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Showing posts from September, 2014

Controlling Contamination

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Keeping hydraulic fluid clean has always been a key factor in the efficient operation of any hydraulic system.  Sophisticated instruments that monitor the contamination of fluids so that the proper filtration techniques can be employed are really helpful. On our new website Mobile Hydraulic Tips , we review a product from Schroeder Industries that does just this, help control contamination. I invite you to visit Mobile Hydraulic Tips to find more product reviews and application briefs that will help users on the job.  If you would like to have similar information delivered to your inbox, please consider signing up for our e-newsletters.

The Hydraulic Cylinder ... a workhorse, a staple, a centerpiece ....

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All components are important and essential to the productive and efficient operation of a hydraulic system.  One of the key components to make things move is the hydraulic cylinder.  Here is an excellent explanation by our Contributing Editor, Josh Cosford, about hydraulic cylinders, click here . This is the kind of information that makes Mobile Hydraulic Tips , the website, so helpful to our audience and community.  This kind of great information is why we have an audience and community. I invite you to visit all of our websites to get insights into every aspect of fluid power systems.  The others are Pneumatic Tips , Hose Assembly Tips , and Fluid Power World .  I invite all fluid power component manufacturers to help us to continue to populate these websites with useful content.  Send us your contribution in the form of a photograph and description of your products.

Don't Be Out of Touch

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That may seem like a simple order these days because of all of the electronic devices that you may have. However, being connected by mobile devices is only part of being in touch.  Now you need to effectively use those devices to have meaningful communication without having addiction to your phone act as anti-communication. It helps to maintain your personal communication skills, including face-to-face.  Work on it. If a person really wanted to, they could simply just walk away from mobile for personal use and probably be ok.

When Failure is Not an Option in Oil and Gas Positioning

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I hope that you will be able to attend this webinar as it will be most informative.  It is presented by Design World Live webinar Tuesday, September 30, 2014 11:00 AM For your customers, life is simple: The rig has to work. In an industry where an hour of downtime can cost tens of thousands of dollars, failure is not an option⎯or at least not an option that will keep your customers coming back. You need to build equipment they can depend on, and that means it has to survive shock and vibration, temperatures ranging from Arctic to Saharan. It’s got to meet a stack of reliability and safety standards that change with every region. And most of all, it has to get the job done, which is where closed-loop feedback comes in. Whether you need to calculate rotary speed or linear position, you need to know the exact location of your equipment at all times. In this webinar you will learn how to take advantage of new capabilities in the latest generation of encoders to deliver performance y

Surrounding the Engineer With Information

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One of the basic foundations of WTWH Media, home of Fluid Power World , is that we surround our engineering readers with information and deliver it in a format they prefer.  That includes our print magazines like Fluid Power World and Design World.   We also serve our readers with five websites and five accompanying e-newsletters.  We have our two main horizontal websites Design World and Fluid Power World   as well as our vertical websites Mobile Hydraulic Tips , Pneumatic Tips , and Hose Assembly Tips .  Each vertical technology has a monthly e-newsletter as well. I think that the key word is serve because our content serves our readers as well as our advertisers.  Readers get great content on their own terms and advertisers have access to those engineering specialists while they are interested. Let me know if I can put together and advertising program for you for 2015 as I reach out for success!

Engineers Like Content

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The magazines and digital networks that I represent, Fluid Power World and Design World   are read and used by engineers and other technical people who are actively seeing new information.  I think that it is safe to say that technical professionals like engineers and technicians like to receive information that will help them to design and operate machinery in the best way possible. They turn to us for content.  That is why your ads in our magazines, e-newsletters, and on our websites are seen by readers who are seeking useful content.  They come to us for content and we deliver them your product information and value propositions.  We have standard ways to reach your best prospects. Let's take that a step further.  How about a white paper or an e-book.  If you have a white paper, let us put it on our websites, gate it, and gather leads for your company.  It is really simple because you already have the content and we can help you to get it into the hands of your prosp

