In addition to links to the Regional Meeting presentations, we have also listed John’s contact information.

John Coronado
Commercial Officer
U.S. Commercial Service
200 West Adams Street, Suite 2450
Chicago, IL 60606
Tel 312-353-4453
Fax 312-353-8120
Email john.coronado@trade.gov

NFPA looks forward to continuing its Regional Meeting schedule with the Detroit area being the next stop in Spring 2012.  Details will be announced to the entire membership in March 2012.

NFPA and the U.S. Foreign & Commercial Service are partnering to help NFPA members take full advantage of the trade assistance resources of the U.S. Federal Government, which include…

• Developing contacts for business in foreign markets…distributors, customers, service providers;
• Learning how to comply with regulatory and documentation requirements;
• Getting help securing export financing, guarantees, and credit insurance;
• And, much more.

Don’t miss these upcoming NFPA webinars.  Learn how to gain access to federal government export assistance, and the nuts and bolts of the transaction process. 

Any staff person within an NFPA member company is eligible to attend, so please forward this message within your company.

NFPA and the New Market Exporter Initiative, Tuesday, January 24, 1:00-1:30 Central
Matt Kennedy, Director of the Strategic Partnership Program for the New Market Exporter Initiative, will explain the goals of the program, and how the partnership with NFPA will help NFPA members gain access to federal government export assistance and grow their exports.

Exporting:  What You Need to Know Before Shipment, Thursday, February 23, 1:00-1:30 Central
Kellie Holloway of the United States Foreign & Commercial Service will present the practical how-to’s of exporting products focusing on the transaction process, from preparing a quote to preparing the shipment.  

To register for these programs, click on the individual links below:

NFPA and the New Market Exporter Initiative, Tuesday, January 24, 1:00-1:30 Central

Exporting:  What You Need to Know Before Shipment, Thursday, February 23, 1:00-1:30 Central

For more information reguarding these webinars contact Pete Alles at 414-778-3350 or palles@nfpa.com.

A monthly round-up of the MAPI resources available to NFPA members through NFPA's membership in MAPI.

Issues in the Brief

A Wish List For Santa
U.S. manufacturers have been especially good this year. They kept the U.S. economy from grinding to a halt, had output growth of 4.3 percent (compared to 1.8 percent for the economy as a whole), and achieved export growth of 7.5 percent. Their 2011 productivity levels, which in the first three quarters grew by an average of 3.1 percent—three times that of the rest of the business community—helped Americans do more with less. And while they're no longer the employment powerhouse they once were, manufacturers still added almost 200,000 jobs to the economy this year—more than 15 percent of all private sector jobs created.  In this Issues in Brief, MAPI President and CEO Stephen Gold sends a wish list to Santa, asking for some North Pole help with delivering corporate tax reform, reining in regulation, coordinating an educational effort to power the next generation of workers and innovators, and improving global policymaker leadership.

The Eurozone and U.S. Export Competitiveness in Manufactures
Intense discussion of the eurozone financial crisis has centered on fiscal accounts and the banking sector. Little attention has been paid to the impact on trade beyond the obvious fact that if there is slower eurozone growth, import growth will also be down. The adverse trade impact of the eurozone on third countries, however, and on U.S. exports of manufactures in particular, is significant and growing, and faces uncertain prospects ahead.

Economic Review

Festering European Crisis Now Weighs on Financial Stability - Sovereign Debt Problems Threaten to Infect Banks
presented by Kris Bledowski, Ph.D., Economist, MAPI
The European sovereign debt crisis is far from over. In fact, it threatens to turn into a broader financial crisis. In this presentation MAPI Economist Kris Bledowski, Ph.D., delves into the linkages between governments and banks in Europe. He concludes that in the absence of a clear growth strategy and short-term measures to restore market confidence, the forecast recession in Europe might turn out to be deeper and longer than previously expected.  The audiovisual presentation is approximately 10 minutes long.

