The Drive

Josh's Opinion: No Secrets in the Age of Data

January 20, 2022

For many years, and perhaps still today, the fluid power industry has been highly protective of what we consider confidential information.

Product Spotlight: HBM Rotary Actuators

January 20, 2022

Rotary actuators are unique in the fluid power world, offering a method to rotate a load through a fixed arc.

Product Spotlight: 10,000 PSI Tie Rod Cylinder

October 7, 2021

Extreme-pressure tie-rod cylinders are rare. Sure, you may see a 4000 PSI tie-rod cylinder every once in a while, although such a design would much resemble an NFPA cylinder.

Josh's Opinion: Supply Chains

October 6, 2021

Supply chains, am I right? Boy, what a couple years it’s been. No, this is not a 2021 roundup article.

Product Spotlight: Aldon Derail

July 15, 2021

Despite the fluid power theme of most of our recent issues of The Drive, Higginson offers many other product lines, even outside the industrial space.

Josh's Opinion: Repurposing Hydraulics

July 14, 2021

Reduce, reuse, recycle. The Three R’s are synonymous with environmental protection, ameliorating the need to manufacture finished goods from resource-intensive raw materials.

Two-week Delivery

May 19, 2021

We at Higginson Equipment Inc. are known for our responsiveness with custom air and hydraulic cylinders.

Accumulator Repairs

April 15, 2021

Accumulators are used everywhere, ranging from off-highway vehicle suspension systems to tiny power units in the machine tool industry.

Josh's Opinion: Industry 4.0

April 14, 2021

Industry 4.0 is all the buzz, but I feel like it's no closer to everyday use than flying cars were in the '60s.

Fabco-Air Multi-Piston High Force Actuators

March 17, 2021

Multi-Power® actuators are an ideal choice when you need tremendous thrust from a modest amount of shop air.

Higginson Custom Cylinders: Customized Solutions No Matter How Big, Small or Downright Weird

January 28, 2021

You all know Higginson makes the best NFPA Air and Hydraulic cylinders for the best price.

Josh's Opinion: Winter Maintenance

January 27, 2021

Groundhog day is just over a week away. Groundhog day is a cross-quarter day, meaning it falls equidistant between the first day of winter and the first day of spring.

EconoMAX Air Cylinders: Setting a New Standard for Performance

December 16, 2020

Your dump truck is exposed to every possible corrosive element Mother Nature has created in the workplace.

Hydraulic Power Units

November 18, 2020

Every hydraulic system requires a source of hydraulic energy to operate. Hydraulic energy, in the form of pressure and flow, stems from your hydraulic power unit's pump.

Deublin Rotating Unions

October 15, 2020

Deublin has been the world leader in rotating unions for nearly three quarters of a century.

Josh's Opinion: You Can't Get Something for Nothing

October 14, 2020

I once had a customer call to request I visit them at their own customer's site to help with a "breakdown." I'm always down to help a customer, so I...

Product Spotlight: Cartridge Valves

September 17, 2020

Cartridge valves, more than nearly any other item in the hydraulic realm, claim the title of most diverse.

Josh's Opinion: It Ain't Easy Being Green

September 16, 2020

If you read last month’s Josh’s Opinion, you’d know I’m not talking about Shrek or the Incredible Hulk.

Josh's Opinion: Ve-Schematics

August 19, 2020

I love a good hydraulic circuit; one well organized, well laid out, with current symbology and with consistent symbol geometry.

What makes hydraulics and pneumatics different from each other? Both realms are two slightly different versions of the same technique of using fluid molecules to transmit controlled forces to achieve work.

Josh's Opinion: What is a transducer?

July 15, 2020

What is a transducer? The most basic definition explains it is a device that changes one energy form into another.

Ice Cream Factory Custom Hydraulic Manifold

June 18, 2020

We created this custom hydraulic manifold to replace the rat's nest of inline valves and plumbing that existed on a 30-year-old power unit and hydraulic system.

Top 5 Reasons to Use an Accumulator

June 17, 2020

If you're not a fluid power industry professional, hydro-pneumatic accumulators are a bit of a mystery.

The Technology That Performs Under Pressure; Amtec's Series 550 RFID Pressure Transponder

May 22, 2020

The performance you need, while under pressure. Introducing a unique combination series consisting of an extremely sturdy, tried-and-tested industrial pressure transmitter and RFID (radio frequency identification) wireless technology.

