I’m not quite sure how it’s gotten to this point—with Christmas being a mere two weeks away—but here we are, and that means the year is about done. I always find it interesting to go back and look at what the most read stories of the year on MHT have been. This year, I was pleased to see the variety of stories, from big picture things to the nitty gritty of system design. Here’s a summary, in case you missed any of this great content in 2015:
(Click on any headline to see the original story.)
1. Pressure control: Upstream and downstream
Our own Carl Dyke takes a very logical look at the difference between pressure relief valves and pressure reducing valves. Where is the proper place in a hydraulic system for each of them? If you don’t know the answer you’d better get to reading this great tutorial …
2. Engineering students break the chain with hydraulics
Senior Editor Mary Gannon has long been a fan of Parker Hannifin’s Chainless Challenge, which started many years ago here in Cleveland. This year, she ventured out to southern California to watch nine college teams compete to design bicycles that are powered using fluid power technology—but no chains. Check out this fun article on how the next generation of engineers are thinking about using fluid power.
3. Dean Kamen—Leadership in Engineering
While this didn’t specifically go into fluid power issues, my conversation with Dean Kamen, arguably one of the most brilliant engineering minds of the day, gave readers a lot to think about. Kamen talked about some of the lessons learned from his iBOT wheelchair and also discussed his passion for getting young kids excited about STEM careers.
4. What I would tell a freshman engineering student
Josh Cosford had a hit with his smart advice for new engineering students. Remember, school doesn’t teach you everything—so even a five-year degree won’t necessarily help you with some of the specialized niches out there for engineers.
5. A pre-Hannover chat with Bosch Rexroth’s Dr. Karl Tragl
Just prior to the immense Hannover Fair in Germany, I had the opportunity to interview the head of Bosch Rexroth AG, Dr. Karl Tragl. He spoke on a wide range of topics, from his company’s integration of the Hägglunds brand to the Internet of things and even the trend of “local for local” manufacturing. Plus, read his thoughts on American vs European safety standards.
Filed Under: Hydraulic equipment + components, Student programs