Economic Report

MAPI U.S. Industrial Outlook: Manufacturing Experiencing a Rebound, Some Deceleration in Growth Expected in 2012
MAPI forecasts that manufacturing growth will outperform overall GDP growth in 2012. Pent-up demand for consumer durables (particularly motor vehicles) exists, firms are profitable and need to spend more for both traditional and high-tech business equipment, and reasonably strong growth in emerging economies is still driving U.S. exports. Manufacturing production is forecast to increase 3 percent in 2012 and 4 percent in 2013. A 4 percent average annual growth rate is forecast for 2014 to 2016.

Latin America Manufacturing Outlook: An Ongoing Brazilian-Induced Soft Patch Will Be Followed by Moderate Growth in 2012
MAPI's 2011 predictions for manufacturing production growth in Latin America were revised downward to 2.5 percent (from the previous 4.2 percent estimate) as a result of the ongoing global economic uncertainties. While part of the slowdown started to materialize in the third quarter, we suspect that most of the weakness will be seen in the fourth quarter of 2011 and the first months of 2012. The slowdown mainly comes from Brazil's factories, which saw their output flatten during the last six months. Mexico's resilience as well as government incentives stimulating demand in Brazil will help Latin America's manufacturers grow at a moderate 4.4 percent rate in 2012.

Canadian Economic Review and Outlook, 2011-2012
As the only G7 member that has fully recouped its GDP and employment losses sustained during the downturn, Canada has led the economic recovery among industrialized nations. However, with commodity prices topping out and dimming prospects for global growth, Canada will be hard-pressed to maintain its superior economic performance. Annualized GDP growth was a faster-than-expected 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2011, but weakening labor markets and export demand will reduce quarterly annualized growth to the 2 percent range in 2012, well below last year's forecast.

Quick Point

Analysis on Durable Goods

Notice
Available for NFPA member companies’ exclusive, confidential, internal use only. No one may make or distribute copies or reuse all or any part of this report without the written permission of NFPA.

Disclaimer
This report is made available by NFPA as a service to the fluid power industry and contains information provided by companies in the industry. NFPA does not recommend or endorse any particular use of this report. NFPA, its directors, members and employees are not responsible for errors or omissions in the report or for loss arising from its use and disclaim all warranties and guarantees, express or implied, with respect to the information in this report.

There are currently 42 Educator Members in NFPA.  This update was submitted by Mike Cook, Adjunct professor for Hawkeye Community College, University of Northern Iowa National Ag-Based Lubricant Center.

Beginning in January 2012, a series of fluid power training workshops will be offered through a joint effort between the University of Northern Iowa National Ag-Based Lubricant Center (UNI NABL) and Hawkeye Community College.  The workshops are comprehensive and designed to cover fluid power technologies in an applied format. Hands-on shop activities are conducted on UNI-NABL hydraulic trainers and combined with classroom lectures.  According to Dr. Lou Honary, director of the UNI-NABL and primary workshop instructor, “The combination of theory and hands-on training will allow the participant to build upon the fundamentals taught in the first two workshops and offer a greater opportunity for higher-learning as the participant completes the entire program.”

There are a total of five workshops each four and a half days in length:

Workshop 1:  Industrial Hydraulics
Workshop 2:  Mobile Hydraulics
Workshop 3:  Hydraulics Troubleshooting
Workshop 4:  Electrohydraulics
Workshop 5:  Industrial Pneumatics

A detailed outline of the program and workshops can be found here.

Continuing Education Units are available for all participants.  Two college credits can also be earned per workshop from Hawkeye Community College.  Jim Popovich, an accredited instructor at the International Fluid Power Society (IFPS) also adds, “Completing all five workshops is a great way to prepare for the IFPS Fluid Power Professional Certification.”

Register for the workshops online at www.uni.edu/nabl or call 319-233-3812.  For more information email the Center at info@uni-nabl.org.

