NFPA Publishes 2019 Update to Fluid Power Technology Roadmap

By Eric Lanke, NFPA President/CEO

A new publication, the 2019 NFPA Technology Roadmap: Improving the Design, Manufacture and Function of Fluid Power Components and Systems, has been published by the National Fluid Power Association. Copies can be downloaded after a brief registration process from the following website: www.nfpa.com/home/workforce/Fluid-Power-Industry-Roadmap.htm

The purpose of the Roadmap is to provide NFPA member companies and their research partners with an industry-wide consensus regarding the pre-competitive research and development needs of the fluid power industry. It identifies the following eight broad capability improvements for the fluid power industry to tackle in order to meet the future needs of its customers and expand fluid power into new customer markets.

• Improve fluid power control systems (including through electrification)
• Monitor, gather, and use data generated from working fluid power products to add value
• Provide greater fluid power expertise
• Improve fluid power’s reliability and durability
• Increase fluid power’s energy efficiency
• Increase fluid power’s power density
• Reduce the environmental impact of fluid power components and systems
• Reduce lead time for fluid power components and their control elements

For each of these capability improvements, the Roadmap also identifies a set of research targets that quantify or otherwise describe successful strategies for pursuing advancements in these areas. Organizations that wish to pursue projects of importance to the fluid power industry should seek alignment with these research areas and targets.

The Roadmap is the intellectual property of NFPA. It is not for reprint, resale, or redistribution, in whole or in part, without the written permission of NFPA.

The Roadmap is a tool that can be used, with permission obtained from NFPA, by organizations that wish to pursue projects of importance to the fluid power industry. These organizations include both research institutions and companies across the fluid power supply chain. By aligning their activities with the challenges, objectives, and proposed projects described in the Roadmap, they will all play a role in positively shaping the future of fluid power technology.

By putting forth this Roadmap, representing a broad consensus of industry players, and focusing on pre-competitive initiatives that will help develop new technologies to benefit the industries, markets, and people served by fluid power, NFPA demonstrates a commitment both to collaboration and to long-term growth and sustainability.