NFPA has been producing a series of Technology Roadmaps for the Fluid Power Industry since 2009. These documents – describing technology strategies being deployed in fluid power’s end markets and ways for fluid power to increase its inclusion in those strategies – have been heavily weighted towards the mobile side of the fluid power industry. As a result, we are now developing a new Technology Roadmap focused exclusively on industrial applications of fluid power.
A project plan is now in place, which is engaging the NFPA Industrial Technology Task Force in the development and publication of this new Roadmap. All NFPA members – suppliers, manufacturers, controls and data companies, and distributors – with interest and exposure to the industrial side of the fluid power industry are welcome and encouraged to appoint a representative to this Task Force. Ideally, it should be an engineer or other technical professional who understands the needs of your company’s customers and the ways in which your products help meet those needs. To volunteer for this effort, refer a colleague, or learn more, please contact me at elanke@nfpa.com.
The Task Force first met on March 14, 2025, to confirm the market drivers and technology strategies most prevalent in fluid power’s largest industrial markets. A copy of that report can be found here.
The Task Force next met on June 9, 2025, to confirm the fluid power capability improvements needed to keep fluid power positioned as an actuation technology of choice for industrial markets. A copy of that report can be found here.
The Task Force next met on September 8, 2025, to review the results of two recent surveys conducted by NFPA to determine the pre-competitive research and development areas that should be pursued in order to best bring about the capability improvements. One survey asked about hydraulic research areas; the other about pneumatic research areas. Together, the surveys received responses from 61 individuals across the fluid power supply chain, including a large percentage from the NFPA Industrial Technology Task Force.
After discussing and synthesizing the survey feedback, the Task Force identified the following fluid power research areas for use in the new NFPA Industrial Technology Roadmap:
Research Areas. Organizations that wish to pursue research of importance to the fluid power industry should focus on projects that:
- Components. Develop new fluid power components.
- Controllability. Improve the controllability of fluid power systems.
- Data and Analytics. Improve the gathering and use of data analytics in fluid power systems.
- Fluids. Optimize the use of fluids and lubrication in fluid power systems.
- Materials. Develop/apply new materials in fluid power components and systems.
- Seal Technologies. Optimize the use of seal technologies in fluid power systems.
- Sensor Technologies. Advance sensor technologies used in fluid power systems.
- System Architectures. Explore novel fluid power system architectures.
In addition, several Research Targets, objectives that quantify or otherwise describe successful strategies for pursuing the Research Areas, were prioritized for each of these Research Areas. A full report of the survey results and the Task Force findings is included the Task Force’s official report on its meeting, which can be downloaded here. The results can provide excellent guidance to companies that sell into these industrial markets in helping them determine marketing and development objectives for their fluid power products.
The NFPA Industrial Technology Roadmap will be a document that describes an industry-wide consensus regarding the pre-competitive research and development needs associated with improving the design, manufacture, and function of fluid power components and systems for industrial, or in-plant, applications. The identification of these research areas and targets is the third and final step in the process that will produce this document. Next up will be the drafting and publication of the full roadmap document itself, which is expected in November 2025.