A new publication, the 2025 NFPA Industrial Technology Roadmap: Improving Fluid Power Components and Systems for Industrial Applications, has been published by the National Fluid Power Association. Copies can be downloaded from the following website:
https://www.nfpa.com/technologyreports
NFPA first published its Technology Roadmap for the Fluid Power Industry in 2009, describing 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. Under the guidance of NFPA’s Roadmap Committee, the document has been refreshed and republished multiple times, most recently in 2023.
With the publication of this new document in 2025, NFPA will begin producing two Technology Roadmaps – this one specifically for fluid power in industrial applications, and a second Roadmap, scheduled for publication in 2027, specifically for fluid power in mobile applications. This is in recognition of the unique needs associated with these two different kinds of machine builders.
NFPA’s Roadmap Committee established an Industrial Technology Task Force, comprised of interested parties across the fluid power supply and value chain, that worked via email, conference call, and virtual meeting from December 2024 to November 2025 to complete this report. Among its many findings are the following nine Customer Strategies, the primary machine-level objectives or technologies that are currently being deployed to help machine builders in fluid power’s industrial customer markets achieve their performance objectives.
- Automation. Incorporating either semi or fully autonomous functions and/or operations on the machine.
- Compactness. Increasing the power density of the machine without increasing its weight and/or size.
- Connectivity. Expanding the use of data, such as intelligence for cloud-based condition monitoring, integration with site management systems, and/or communicating machine status for other value-added purposes.
- Electric Actuation. Moving towards electric actuation to improve efficiency or control on the machine.
- Energy Efficiency. Increasing energy efficiency, including strategies to extend operational life, use less energy, and/or reduce emissions.
- Environmental Impact. Reducing environmental impact, including strategies to lower noise, reduce leaks and/or use environmentally safe fluids.
- Maintenance and Support. Making it easier to maintain the machine, including strategies to ease initial integration and implementation, to provide documentation support, to ease the serviceability of the machine, and to increase the availability of repair or replacement parts.
- Precision Control. Improving the ability to manage systems or processes on the machine with high accuracy and minimal error, including through the use of sensors.
- Safety. Improving the safe use of the machine.
The Roadmap also identifies the following nine Capability Improvements as the primary ways in which fluid power systems should seek improvements in order to strengthen its use in and connection to these Customer Strategies.
- Data. Improve ability to monitor, gather, and use data generated from fluid power products and/or systems.
- Control. Improve the precision, performance, or ease the application of fluid power control systems.
- Energy Efficiency. Increase the energy efficiency of fluid power products and/or systems.
- Environmental Impact. Reduce the environmental impact of fluid power products and/or systems (i.e., leaks, sustainable materials, damage to environment).
- Noise. Reduce the level and harshness of the noise generated by fluid power products and/or systems.
- Power Density. Increase the power density of fluid power products and/or systems.
- Reliability and Durability. Improve the reliability and/or durability of fluid power products and/or systems.
- Safety. Improve the safe use and application of fluid power products and/or systems.
- Service. Improve the availability of replacement parts or otherwise improve the servicing of the fluid power system on the machine.
Specific pre-competitive Research Areas and Targets are also identified to assist in bringing about these improvements. The Roadmap connects these Research Areas to the Capability Improvements, which are in turn connected to the Customer Strategies, allowing for a deeper analysis and prioritization of the research, market education, and standardization projects likely to have the greatest impact on the growth and development of the fluid power industry.
The 2025 NFPA Industrial Technology Roadmap is a tool that can be used, with permission obtained from NFPA, by organizations that wish to pursue projects of importance to the fluid power industry. These organizations include both research institutions and companies across the fluid power supply and value chain. By aligning their activities with the challenges, objectives, and proposed projects described in this Roadmap, they will all play a role in positively shaping the future of fluid power technology.
By putting forth this Roadmap, representing a broad consensus of industry players, and focused on pre-competitive initiatives that will help develop new technologies to benefit the industries, markets, and people served by fluid power, NFPA demonstrates a commitment both to collaboration and to long-term growth and sustainability.
Eric Lanke, NFPA President/CEO, is available to present the Roadmap and its findings to your group or company. Contact him at elanke@nfpa.com if you have interest.