 Technology
Roadmap for the Fluid Power Industry
The Technology Roadmap for the Fluid Power Industry is a ground-breaking initiative led by the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) to critically examine the state of the industry’s technology and to chart a research and development agenda that will help accomplish three goals:
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Meet the future needs of fluid power customers;
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Expand fluid power into new customer markets; and
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Attract the best and brightest young engineers to fluid power.
The Roadmap identified six key R & D challenges for the fluid power industry:
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Increasing the energy efficiency of fluid power components and systems.
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Improving the reliability of fluid power components and systems (e.g., increasing up-time, eliminating leaks, reducing maintenance requirements, making fluid power safe and easy to use).
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Reducing the size of fluid power components and systems while maintaining or increasing their power output.
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Building "smart" fluid power components and
systems (i.e., ones that perform self diagnostics/prognostics and troubleshooting; integrate easily with "plug and play" functionality).
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Reducing the environmental impact of fluid power components and systems (e.g., lowering noise, eliminating leaks).
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Improving and applying the energy storage, recovery and redeployment capabilities
of fluid power components and systems.
The Roadmap is a tool NFPA will use to help direct the research efforts of the
Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power
(CCEFP) and the grant program of its own Foundation. It establishes a vision for technology development that will help fluid power remain competitive with alternate technologies, open up new market possibilities and, through bold and exciting research projects, attract a new generation of bright engineers and researchers to the industry.
Only a portion of the action plan is envisioned to be led directly by NFPA. The engagement of individual NFPA member companies, and the incorporation of Roadmap objectives into their own product innovation strategies, will be essential for its full achievement.
Click here to view a detailed briefing on the Roadmap, given by NFPA Executive Director, Eric Lanke.
Click here
for a list of ISO and NFPA standards organized by NFPA Technology Roadmap objective and associated industry initiative; these documents can help your company execute the strategies spelled out in the Roadmap.
All of these standards are available for purchase at NFPA’s
Online store.
The complete Roadmap is available only to Official Company Representatives of NFPA member manufacturers, distributors and product suppliers, who may access the document here, using their NFPA UserName and Password.
The Roadmapping Team includes representatives from Bimba Manufacturing, Bosch Rexroth, Caterpillar, Deltrol Fluid Products, Eaton Corporation, Enfield Technologies, Festo Corporation, Gates Corporation, HUSCO International, Lynch Fluid Controls, Moog, Pall Aeropower, Parker Hannifin, Poclain Hydraulics, Quality Control Corporation, ROSS Controls, Sauer-Danfoss, Schmalz, and Sun Hydraulics. The Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power is also represented.
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