Members Encouraged to Submit Whitepapers for NFPA Fluid Power Tech Blog

Promoting the technical advancement of fluid power is one of NFPA’s key strategic priorities.  As part of that effort, the NFPA Board of Directors set an objective to create the web’s authoritative source of information about fluid power in customer markets, drive customers to it, and connect them to NFPA members.  In Q3 2015, with input from the NFPA Pneumatics Council, the NFPA Fluid Power Tech Blog was launched to attract the engineers designing and building machines that rely on fluid power components and systems, and to help them better understand and utilize the unique strengths of fluid power technology.  In Q4, an editorial committee was established to assist in developing a constant stream of editorial content.  Our objective is to eventually transition the pneumatic blog over to a customer-focused community site where we will begin to add hydraulic-related blogs.  The vision is to have an online “customer” community with links back to an enhanced NFPA member/product directory.

To date we have published 20 blogs focused on pneumatics. The NFPA Tech Blog subscriber list currently has 668 readers with an average open rate of 25% and click through rate of 5%.  In order to continue to grow the blog we are in need of content.  The Pneumatics Council brainstormed a number of possible blog topics, including:

• Pneumatic vs. electric
• Direct acting vs. air piloting
• The same basic pneumatic valve design has been used for years, what type of improvements/changes could be made to the design?
• Pneumatic hybrid technology – what other types of technology could be combined with pneumatics?  How and why?
• What advancements in technology are really needed?  Need vs. cost increase?
• Effective methods of energy savings that involve all the system manufacturers.  Is it possible?
• Radical changes in pneumatic technology?  Point of use?  Air pumps vs. compressors?
• Advantages of 3D printing in pneumatics?
• Development of new components vs. improvement of existing components in energy efficiency
• Can pneumatic manufacturers tie together improvements in reliability and efficiency?

We are looking for whitepapers that may be used to help build the blog content.  Interested in contributing a whitepaper and/or fluid power related article?  Please submit them to Denise Rockhill at drockhill@nfpa.com.

NFPA members are also encouraged to share Tech Blog posts with their customer networks through their social media outlets.  We are seeing good results in shared blogs to social media outlets such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Reddit.  Questions about how you can get involved on the Editorial Committee?  Contact Denise Rockhill at drockhill@nfpa.com.