The 2011 NFPA Innovation Award was presented this past December to Erling Skaar and Odd Arild Olsen (center) of GenTech Global for their innovative use of hydraulics to achieve energy savings and reduce emissions on commercial ships and boats. 

The winner was selected by NFPA Marketing Committee volunteers from among nominations submitted by NFPA members.  The award recognizes innovative applications of hydraulics and pneumatics by customers and users of fluid power, and is part of a Marketing Committee effort to draw attention to advances in fluid power and the advantages of using fluid power. 

Skaar and Olsen are the principle designers of GenTech Global’s hydraulic AC generation system, which is designed to save energy and reduce emissions by using hydraulics coupled to the main drive to generate electricity for other onboard systems.  The initial system has been installed and tested under demanding conditions on the F/V North American, a crab fishing boat that operates out of Seattle to fish the Bering Sea. 

According to Skaar and Olsen, the North American equipped with the hydraulic AC generation system burns 20 to 25% less diesel fuel than similar vessels, and saved $2,200 to $2,500 in diesel fuel for a one-way trip from Seattle to Dutch Harbor, Alaska.  Here’s how it works. 

A typical crab fishing boat has three diesel engines: a main engine to propel the boat; a backup engine in case of main engine failure; and a third engine that drives a generator to supply electrical power needed for lights, compressors and other equipment.  The hydraulic AC generation system removes the third engine entirely.  The generator is driven by a hydraulic pump coupled to the shaft turned by the main engine.  A set of electronic controls adjust automatically to changes in main engine rpm to ensure stable frequency and voltage from the generator.  A fuel meter helps the crew track fuel use making it easier to pilot the boat under optimal engine loading conditions.  

In addition to fuel savings, removal of the third engine eliminates a major source of emissions, reduces maintenance requirements and creates more usable space below deck…no small consideration on many work boats.  And while the main story of this innovation is efficiency and environmental cleanliness, the ruggedness, reliability and power density hydraulics is known for is essential when operating in the harsh conditions of the Bering Sea.

Nonetheless, the vision of Skaar and Olsen extends well beyond crab fishing boats for this innovative use of hydraulics.  They see a major untapped market in the many work boats plying the waters of the Mississippi, Ohio and other rivers, and the potential to multiply the energy savings and emissions reductions achieved on the North American many times over…boat by boat.

The 2012 application submission in now open.  Click here to apply.  Submissions will be accepted until May 31, 2012. 

NFPA members are encouraged to submit innovative fluid power applications in any of the customer markets they serve.

Member case studies of innovative uses of fluid power in the customer markets of Construction Equipment, Wind Energy and Medical Devices are needed to populate a new customer-facing section of the NFPA web site  that is being developed to offer customers in these industries examples of the unique advantages of using fluid power technology over the competition.

Customers looking for fluid power solutions in these markets will have the ability to see a list of member companies serving these markets, and those members with case studies entered will be sorted to the top of the results page.



   

To Submit a Case Study

NFPA Members participating in these industries are encouraged to add their companies to these lists, and submit a case example showing how fluid power was used to solve a challenge in these industries.

1. Access the NFPA Customer Connect Manager update pages by entering your NFPA Official Company Representative's Members Only Log-In. 
   
   Step One:  Select the “Markets” under which your company should be listed and click “SAVE”
   (If you don’t have a case study to add at this time, you can always add it later.  Your company name will appear as a link in the list on the page of the markets you checked.)
   
   Step Two:  Select “Create New Case Studies” or “Edit Case Studies”
   
2. Fill in the Case Study template and click “Save/Publish”
   
3. When you have finished entering and have saved/published your case study you may view your  entry by clicking “View Live” on this next screen.  You may edit your case study by clicking on  “Edit.”
   
4. When you are finished entering all of your case studies be sure to log-out using the “Logout” button at the top of the page.

Thank you in advance for adding your company and case studies to Customer Connect.  If you have questions, please call Denise Rockhill at (414) 778-3354 or drockhill@nfpa.com.

