Hydraulic Engineering Case Studies

Take a glimpse into the world of Hydraulics Online…

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We work with integrity and can’t always shout about a lot of the work that we do. Some of it will be confidential forever – and that’s fine with us.

We’re more than happy to work under non-disclosure agreements when commercially sensitive information and innovation is involved. Our word is good; we won’t take your ideas and promote them to others as our own. What we share here is just a small, approved snapshot of hydraulic engineering case studies.

Echo Engineering & Production Supplies, United States

When a hydraulic valve failed on one of Echo Engineering & Production Supplies’ die-cutting machines, Jason Semmler, Project Manager at Echo, found himself in a machine down situation.

“We were losing money every hour we could not use the machine,” Jason explains, “but the machine was old and I was concerned I would not be able to find the replacement part I needed.”

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Success Story: Materials Handling

Rather than carrying multiple spare parts, this materials handling equipment provider came to Hydraulics Online to develop a solution that would work on any machine.

“Hydraulics Online designed a solution that could do this for us and overnight we went from having a six-week lead time – as dictated by the ordering and delivery of parts – to being able to offer a lead time measured in hours.”

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A Reliable Hydraulics Supplier 4000 Miles Away

Despite being more than 4,000 miles away, this roofing and construction manufacturer on the Caribbean island of Barbados relies on great service from Hydraulics Online – because to keep production running, the swift supply of parts is absolutely essential.

“I don’t think Hydraulics Online has ever refused an order or been unable to source what I needed.” Ricky, Production Manager.

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Case Study: Heritage Concorde

Concorde is widely regarded as one of the most significant and iconic aircraft in aviation history, so we feel particularly honoured to have been selected as the hydraulics solutions partner to co-work with Heritage Concorde on this rather special British-French affair.

To date, we have designed and supplied hydraulic systems to power the ‘droop noses’ on 3 Concorde on display throughout the UK – one of our most famous hydraulic engineering case studies to date.

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By Royal Appointment, Mark Westaway & Son

When its local supplier couldn’t provide the hydraulic part Mark Westaway & Son needed for its hay baling machine, it turned to Hydraulics Online for help – and sourced a more robust and suitable part for the job.

“Hydraulics Online impressed with their speed of service and helpful attitude.” Chris Tar, General Manager, Mark Westway & Son.

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Independent Hydraulic Procurement

This global supply and logistics company specialises in products distribution, contract supply and fulfilment solutions. In Hydraulics Online it has found a hydraulic procurement partner that helps it deliver excellent service for its customers.

“Rather than us having to call around different manufacturers, they can quote like for like for us. And they have good routes in to those manufacturers – they get the answers we need quickly.”

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From around the corner to the other side of the world, seven days a week, Hydraulics Online is contacted by customers from all walks of life in a wide variety of industries.

Lights… Camera… Action!

In live broadcasting, time is of the essence. Adrian has worked in television for 25 years with vast experience working on high profile productions and a portfolio of successful projects to his name that includes many BBC programmes.

After many years of having to manually level the heavy arm and then re-position the camera between different sets and locations, Adrian knew there had to be a better way, but he thought that a solution would be way beyond his reach…

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Polarfront – The Explorer of the Arctic Sea

Latitude Blanche is a French shipping company founded in 2017 by two young graduates from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Maritime: Sophie Galvagnon and Yann le Bellec.

After several years of cruising and ice navigation, they wanted to use their own experiences to offer a new, extraordinary approach to polar expedition and oh, boy, did they deliver! The pictures in this case study speak for themselves…

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Ghost Bus Tours – "Who you gonna call?"

Routemasters are great buses – a British icon and fabulous piece of engineering history. But they are now at least fifty years old, making it very hard to source replacement parts when something goes wrong.

When the power steering ram of one of Ghost Bus Tours’ vehicles failed, David was told by several of his regular suppliers it “couldn’t be repaired”. But then he contacted Hydraulics Online…

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Success Story: Royal Shakespeare Company

The Royal Shakespeare Company might be used to performances raising the roof, but it came to Hydraulics Online when it needed to be able to lift the stage.

The pain of setting up a new supplier did prompt Gill, Control Systems Engineer at the RSC in Stratford, to check with existing suppliers as to whether they could supply a suitable part. Gill explains:

“I did call around looking for alternative quotes, but nobody could match Hydraulics Online on price.”

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SpaceX Hyperloop Competition

HypED is a University of Edinburgh student-led project that is blazing a successful path for British engineers in Elon Musk’s Hyperloop project – and demonstrating an innovative new future for hydraulics in the process.

Hydraulics Online’s involvement with the HypED team began when HypED started searching for the hydraulic parts that would be used in the brake systems of its Hyperloop competition pod.

