by Eric Lanke, NFPA CEO
The Energy Efficient Hydraulics and Pneumatics Conference (EEHPC) is an event co-sponsored by NFPA, the FPDA Motion & Control Network, and the International Fluid Power Society. It has been held three times: in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Each time, content has been targeted to engineers and technicians in fluid power’s customer markets who do not fully understand the design concepts critical to developing efficient fluid power systems and the diagnostic and maintenance techniques essential to keeping those systems operating at peak efficiency.
Plans are now underway to organize the next EEHPC in conjunction with IFPE 2017. Two volunteer committees—one focused on a hydraulics track chaired by Dean Houdeshell of Danfoss Power Solutions, and one focused on a pneumatics track chaired by Tom Wood of Bimba Manufacturing—are hard at work assembling a schedule of educational activities focused on the concepts and techniques that can either result in significant energy savings for companies that use hydraulics or pneumatics, or otherwise make fluid power a more competitive technology choice. Envisioned topic areas include