Michael Ference Fluid Power Marketing

We have sent another great issue out to our readers.  Our August issue of Fluid Power World is full of great content. Click here for the digital edition.  Click here to subscribe. Happy Labor Day!  And Happy Reading!

Our Fluid Power Technology Conference is designed and developed to give our advertising clients the opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential customers and partners.  We feel that this is a vital element in the chain of communication that includes print magazines, websites, e-newsletters, and custom media options. The Conference was established in Milwaukee at the Milwaukee School of Engineering because of their involvement with fluid power technology and the proximity of Milwaukee to many users of fluid power technology, both OEM and user markets.  Now that we have established the event as a venue for networking and presenting very useful content, we are moving it to new locations.   The next event will be held in Cleveland at Cleveland State University where a strong engineering school resides.   The team from CSU won the Vehicle Challenge this year signaling a strong interest in fluid power technology.  Cleveland and the rest of Ohio also have a strong presence of f

There were several very interesting speakers this year at the IEOC.  By the way, the event was held at a new location that being the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort.  It was very nice. I always enjoy listening to and learning from Donna Ritson of DDR Communications LLC, a speaker at our own Fluid Power Technology Conference this year in Milwaukee in May. The title of Donna's presentation was Robotics and IoT in the Industrial Market place.  She also addressed this topic at our event.  Robotics are no longer a tool but a force in the industry  There are many advancements in robotics including dexterity which has opened the door for many applications.   The automotive industry including the manufacturing of automotive components makes up a large sector of robot usage but there is a record high usage outside of automotive.  The number of units in use continues to increase while the price declines.  China uses 39% of all robots while the U.S. uses 11%.  Digital twinn

One of the really nice features of the IEOC format is that breakouts are organized by specific markets and presented by segment experts.  The good news is that all of the presentations are very informative.  The only inconvenience is that I can only be at one session at a time,  The slides, however are available to all attendees so we can review the sessions that we missed. Scott Hazelton of IHS Markit gave a presentation titled Industry Markets Overview .  Since the three main segments of the fluid power industry are industrial hydraulics, mobile hydraulics, and pneumatics, this presentation is a pretty significant part of the conference. Here are my notes.  There will be a 0.3% growth in the industrial sector for 2019 and a 1% growth for 2020.  This would still allow for a dip in the first half and a pick up in the second half of 2020 with a net gain of 1%.   Natural gas prices will be down 16% in 2019 and down 7% in 2020.  The PMI will show a slight rebound currently.  

Even though I have only heard him present a few times, Mark Killion of Oxford Economics has become one of my favorite speakers. Here are some of my notes from his presentation.  For the U.S. Economic forecast, "expansion will continue."  In fact, it is showing signs of positive GDP forecast through 2022 with no recession in 2020.  However, debt as a percentage of GDP continues to grow which is a concern. What we are experiencing now is the longest economic expansion in history but there are some warning signs for a recession.  The projection given by Mark was a 15% chance of recession in 2019 and a 40% chance in 2020. There are three key factors in the cause of a recession and they include government policy, confidence by consumers and buyers at all levels, and behavior as a reaction to the current conditions and anticipated future conditions. Business confidence is still high but has fallen back but recovered in the past few months.  Capex is exceeding GDP

Every year around this time, the National Fluid Power Association hosts the Industry and Economic Outlook Conference - NFPA and IEOC.  I attend this conference and I listen, make notes, try to understand the trends, and then share the information with my customers and my audience on this blog. Part 1.  What did I hear from Alan Beaulieu - Well, Alan is a favorite speaker at this event because of his vast knowledge of economics, fluid power business, and the many markets served by fluid power technology.  His message was mixed as he called the next 12 months a "period of uncertainty."  Alan represents the Institute for Trends Research - ITR. The GDP is slowing down and we are on the backside of the ITR curve meaning that we are in a period of slowing growth leading to a period of negative growth.  The good news is that Alan is predicting a brief downturn, a slight recession that was actually pushed forward by tax reform.  The first half of 2020 should have a slight recessi

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of attending the NFPA Industry and Economic Outlook Conference.  It started out with a fantastic golf outing where I got partnered with some really great folks.  We didn't win but we had a blast. Then we got down to the business of the economy and fluid power. The event was held at the Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center in Oak Brook, IL and the NFPA and the Resort did a great job of hosting! I will be writing more entries about the event but I wanted to hurry up and summarize my takeaway in a few words.  The consensus from the economists who presented is this:  There could/will be a slow down in the economy in the second half of 2019 and it may have already started. It will be short and sweet and by the second half of 2020, things will be better.  To all of my advertisers, please plan for the upswing.  Stay ahead of the pack by advertising right through the slow down and you will be in a better position for the upswi

There is a lot to know about air and hydraulic cylinders.  They are the workhorse of many hydraulic  and pneumatic systems across many applications both mobile and industrial.   Here is a link  to a free webinar presented by Fluid Power World and Josh Cosford on the subject. I thank our sponsors for this webinar, Ametek Factory Automation and Tribute.  Their sponsorship makes this learning experience possible.  The webinar will be archived on our website so please refer your colleagues to view the on-demand version of the website. Here is a brief preview of what you can expect from this webinar: Air and hydraulic cylinders come in all shapes and sizes, but most often they are configured to suit standard applications. With standard applications comes standard options, but you’ll be happy to know cylinders can be brought to the next level with myriad special options for more advanced functions.

We continue our great second half plans for 2019 at  Fluid Power World magazine and digital media network.  Of course, our print magazine has some very interesting and informative content planned for the year.  In our October issue, we will feature  Forestry Equipment.    This market has remained a vital user group for all types of hydraulic components.  On the industrial side,  Plant Maintenance 101 best practices to aid designers and maintenance people alike on the ways to keep hydraulic and pneumatic systems running efficiently.  Our October issue will feature  Pneumatics in Vacuum Applications .  Whether your company is involved in medical, manufacturing, or any type of automation, this article will be helpful. Turning to the digital side of our business, we offer six websites and e-newsletters including Fluid Power World, Design World, Mobile Hydraulic Tips, Pneumatic Tips, Hose Assembly Tips, and Sealing & Contamination Control Tips.  This wide network allows our qua

One of the ways that we deliver technical content to our audience is through webinars.  We name the topics at the beginning of the year, invite companies to sponsor the content, deliver it live, and then save it on our website. Earlier this week, we conducted a webinar titled Compressed Air Pneumatics:  Is the Tail Wagging the Dog?  In this webinar, Fluid Power World contributor Ron Marshall takes a look at the possible waste and inefficiency of some compressed air systems.  Here is a full summary of his presentation: Compressed air is one of the most expensive ways to power machines and tools.  That's why the end uses of compressed air need to be appropriately designed and selected, if not, even the most inexpensive pneumatic components can cause thousands of dollars in wasted electrical cost at the main compressors.  Is what you are doing at the end of the compressed air system robbing you blind? This session will talk about the high cost of compressed air and explore using t

We have launched a very interesting new layer of media opportunity here at Fluid Power World and it is called AI for Marketing.  Of course the AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. We offer three types of AI for Marketing including: Affinity Based Intent Based and Account Based I would like to have the opportunity to explain each type to you but it would be best if we could set up a Zoom Meeting.  Let's Zoom In on success.  Perhaps we could set up a pilot program using our AI for Marketing platforms to target your sales message. We have over 800 topics and millions of records for targeting your message.  Contact me at mference@wtwhmedia.com for more information.