MSOE Fluid Power Institute marks 50 years, bestows awards
| Published: 07/19/2012 |
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The Fluid Power InstituteTM at Milwaukee School of Engineering has been a leader in motion control and fluid power education, research and evaluation since 1962 (watch MSOE Fluid Power Institute Milestones video). FPI held a 50th anniversary celebration July 12 featuring an afternoon of presentations and tours, followed by an awards dinner where four individuals were recognized for their contributions to fluid power.
Thomas S. Wanke, director of the Fluid Power Institute, received the first ever MSOE Fluid Power Achievement Award for his tireless efforts and steadfast insistence for excellence that has led to the outstanding reputation of the MSOE Fluid Power Institute. This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exemplary service in the field of fluid power, including the development of successful products or services; applying research to deliver safe, clean and efficient energy designed to better our society; and providing leadership in developing well-educated engineers. In addition, the award recipient shows evidence of continued improvement of fluid power education by connecting the educational experience with the professional practice of engineering.
The Otto Maha Pioneer in Fluid Power Award was given to Dr. Medhat Khalil, director of professional education, MSOE; Eric Lanke, CEO of the National Fluid Power Association; and Paul Michael, research chemist, MSOE Fluid Power Institute.
Otto Maha was a pioneer in the fluid power industry through his leadership, personal contribution and generous financial support of fluid power education and research all through his professional life. He was one of the earliest leaders to use fluid power in manufacturing and his developments helped establish Parker-Hannifin Corporation as a world leader in the field of motion and control technologies. The Otto Maha Award was instituted at MSOE in 2007 to honor individuals who exemplify Maha’s spirit of advancement of fluid power education and research through their contribution and leadership.
About the award winners
Thomas S. Wanke ’78, ‘96
Tom Wanke has been an innovator in the study and development of motion control and fluid power education ever since 1975 when he became an MSOE student. In addition to providing hydraulic training to countless fluid power industry leaders, he has directed programs in fluid power systems design and endurance testing, electrohydraulics, fluid development and contamination control. Wanke has served the profession in numerous ways, including leadership in the development of industry standards through the National Fluid Power Association and the educational portion of the International Fluid Power Exposition. He has created an environment of learning, experimenting and discovering that will leave an imprint on MSOE for decades to come.
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| Left to right: Paul Michael, Eric Lanke, Dr. Medhat Khalil |
Dr. Medhat Khalil
Dr. Medhat Khalil is the director of professional education at MSOE, where he oversees the fluid power and motion control professional education seminars. He has more than 20 years of experience in fluid power control. Prior to joining MSOE, Dr. Khalil was a hydraulic system simulation software developer for CAE Incorporated. He also was the technical officer and training manager for Mannesmann Rexroth in Egypt. He is a member of education outreach of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power. He has extensive experience in modeling and simulation of hydraulic systems and designing electro-hydraulic systems.
Eric Lanke
Eric Lanke is the CEO of the National Fluid Power Association, which represents more than 300 companies serving the hydraulic and pneumatic industries. He works with the NFPA board of directors to set the strategic direction of the association. He oversees all association programs and communications. Prior to the NFPA, Mr. Lanke worked at Executive Director Inc. where he held leadership positions with the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. He also serves on the board of the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives, where he led a task force focused on the adoption of for-profit innovative practices by non-profit organizations.
Paul Michael
Paul Michael is a research chemist in the Fluid Power Institute. He has more than 30 years of experience in the formulation and testing of hydraulic fluids and lubricants. He is an STLE Certified Lubrication Specialist. Since coming to MSOE, Mr. Michael has been influential on U.S. Marine Corps hydraulic and power train lubricants projects. In addition to his research in contamination analysis, he is currently investigating energy efficient hydraulic fluids in the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power. He has written several papers on hydraulic fluid viscosity, motor wear, and torque ripple in addition to several books on lubrication and tribology.
About the Fluid Power Institute
FPI conducts research and testing for some of the largest hydraulic companies including Parker Hannifin, Caterpillar Inc., John Deere and others, as well as system evaluations for the U.S. military. FPI’s on-campus 2,400 square-foot Fluid Power Research Laboratory has the capacity and horsepower to operate a wide variety of hydraulic components under high-pressure and flow conditions. It has specialized equipment for pump, valve, motor, cylinder and filter testing. In 2012 FPI opened an off-site facility in the Chase Commerce Center on the south side of Milwaukee. It features 8,800 square feet of open space, a 21-foot ceiling and large overheard crane capacity for evaluation of large components, systems and complete machines.
FPI conducts endurance testing, performance testing and environmental evaluations as well as component and system design, modeling and simulation, reliability analyses and system integration. In addition, a fully instrumented Tribology laboratory supports research and conducts separate analysis projects.
Graduate and undergraduate research students interested in the fluid power industry work directly with companies in a real world hands-on environment that directly involves them in applied research, thus fostering purposeful and effective research training.
The Professional Education and Technology Outreach department of the Applied Technology Center™ consults with FPI’s corporate clients to determine their training needs to build customized training programs.
FPI has been a member of the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) for more than 30 years. MSOE faculty and staff are active on several NFPA and ISO fluid power standards development committees, including the Technical Board, and Fluids and Education Committees. FPI also supports the activities of the Fluid Power Educational Foundation and the International Fluid Power Society.
MSOE is an independent, non-profit university with about 2,500 students. MSOE offers 18 bachelor’s degrees and nine master’s degrees in the engineering, engineering technology, building and infrastructure engineering, health-related engineering, computer, business and nursing fields. The university has a national academic reputation; longstanding ties to business and industry; dedicated professors with real-world experience; and extremely high placement rates and the highest starting salaries of any