The Fluid Power Industry Wants to Up Its Manufacturing Game
September 27, 2015
There is a new intent on studying manufacturing technologies that could drive precision mechanical product making in small lots for the fluid power industry.
“The big change that is going on with fluid power research is adding a focus on manufacturability,” Kim Stelson, executive director of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), told Design News in a recent interview. “The original CCEFP strategy had three thrusts: efficiency, compactness, and effectiveness. Now, we’ve added manufacturability as a key focus, which is greatly increasing our appeal to fluid power equipment companies.”
Stelson said equipment makers are dealing with supply-chain-related issues with providing high-quality products quickly in small lots and that can be easily customized. “None of this really involves innovation in the design of the fluid power components, but everybody in this business makes things, and the new manufacturing direction can make an impact on every company,” he said. The CCEFP is part of the federal National Science Foundation and has an integrated working relationship with the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA).
Stelson said the focus on manufacturing is on precision and small lots. Mass production can achieve precision, but with small product volumes it is difficult to attain at a reasonable cost. The challenge is bringing the kind of precision and economies of scale that are found in the automotive industry to smaller production quantities common with fluid power products. Achieving this could substantially benefit suppliers.