Heavy Duty Hydraulic Cylinders; Hydraulic Power There With You For the Long Pull

May 21, 2020

Designed to meet and exceed the most demanding application requirements in your industry, Higginson's Heavy Duty Hydraulic Cylinders are available with non-standard options such as stainless steel, high-temp seals or...

Top 5 Requirements for High-Pressure Hydraulic Components to Effectively Handle Their Role at 10,000 PSI (700 bar)

May 20, 2020

We at Higginson manufacture a whole lot of our EconoMAX® dump truck cylinders. Our industry-leading cylinder withstands 250 PSI, which is much higher than your average pneumatic cylinder rated at...

Maintaining Hydraulic Cylinders - The Number One Rule for Proper Function

April 16, 2020

Whether it's due to extreme cold subzero temperatures or cold hydraulic fluid conditions, maintaining and repairing hydraulic cylinders and seals is imperative.

Spring Cleaning: Is it time for your Hydraulic & Pneumatic Cylinder Repairs?

April 15, 2020

With over 75 years of combined experience, Higginson specializes in hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder repair and custom cylinder manufacturing.

Stainless Steel NFPA Cylinders

March 19, 2020

Did you know Higginson is one of the only manufacturers in Canada of 100% stainless steel NFPA Cylinders?

Air & Medium Duty Hydraulic Cylinders: The Power of Hydraulics, with the Speed of Air

March 18, 2020

Designed to meet and exceed the most demanding application requirements, with standard bore sizes up to 12" with pressure ratings of 250 psi for air and up to 1500 psi...

Higginson Equipment's Response to COVID-19

March 13, 2020

It comes as no surprise our industry has and will be affected by the ongoing concerns over the COVID-19 corona virus.

Compact Air Cylinders are Still a Big Deal

February 11, 2020

More or Less – Compact Air Cylinders are a Big Deal! “Less is more” seems to be the trend in the pneumatic actuator market.

The Hydraulic Fortune Cookie

December 15, 2016

What if I told you that you could predict a machine failure before it happened? What if I told you that you could save time and money from being wasted...

Deublin FAQs

November 22, 2016

A rotary union is a precision mechanical device used to transfer coolant fluid or media from a stationary source, such as a pump, into a rotating device, such as a...

To Lube or Not to Lube

September 7, 2016

The question of whether or not to supply airline lubrication often comes up during the installation of pneumatic components, in the design of new machinery, or when rebuilding or retrofitting...

It's Not Worth Crying Over Spilled Milk

July 5, 2016

You can cry over spilled milk if you wish, and while you’re crying, you will probably wonder how I’m going to use this to segue into this article.

Conditioning Your Hydraulic Fluid

June 28, 2016

The criterion needed to keep your hydraulic fluid conditioned is all about keeping the fluid clean, cool and dry.

Hotter Than a Jalapeno in a Heat Wave

June 14, 2016

How much money does your maintenance department have in its budget to pay for replacing hundreds, if not thousands, of gallons of hydraulic fluid every year?

Common Issues with Bearings... and How to Fix Them!

May 31, 2016

If you've heard a strange noise coming from the motor or bearing of your machine, then understand this is a particularly common complaint.

Five Words

May 17, 2016

Nobody was born wise, and even the top engineers at Parker, Bosch Rexroth and Eaton, even with a brain containing the full compendium of hydraulic knowledge currently imprinted, couldn’t tell...

So You Think You're Green, Do You?

May 5, 2016

Of course you do! It hardly matters what your motive is, but few persons in this era have no motivation whatsoever when it comes to being green. By green of course,...

Can You Handle the Pressure?

April 19, 2016

Do you think your hydraulic system is man enough to handle six Brock Lesnars, four Shaqs and five Aaron Gibsons all balancing on a pogo stick?

Linemaster Debuts Hercules (RF) Wireless Foot Switch

April 6, 2016

The Hercules (RF)Wireless foot switch is Linemaster’s first radio frequency foot switch. The new unit offers up 40 feet of range and up to 400 hours of battery life, all...

Cylinder Lead Times Improving!

March 22, 2016

For several months, Higginson was running a 6-8 week lead time for the manufacturing of air and hydraulic cylinders.

Introducing the Piston Rod

March 8, 2016

Hydraulic cylinders are the essence of the fluid power motivation. However, their simplicity often leads us to discount their subtleties of manufacture, often assuming they’re constructed of identical stock.

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