Thank You for Your Support

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We are off to a great start with our new magazine and digital network called Fluid Power World .   We thank all of our advertisers and readers and WTWH Media staff who have been responsible for this successful launch. I look forward to a great 2015 with new issues to serve our clients, new content to serve our audience, and working with our team to create excellent opportunities.  Our magazine will expand to five regular issues plus a Leadership issue in January and our Fluid Power Handbook in June. Please contact me to discuss how we can partner for success in 2015.  I can be reached at mference@wtwhmedia.com.

Controls for Mobile Hydraulics

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Our website Mobile Hydraulic Tips offers our fluid power audience lots of information loaded on a regular basis.  We currently are featuring a product from NOSHOK, a compact OEM temperature transmitter.   I invite you to visit our Mobile Hydraulic Tips website and see this product review and the many that we have featured and save for all products that serve the mobile hydraulic markets, including construction equipment, agricultural equipment, and more. If your company makes components and related products for mobile systems, please send them to us for posting on our website.  You can send them directly to me at mference@wtwhmedia.com.

There are no ski lifts in the ocean

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I love snow skiing.  It is lots of fun.  It helps one to enjoy the winter very much. Recently, I tried surfing, at a very novice level mind you.  Being a skier, I thought that I might have a chance with balancing on the board.  What I did not account for was getting out to where you start.  You have to fight the waves just to get there and for a beginner, that could be a problem. I had a lot of fun trying it with my co-workers at WTWH Media, home of Fluid Power World .  This was a great team building exercise with a great team.  There are no ski lifts in the ocean :(

Speaking well and nurturing relationships

I do a lot of reading and listening for business.  I have had a great run recently with three books, two read and one listened to.  I have mentioned at least one of them before but they bear repeating. Its Not Just Who You Know by Tommy Spaulding reveals a lot about the importance of relationships and that includes in business.  Treating everyone as important and working to be of service in every relationship really works. Pitch Perfect Say it Right the First Time by Bill McGowan taught me a lot about the importance of speaking well and using the right words.  This too is important to every business and personal relationship. Now I am working on Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi where the importance of every relationship is discussed.  Again, nurturing relationships is key to both your personal life and profession.  Keep on  learning a working on yourself.

Reaching Out for Success in 2015

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We at WTWH Media have great resources for helping your company to increase brand awareness while generating qualified sales leads.  I am reaching out to you so that we can set up an in-person meeting, phone meeting, or GoTo Meeting in the next two months. Video Link I really believe that I can help your fluid power company.  Please give me a call at 408-769-1188 to set up a meeting. Thank you Michael Ference Fluid Power World - Design World

LinkedIn for Fluid Power

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If you are involved in fluid power in capacity, I would like to link with you on LinkedIn.  The service has over 300 million members worldwide.  In my opinion, the service provided by LinkedIn is very useful to individuals as well as companies. It is a great way for individuals to stay contacted professionally to others of similar interests.  It is much more than a place to post your resume to find a job.  It has kind of redefined the meaning of your resume because it causes you to keep your information posted and updated even if you are not looking for a job. It is good for companies because it provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and is linked to other social media channels.  The LinkedIn blog has a feature that tweets new posts.  You can list your contact information on LinkedIn and have other professionals find you and send messages. My personal interest with the service is to stay in touch with all types of professional people, especially those involved in fluid p

Starting 2015 With Leadership

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The January issue of Design World   will be our Annual Leadership issue.  Your company can participate throughout 2015 in a Leadership in Engineering, a community based print and online promotion to support and gain industry recognition for individuals, engineering teams, and your company. Now in its 9th year!  Your sponsorship in the January 2015 issue of Design World's Leadership in Engineering program enables your company to specify your nomination including engineering leadership by a person, inventor, department, or overall company.  As an advertiser, your profile will appear in print and online enabling our audience to vote all year long for their choice of leaders. Please contact me for more information at mference@wtwhmedia.com.  This is a great way to promote the Engineering Leadership strength of your company to a very engaged audience.

