2016 Fluid Power Professionals’ Day Photo Contest

The Fluid Power Professionals’ Day Photo Contest was created to commemorate the wonder of fluid power and the talented professionals who work in this powerful industry. As a fun, creative way to celebrate Fluid Power Professionals’ Day (June 19 – Blaise Pascal’s birthday!), participants were encouraged to submit photos in four categories—Fluid Power in Motion, Fluid Power Professionals in Action, Fun with Fluid Power, and Power Density. Prizes are given to three pictures in each category plus the People’s Choice Award, which is given to the photo that received the most votes from contest followers.

This year’s contest, which ended March 31, 2016, was another success! As the following winning pictures demonstrate, there is not a vehicle, ship, plane, or train that can operate without fluid power. There is no consumer item, no electronic gadget, no morsel of food we grow that can exist in enough quantity at a cost we can afford without the use of fluid power and our efforts.

Area 8^th graders participating in the NFPA’s 2016 Fluid Power Challenge at Alexandria Technical and Community College, Minnesota.  Submitted by Heather Poush, FORCE America

1^st Place:
DRM12he Engineless Chipper operated by hydraulic power coming off PTO/pump on the chassis.
Submitted by Bao Tran, Altec

2^nd Place:
NASA Ballon Launch Tower. Jib acceleration and deceleration at 3000 mm/sec
Submitted by Robert Dyer, CFPS

3^rd Place:
New bridge being built at Winona Mn. A crane on floating barge swings the concrete hopper from the shore to the pumper on another floating barge, then pumps it up to the 72’ bridge deck.
Submitted by Rich Smith, CFPE, CFPS, CFPAI, Nahl, LLC.    

Honorable Mention 1:
One Pumper Piping
Submitted by Genie Wendel

Honorable Mention 2:
Pneumatic assembly tool
Submitted by Stephanie Rowitz, Sprague Products

1^st Place:
Commissioning an emergency gate for a hydroelectric power plant
Submitted by Casey Weismiller, Bosch Rexroth   

2^nd Place:
After several false starts, Mechanical Applications Engineer Eric Leckrone, CFPS, CFPCC, successfully tests a smoke stack sensor probe.
Submitted by AliceAnn Strausbaugh, RG Group

3^rd Place:
Linda at work; final test of 20-section directional control valve
Submitted by Stephanie Rowitz, Sprague Products    

Honorable Mention 1:
E-One’s newest aerial truck going to FDIC show 4/16 featuring Eaton’s VFX71m monitor on ladder and side of truck showing all truck functions with E-One real-time graphics such ladder tip angle/loading
Submitted by Kyle Chaplick, CFPS, Hydraulic Supply Co.    

Honorable Mention 2:
Field Service Technician Tim Flaharty makes an adjustment to the steering system of an icebreaker boat. The boat is one of three RG Group is outfitting.
Submitted by Randy McKee, RG Group

Area 8^th graders participating in the NFPA’s 2016 Fluid Power Challenge at Alexandria Technical and Community College, Minnesota.  Submitted by Heather Poush, FORCE America

2^nd Place:
The principles of Fluid Power – Q = Cv * sqrt(P)*. These fluid power professionals were thrilled to experiment with fluid power on a particularly hot summer day.
Submitted by AliceAnn Strausbaugh, RG Group  

3^rd Place:
Pneumatic “lift” chair
Submitted by Joe Nail, CFPAI, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

Honorable Mention:
Hydrostatic Schematic tattoo on his arm
Submitted by Ernie Parker, CFPAI, Hennepin Technical College

1^st Place:
Rock crusher doing what it does best!
Submitted by Scott Malcolm, Related Fluid Power

2^nd Place:
Tons of earth moved and removed during RG Group’s manufacturing and distribution facility expansion. That earth was particularly heavy after weeks of torrential rains.
Submitted by AliceAnn Strausbaugh, RG Group   

3^rd Place:
Fluid Power was crucial in the construction of MFP Automation Engineering’s new inventory carousel, which ironically will be storing thousands of fluid power products.
Submitted by Chelsea Nelson, MFP Automation Engineering

Honorable Mention:
Machine as delivered for rework, moderize
Submitted by Steve Niles, CFPS, GS Global Resources

• 2016
• fluid power professionals day
• photo contest