“Hydaulics Online helped us to take it from concept to a working design that achieved the functionality in a safe and certified manner.”

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Marine and Subsea Hydraulics

Our customer, an international player in underwater cabling, began using Hydraulics Online in 2014, when the business found itself in a tight spot concerning a particular part.

One of their ship superintendents, remembers: “Our regular supplier at the time couldn’t supply the part we needed… “I called Hydraulics Online because at that stage I had nothing to lose.  I gave them a call and within two hours the Hydraulics Online team came back to me to say ‘yes, we can source that’.  It was an absolute revelation.”

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“We wanted a system that would suit almost every forklift truck manufacturers’ product range, rather than having to order in specific parts to suit specific OEMs; something we could keep on the shelf, knowing we could modify it to suit. Hydraulics Online designed a solution that could do this for us, and overnight we went from having a six-week lead time – as dictated by the ordering and delivery of parts – to being able to offer a lead time measured in hours.”

Technical Director , Materials Handling Equipment Provider

“Hydraulics Online are the only company we’ve come across where we are able to give them these problem scenarios and they come back to us with a solution. They have a vast knowledge of their technology and of system design and, because they are independent and not tied to any one manufacturer, I know they are giving us the best solution and the best products for that solution.”

Technical Director , Materials Handling Equipment Provider

“Because Hydraulics Online is independent and not tied to any one manufacturer, I know that they are giving us the best solution and the best products for that solution.”

Technical Director , Materials Handling Equipment Provider

Case Study: First UK Concorde Droop Nose

The hydraulic systems on Concorde 101 G-AXDN had not been used since she was retired in 1977, but with the technical support of Hydraulics Online a plan was created to bring them back to life.

Duxford Aviation Society, owners of the British Airliner Collection, were keen to improve their display of Concorde 101 G-AXDN at the Imperial War Museum.

In response, Heritage Concorde proposed making her the first UK Concorde since 2003 to be able to “droop” her nose… and then approached Hydraulics Online asking if we could help on “Project Salute” – we certainly could!

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Mayday! Mayday! Missing Flight MH370

Hydraulics Online was approached by a Malaysian marine maintenance company, in March 2014. The customer had struggled to identify and source the hydraulic parts needed to complete work on a Malaysian Royal Navy vessel. Despite the difficulties that the customer had faced elsewhere, Hydraulics Online were able to quote the customer on the same day.

On 4th April, the customer phoned Hydraulics Online and advised that the vessel had just been called up to help in the search for missing flight MH370, incredible as hydraulic engineering case studies go… was there anything that Hydraulics Online could do to expedite the accepted delivery date?

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Case Study: Commercial Hydraulic Pumps

Having peace of mind is key when buying any hydraulic equipment; you want to be able to “fit and forget”. We also understand that sometimes you actually needed something “yesterday” and that your budget is always being asked to stretch that… little… bit… further.

That’s why we offer a range of completely interchangeable, direct equivalents to the Commercial Hydraulics pumps range. Built and tested here in the UK, you can be assured of a quality product that can more often than not be dispatched within 24 hours. Even if you’re literally stranded on a vessel out at sea, we can take the pressure!

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Greetings from the US Navy Office, Okinawa, Japan!

This welcoming message was the headline in an email sent from the US Navy Office based in Okinawa Japan to our technical team.

The Marine Surveyor in question needed our help and service troubleshooting two Eaton Vickers pumps on board the LCM, a so-called ‘landing craft mechanical’ used for carrying vehicles. During an operational test they discovered that the pumps onboard had a limited flow and so they reached out to the experienced team at Hydraulics Online for help.

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From Dinosaurs to Roller Coasters – Discover the Magic of Hydraulics…

Many people don’t realise the enormous impact hydraulics have all around us and their pioneering break-though in new innovations and research.

At Hydraulics Online, we understand we’re not merely providing hydraulic components; we’re providing amazing solutions powered by fluid! In fact, we would say that hydraulic power is one of the most important technological advancements of all time. Hydraulic engineering case studies exist in so many everyday applications, from car braking systems and dishwashers to fuel pumps and amusement park rides.

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Custom Hydraulic Design Solutions

As many of our hydraulic engineering case studies show, we’re trusted hydraulic power pack and systems suppliers… well-versed in supplying systems for mobile and industrial applications alike – whether you are looking for a relatively standard unit, or a custom power unit as part of a larger design project.

Leverage our substantial, award-winning systems and hydraulic power pack design expertise to turn your engineering ideas into prosperous and pioneering solutions. Our collaborative approach provides a confidential environment to explore new system designs.

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We’re a hydraulics ‘hub’, offering thousands of possibilities… how can we help?