No longer if ... or when ... Social Media is Here for Fluid Power

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This conversation has been going on for several years with lots of questions being asked about the future and usage of social media to promote fluid power companies and products.  It has moved beyond the if and when stage to now it is a given. This list of social media channels is common to most websites now. The questions now are most likely to be "How effectively are you using social media to promote your company ... products ... recruit workers ... communicate and engage with your audience ... your employees?  Having the right mix of sending the right message over the right channels is key to your social media success. Does your company have a policy and a plan?  If not, we at WTWH Media can help you.  Just let me know. mference@wtwhmedia.com 

Hose & Fittings @HoseAssemblyTips

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As you know, hose, fittings, and connectors are important components on many fluid power systems. The safe and efficient conveyance of hydraulic fluid or air is critical to the success of machinery and equipment that make industry work. These products are important enough to us at Fluid PowerWorld that we have a whole website devoted to the technology and it is titled Hose Assembly Tips.   I invite you to visit to learn more about the products available to make your connections the best they can be. We are also in the process of launching a monthly e-newsletter by the same name.  It will feature photos and descriptions of hydraulic hose, pneumatic tubing, all types of fittings and hose assemblies as well as quick-acting couplings. If your company makes these products, I ask you to send us your press releases for inclusion on the website and in the e-newsletter.  Please send to my attention at mference@wtwhmedia.com

Putting Together Plans for Success

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At WTWH Media, we have a customized plan for your company's success in 2015.   We have two great print publications Fluid Power World and Design World that are both also distributed digitally. Our digital network of websites has a broad and focused reach to engineers seeking the best and latest fluid power information.  Design World Online, Fluid Power World, Mobile Hydraulic Tips, Pneumatic Tips, and Hose Assembly Tips all useful and interesting content to interested engineers and technical fluid power people. Our e-newsletters are received by an opt-in audience of professionals who find this form of content delivery useful.  We also offer custom digital options for your message. Let's get together this Fall in person or by GoTo to discuss your company's success for 2015.

Making the best marketing and advertising choices for 2015

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I would like to work with you to make the very best marketing and advertising choices for your fluid power components and related products for 2015.  I represent Fluid Power World , Design World , and our digital network. Our resources bring you the power of great content provided by a veteran editorial team, great audiences, and fantastic opportunities to market your products in multiple platforms.  With the many great opportunities offered by WTWH Media and my experience with fluid power technology and the supply chain, I can offer you my advice on how to grow sales. Just give me a call at 408-769-1188 or send me an e-mail at mference@wtwhmedia.com.

Good Maintenance is Essential

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Keeping your hydraulic system clean and in good operating condition is essential to the successful operation of machinery powered by hydraulic systems.  Even the mighty power of hydraulics can be sidelined by dirt and contamination. We recognize that at Fluid Power World and we have made Maintenance a regular feature in our new magazine.  In our premier issue, Senior Editor Mary Gannon addresses the issue with a short but important review of the measures that are necessary to keep your system clean. If you are interested in receiving this kind of information, may I suggest that you subscribe to Fluid Power World by clicking here to visit our Subscription page. After you sign up for Fluid Power World , you can visit the rest of the site for great archived fluid power content.  You will also want to subscribe to our e-newsletters including Pneumatic Tips, Hose Assembly Tips, and Mobile Hydraulic Tips in addition of Fluid Power World.

e-Book Tech Tips

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We deliver content to engineers in the format and delivery method that they prefer.  The user is in control of how they consume information. At WTWH Media, we have a variety of formats and methods of delivery because we are in touch with engineering readers every day.  One of our delivery methods that educates readers with content of interest while generating qualified sales leads is our e-Book Tech Tip.   Here is a link to one. Every fluid power client that I deal with has the capacity to produce a TechTip.  It is a matter of collecting your expertise on a given subject into a document that your customers will find interesting. As prospective customers find the content on our website or through our e-blasts, they sign up to receive your content and are able to let you know who is interested. It is simple.  Can we get an e-Book Tech Tip started for your company?