In December, four schools received Fluid Power Challenge grants from the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation:

• Gardiner Public Schools, Gardiner, MT
• High Point Regional High School, Sussex, NJ
• King's Fork High School, Suffolk, VA
• Maury High School, Norfolk, VA

Challenge grants are given to help teachers introduce and teach fluid power in the classroom, with the eventual goal of entering teams in, or holding their own, NFPA Fluid Power Challenge events.  The schools will use the gifts to help defray the cost of purchasing classroom exercise kits and other materials to teach hydraulics and pneumatics. “I have been teaching syringe movements for over 20 years,” said one of the grant recipients. “I am very excited to now use the fluid power kits in my classroom.”

Any school or educational institution may apply for a Fluid Power Challenge grant. Why not encourage your local middle or high school to apply? For further information, visit the Foundation web site at www.nfpafoundation.org, or contact Carrie Tatman Schwartz at ctschwartz@nfpa.com or (414) 778-3347.

In 2012 NFPA is presenting a series of educational webcasts focusing on key issues facing the fluid power industry today:
•  increasing energy efficiency
•  improving reliability
•  reducing environmental impact
•  ensuring system safety

A series of six webcasts will be presented by leading experts to help you apply fluid power more effectively and efficiently. Each 60-minute presentation will include at least 15 minutes of questions and answers; here is your chance to talk with the people who know these systems the best.  Join us for as many of the six presentations you'd like.

Click HERE to view the 2012 webinar schedule.

Click HERE to register.

The first webinar will be broadcast on January 26, 2012 – 2:00 p.m. Eastern / 1:00 p.m. Central.

Safe, reliable and efficient pneumatic systems
Using ISO 4414 to design better pneumatic systems
Presenter: Gary Baumgardner, Chief Engineer, Parker Hannifin Corp.

The safety of those who work with and around machines is of ever-increasing importance in today’s business environment, as are the reliability and efficiency of those machines.  ISO 4414, Pneumatic fluid power – General rules and safety requirements for systems and their components, provides guidance on how to design and build pneumatic systems that enhance a machine’s safety, reliability and efficiency.

Price: 
NFPA members – Free
Non-members – $50 per webcast, or $200 for all six presentations

Click HERE to register.

The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation initiated its Fluid Power Laboratory Program to establish a new, state-of-the-art training lab at a qualifying educational institution. Hundreds of budding engineers will use the lab to study fluid power with the eventual goal of working in the fluid power industry after they graduate.

The pieces are now in place for the new program—an application form and evaluation criteria have been defined and a review committee is ready—so that a final decision on the grant award can be made in May.

In the meantime, there are two ways that your company can still get involved: We are soliciting lab applications from our current educator members (U.S. only). A list can be found at http://www.nfpa.com/Education/School-University_Memberships.asp. We also welcome suggestions for additional candidate schools. If they are not currently an NFPA member, then a $50 processing fee will apply, which we will use as their first year’s dues payment.

So far, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville have been suggested as additional candidates.

In addition, we are just 10% away from reaching our final funding goal. There’s still time to join the growing number of companies that have already pledged financial or material support: Alro Steel, Bimba Manufacturing, Caterpillar, Deltrol Fluid Products, Dura-Bar, Eaton Corporation, Enfield Technologies, HUSCO International, Motion Industries, Parker Hannifin, Poclain Hydraulics, ROSS Controls, Sauer-Danfoss, Sun Hydraulics and Wojanis Supply Company.

If you would like to support the new Laboratory Program or suggest additional schools, contact Carrie Tatman Schwartz at ctschwartz@nfpa.com or (414) 778-3347.

By Kim A. Stelson, CCEFP Director.

Save the date! The next CCEFP Annual Meeting will be held on September 24-27, 2012 at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. The meeting will begin on the evening of Monday, Sept. 24, and will conclude at midday on Thursday, Sept. 27. More details will be coming soon.

