All bets are on for a great experience

Education takes center stage
As usual, the 52nd National Conference on Fluid Power will be the cornerstone of expanded education at IFPE. The conference will feature a record 119 presentations on new technologies and methodologies within the fluid power industry related to improved analysis, design, manufacture, and performance of fluid power components and systems for mobile and industrial equipment.

There are 16 conference tracks with three to four sessions in each. Topics include pumps and motors, hybrids, pneumatics, modeling and simulation, filters and filtration, Tier IV, filtration and contamination, energy conservation, HMI, modeling and design, controls, valves, motion transfer, standards, and more. A complete conference schedule can be found in our December issue.

Conference tickets are $75 and include admission to all technical presentations, two keynote presentations, conference proceedings on CD, and Continuing Education Units (CEUs), if applicable. In addition, the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power will offer several sessions highlighting its research projects and will hold its annul meeting at the event.

Additional education sessions are being provided by the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers — college-level courses with a focus on hydraulic fluids and their applications; design, modeling and control of hybrid vehicles; noise in hydraulic systems; and basic lubrication.

IFPE 2011 will also feature an Innovations Theater on the show floor, where experts in the field will present real-world solutions for current and future design applications. Topics to be covered include Tier IV, fluids and lubricants, and hydraulic hybrids.

Not to be outdone, CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011 will offer a comprehensive education program with sessions emphasizing industry issues and trends, management, and applied technology. More than 125 sessions are scheduled to be presented by industry experts, with education divided into nine program tracks to help attendees locate topics of most interest to them: aggregates, asphalt, concrete, earthmoving and site development, equipment asset management, management best practices, recycling and sustainability, safety and workforce development/competitive edge.

Get your walking shoes on
An expected 2000-plus exhibitors taking 2.2 million net square feet of exhibit space will showcase their latest innovations and technologies. “Product concentration areas” will make it easier for show visitors to locate the specific products and exhibitors of most interest to them.

IFPE 2011 will feature exhibit pavilions from the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) and the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA), as well as a pavilion highlighting the expanded presence of sensors manufacturers at the show. The show floor covers 140,450 net square feet of exhibit space, a 9% increase over the record-breaking 2008 event. Nearly 450 companies will be exhibiting at the show.

Fluid power world tour
As always, there will be a large global presence at the event, with 10 international pavilions — IFPE 2011 has pavilions from China, Italy, and Taiwan, and CONEXPO-CON/AGG has pavilions from China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, and United Kingdom. These pavilions  are designed to bring users and makers of components from all over the world together. In addition, more than 80 allied associations and groups are official show supporting organizations, coming from the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

One registration covers entrance to all exhibits at IFPE and ConExpo/ConAgg. Register at www.ifpe.com. Attendees can use the site’s interactive “show planner,” which includes show maps that are searchable by hall/lot location, booth number, company name, and type of product. The show planner will also be available as a free smartphone mobile application.

Peruse our December and January issues for complete education schedules and details.

IFPE 2011 Exhibitor Locator