Pipe threads are a lot like suction strainers in that they have no place in a modern, properly designed hydraulic system. HOWEVER, pipe threads are a legacy item, and as such, are still a feature of many (too many) hydraulic systems still in operation today. So every hydraulics user needs to know about them.

National Pipe Tapered (NPT – U.S.) … Read more

The term pilot ratio refers to the ratio of two, discrete areas of a piston, spool or poppet on which opposing pressures act. The pilot area, on which pilot-pressure acts, is always the larger of the two areas. Working or system pressure acts on the smaller, opposing area. This means a relatively small pilot-pressure can overcome a much larger working … Read more

A webinar presented by the International Fluid Power Society on the prevention and management of fluid injection injuries cites a study by Snarski and Birkhahn, two emergency department doctors at the New York Methodist Hospital. And it contains some sobering statistics:

Fluid injection injuries are relatively rare with around 600 incidences in North America per year. That’s the good news. … Read more