NFPA members have a unique opportunity to connect with their customers in the industrial sector at the inaugural Industrial Automation North America (IANA) Tradeshow, held in parallel with IMTS 2012 on September 10-15, 2012 at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.

Be part of the IFPE Fluid Power Zone 
As an NFPA member, you have the opportunity to exhibit in a dedicated display area showcasing the latest products, technologies, trends, and services for hydraulics and pneumatics at IANA 2012. Hosted by NFPA, the IFPE Fluid Power Zone is an excellent platform to attract key buyers from around the world. NFPA members receive a 10% discount off the standard booth price to exhibit in the zone. 

NFPA members already signed up to exhibit are:
    Argo-Hytos
    Bosch Rexroth Corporation
    Donaldson Company, Inc.
    MTS
    Shaeffler Group USA, Inc.
    Stauff Corporation
    Wandfluh of America, Inc.

Learn more

• Click here for a PDF of the show brochure.
• Additional information can be found online at www.ia-na.com.
• Contact Aryan Zandieh, Hannover Fairs USA, Inc., at (312) 924-1688 or e-mail him at azandieh@hfusa.com.

The latest progress on International Standards

Custom Fluidpower opens ninth branch in Australia to increase their support of Queensland's fluid power industry.

John Deere moves ahead with expansion of plant in Ankeny, Iowa.

Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation has announced the appointment of Gary Yingling as Director and General Manager, Shops & Services.  Gary will direct the fabrication, assembly, production, material management, capital assets, planning/forecasting, control and operational quality of our network of value-add shops and assembly operations throughout North America. 

MSOE recently delivered their “Introduction to Hydraulics” training course to the U.S. Army.  Dr. Medhat Khalil, MSOE’s director of professional education and research development, travelled to the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) in Warren, Mich., where he taught the course.

Racine Federated and Badger Meter of Milwaukee, WI held a press conference to announce that Racine Federated has signed an agreement to sell Racine Federated to Badger Meter Inc.

Sauer-Danfoss begins construction in Ames, Iowa on one of three new Sauer-Danfoss Application Development Centers. The centers will allow Sauer-Danfoss to provide support to customers for vehicle conversions, standardize vehicle testing and support the development of new applications and systems capabilities.

Thomas Magnete USA has chosen Brookfield, WI as the location for its first North American headquartered production facility.  The company relocated at the end of 2011. The new building accommodate its sales and administration divisions as well as new production lines.  The workforce will be increased to 27 employees by 2015.


T-LON Products Inc. adds Jamie Mui as new director of engineering.

Western FluiDyne changes name. A new year means a new name for Western FluiDyne, Fraser, Michigan. As of January 1, the company is now called FluiDyne Fluid Power. Its new web address is www.fluidynefp.com.

 

Thank you to all of the member companies and individuals that have supported the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation.  To view a current list of donors click here.

Donate today and join this growing list of NFPA Foundation supporters.

2012 NFPA Annual Conference
March 6 - 10, 2012
The Mauna Lani Bay, Kohala Coast, Hawaii

IFPEX 2012
April 17-19, 2012
NEC Birmingham, United Kingdom
10% NFPA Member Discount Available to Exhibitors

2012 Industry and Economic Outlook Conference
August 20-22, 2012
Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort, Oak Brook, Illinois

Industrial Automation North America (IANA)
September 10-15, 2012
McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois

Be part of the "IFPE Fluid Power Zone" a NEW and unique tradeshow designed to assist you in reaching your industrial automation customer market. Special NFPA member only discounts are available.

AG CONNECT Expo 2013
January 29-31, 2013
Kansas City Convention Center, Kansas City, Missouri

SAVE THE DATE

2013 NFPA Annual Conference
March 5-8, 2013
Montelucia Resort and Spa, Scottsdale, Arizona

2014 IFPE
March 4-8, 2014
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

CALL FOR PAPERS

September 13-14, 2012
17th ISC, International Sealing Conference
Suttgart, Germany
Christian.Geis@vdma.org