It's Not Just Who You Know

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I like to read books and listen to audio programs that can help me professionally.  Some are really good and some are just good.  None are bad so far. I have written about The Richest Man in Babylon and The Magic Story several times before in this blog.  A book by Jim Collins titled Good to Great also fits into this classification for me.  Those are considered must reads for everyone. Now I am working on another new story that seems to be in that same category.   It's Not Just Who You Know is written by Tommy Spaulding seems to be falling in that ranking as I work my way through the audio version.   Click here for more information. In this book, the author describes how you can transform your life and your organization through the relationships you make in various walks of life.  He describes how it has worked for him personally.  His easy-going storytelling style makes it even more appealing.  I invite you to check it out. We are presented with many opportunities

Great Plans for 2015

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We are finalizing our plans for Fluid Power World and our digital network for 2015.  We have an excellent schedule put together and I am interested in telling you all about it.  It all gets launched with our January Leadership and that is a great start!  We will incorporating our fluid power section into the January 2015 issue of   Design World . That will be followed by several great issues of Fluid Power World and our 2015 Fluid Power Handbook.   Combine that with our awesome network of websites and e-newsletters and we have a combination that will work for any fluid power company. If you would like to sell more components, systems, and related products to qualified engineers and other professionals in markets served by fluid power, I can help you.  Please contact me at mference@wtwhmedia.com.  Put the force of Fluid Power World   behind your marketing efforts in 2015!

Would you like to GoTo Meeting?

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There are many things that I love about working at WTWH Media LLC.  First, we have a fantastic management team!  I really mean that!  Scott, Mike, and Marshall are awesome!!  Second, we have a very professional team.  They are very creative and energetic. So, when one of my clients asked me this week if we could do a GoTo Meeting, I said yes without knowing how.  The reason that I said yes is this, we have a very cooperative and creative team and I know that I would easily learn how to set up and use GoTo Meeting with their help With our team's help, I quickly learned how and successfully held my first GoTo Meeting.  It was great!  Thank you Tom Lazar, Miike Emich, and Marshall Matheson for your idea and help!  One of the reasons that GoTo is so helpful is that we have do many media resources here at WTWH Media LLC.  I would love to tell you more. Now, if you would like to have my input on your 2015 advertising program, let's GoTo Meeting.

Let us help you with video

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One of the ways to tell your product and technology story is with video.  Engineering customers get information in many ways and we at WTWH Media help to tell your story in a variety of media. Here is an example of our video capability in a video with Clippard Instrument Laboratory. VIDEO LINK If you visit our website Fluid Power World , you will find a nice selection of videos that explain how fluid power components work, where they are applied, and more.  While you are there, you will find an archive of excellent fluid power content. Our new website has come a long way in a short time thanks to the dedication and skills of our team at WTWH Media.  We will continue to make it even better and more useful. Send us your video!

IMTS 2014 is a big deal

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Just like the ConExpo/ConAg Show is a big event for construction equipment and mobile hydraulics, the IMTS Show is very important for machine tools and industrial hydraulics.  It will be held next week in Chicago. Over 100,000 manufacturing professionals will come together at McCormick Place to learn more about the machine tool and manufacturing technology.  There will be seminars and concurrent events taking place and for more information, visit their website at http://www.imts.com . One of the co-located events is Motion, Drives & Automation North America (MDA) and that is where you will find many fluid power exhibitors.  Here is a link to the exhibitor list.    So, if your company is involved in manufacturing and you are interested in the latest technology, check out IMTS.  If you want to meet with some fluid power companies involved in similar markets, visit MDA.