A Safe Return to the Rails
As the end of pandemic restrictions gain speed, so will the return to rail transportation. Whether for commerce or commuting, most major American cities—and plenty of outlying areas—depend on a safe and reliable rail network. One of the keys to that safety is pneumatic systems on trains, as noted in a recent Hydraulic & Pneumatics article.
“Since the air brake was invented more than 150 years ago, compressed air has played a major role in the railway industry. Today, pneumatic components are used in a wide range of applications in both passenger and freight vehicles,” notes article author Frank Gevers, director of railway, fluid control and pneumatics at Emerson. “For successful product development, OEMs must implement pneumatic applications that meet the highest safety requirements and industry demands.
“Robust pneumatic railway components set the benchmark for quality and functionality. They meet the exceptionally high demands of the railway industry and improve application performance, safety and reliability,” Gevers adds. “Using pneumatic components that comply with all applicable standards ensures an OEM’s long-term success in railway product development.”
Getting Air Preparation Just Right
As engineer Kevin Kakascik of AutomationDirect noted in a recent Hydraulics & Pneumatics article, air preparation for a pneumatic system is an easy thing to get right—and just as easy to get wrong.
“Air preparation is not complicated but is easy to neglect compared to the more active downstream aspects of pneumatics, such as automatic valves and actuators,” Kakascik writes. “In all cases, ensuring proper air preparation is in place leads to years of safe and trouble-free pneumatic operation.
IDEA! Awards Entry Deadline is July 9
The time is running short to showcase the best in manufacturing innovation. The deadline is this Friday, July 9 to enter the 2021 IDEA! Awards.
Click here for a link to the entry form.
The IDEA Awards is a way to showcase the tremendous work your design and marketing teams have accomplished in the last 12 months. The August issues of Machine Design and Hydraulics & Pneumatics will present all the entered products for evaluation by our readers in print and online. You’ll also receive marketing collateral recognizing your product as a 2021 IDEA! Awards Finalist as part of your $500 entry fee.
The products with the highest vote totals will be recognized at the 2021 IDEA! Awards luncheon at the 2021 IDEA! Conference in Cleveland. The conference on Nov. 9-11 will be three days of great information and an opportunity to reconnect after more than a year apart.
Get your entry in today, as the deadline is July 9.
