Using Standards to Ease the Use of Fluid Power

ISO Technical Committee (TC) 131 is responsible for standardization in the field of fluid power systems and components. The scope of the technical committee, its subcommittees and working groups comprises terminology, construction, principal dimensions, safety requirements and testing and inspection methods including such components as: accumulators, compressed air dryers, conductors (rigid and flexible), cylinders, electro-hydraulic and electro-pneumatic components and systems, fittings, fluidic devices, hose fittings and assemblies, filters and separators, fluids, hydraulic pumps, motors, moving-part fluid-controls, pneumatic lubricators, regulators, quick-action couplings, reservoirs, sealing devices, valves.

The U.S. TAG to ISO TC 131 promotes U.S. interests in the development of standards both here in the states and on a global level in order to ensure that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. Standards are strategic tools used by NFPA members to reduce costs by minimizing waste and errors, and increasing productivity.

Recent articles in the NFPA News have talked about how the U.S. TAG is looking for ways to incorporate energy efficiency into current standards. NFPA and the U.S. TAG to ISO TC 131 committees are also beginning to identify ways to promote fluid power standards to machine/equipment builders. A machine/equipment builder has been defined as a company that manufactures or specifies machines or pieces of equipment that incorporate or could incorporate fluid power as an on-board system. Standards are used in the fluid power industry to provide our customers with a set of requirements, specifications and guidelines that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for the purpose they were made.

Out of 249 published fluid power standards, a subset of four existing standards that help to ease the use of fluid power for machine/equipment builders has been identified as meeting the most basic needs of the end user. These standards include:

• ISO 1219-1 Pneumatic Symbols
• ISO 4413 Hydraulic safety requirements
• ISO 4414 Pneumatic safety requirements
• ISO 5598 Terminology

As time goes on we will focus our marketing efforts on additional Standards that are making a difference in helping NFPA member customers. If you are currently using a Standard to help meet the needs of your customer, please let us know. If you aren’t currently involved and would like to learn more about fluid power Standards development, visit https://www.nfpa.com/standardization/standardsdevelopment.aspx or contact Denise Rockhill.