News

One of the things Hydra-Tech Pumps is known for is our customization – at our website and in our catalog are two long lists of options that are available for both hydraulic submersible dewatering pumps and hydraulic power units, from custom paint to custom design.  As we have done before, we wanted to highlight another pair of customer designs.

A brand new prospect contacted us on April 23^rd.  He works in a pretty serious machine shop down south and was looking for an electric HPU to replace an existing (you might say antique) unit that was supporting a broaching machine.  With some pictures of the existing unit in hand we had two maybe three phone calls to nail down the details and provided a quote to this prospect on 4/29, and after some additional changes, a revised quote on 5/1.  An order was placed on 5/6 and after the 3-4 weeks to get some of the materials in including the JIC reservoir upon which the unit would be built, we designed, built and tested a one off, multi circuit, custom electric hydraulic power unit in 5 weeks.  We would have turned it around in about half that time if not for a recalled electric motor that needed replaced by a supplier.

Speaking of completely custom, we were challenged by a valued, longtime customer to develop a brand new design based off of their very specific needs.  In general terms we designed and built a 50 horsepower electric hydraulic power unit in a sound attenuated enclosure that will be used on ships all over the world performing salvage operations.

The customer asked us to perform some pretty significant heat testing.  So once the unit was built and ready plans were made and a date for the test was set.  On Wednesday July 8^th, with personnel from both companies on hand at Hydra-Tech Pumps’ facility, we got started early in the morning with the testing.  As the temperature out on the blacktop climbed up to close to 100 degrees we ran the unit for 3 hours under load and monitored oil and motor temperatures and performance.

In case this wasn’t enough, an ever tougher heat test was required by the customer.  This unit could potentially be sitting on the deck of a ship at the equator with an ambient temperature of 115 – 120 degrees.  To allow us to create this environment for the test, we had to build a temporary structure inside of our building that would allow us to place the unit inside and with the help of some heat lamps and a propane area heater, bring the temperature up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain that temperature for the duration of the test.

The power unit sat in the enclosure with the ambient temperature being monitored.  The hydraulic hoses ran outside through a small hole in the wall of the enclosure, out a door and to a pump that was actually moving water against a simulated head in our outdoor test tank.  This allowed the power unit to work as hard as it would in a real world scenario to really test the ability of the hydraulic oil cooler.  Three hours later and with both tests successfully completed, the customer left our facility confident that the unit we built would be able to survive a worst case temperature scenario and continue to perform while the salvage divers in the water who rely on its hydraulic power could continue to operate their equipment.

At Hydra-Tech Pumps we are not afraid to go above and beyond for our customers.  In some cases, that means a lot of time effort and work going into a one off unit that will likely never be built again.  In other cases it means that we come up with a completely new design for a loyal customer that will perform under pressure.  New designs always bring about a unique set of challenges.  New designs aren’t easy – they tend to present new problems in the testing stages.  But we see them through to the finish and deliver a system that satisfies a customer’s needs, even if it’s the only one we’ll ever build.  Do you have a custom hydraulic power unit design need that no one else will consider?  Give us a call and let’s see if we can do it – I bet we can!

Mounted on the side of the hydraulic oil reservoir on any standard Hydra-Tech Pumps Hydraulic Power Unit is the H.C. (or Hydraulic Control) Valve. The only exception to this is sound attenuated units. Since access to the hydraulic oil reservoir is limited, sound attenuated units do NOT have a H.C. valve. Think of this valve as an “on / off” switch for the hydraulic circuit on your HPU. Once an HPU has been started and warmed up and you are ready to send hydraulic fluid to a pump (or hydraulic tool) properly connected with hydraulic hoses, or deadhead the unit (troubleshooting), this valve should be turned all the way clockwise until the handle stops to engage the hydraulic flow. When you are ready to shut the system down, the H.C. valve should be turned all the way counterclockwise until the handle stops to shut off the hydraulic flow. This valve should not be used to attempt to control flow as doing so will generate heat and cause other problems. If you need to control flow or pressure, Hydra-Tech Pumps offers flow and pressure controls for their pumps and an adjustable inline flow control device as well.

Last year went by quick – we talk about it every year, but it felt like it went from February to November in the blink of an eye and on through the holidays and the end of the year. Granted, we were busy and when you’re busy time always seems to move more quickly.

• Hydra-Tech Pumps is thankful that through the efforts of our employees we have been able to grow the business consistently since our move in 2007 to the point where we are putting the finishing touches on an 8000 square foot addition. We expect to be using the space in January 2020.
• Hydra-Tech Pumps is thankful that we have never been in a position to have to have layoffs.
• Hydra-Tech Pumps is thankful for our customers, big and small, domestic and international – your loyalty to our pumps and hydraulic power units has helped us to have fairly consistent growth through the years.
• Hydra-Tech Pumps is thankful for our vendors who have supported our efforts and contributed along the way.
• Hydra-Tech Pumps is thankful the our founder, Ken Reim, is still very active on a daily basis and involved in Research and Development, Sales, Technical Support and is such a valuable resource to our whole group.
• Hydra-Tech Pumps is thankful for our employees. As we try to stress at any company event, Hydra-Tech Pumps succeeds or fails based on the efforts of every employee no matter the title or responsibility – we are all tied to the success or failure of the business based on the quality of the product we make, the communication with the customers, and the customers’ perceived value of what we provide to them.

As we celebrate Veterans Day today, I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that most people know at least one veteran.  A family member, friend, former classmate, I bet that everyone knows someone who has served in a branch of our great country’s military.  Hydra-Tech Pumps currently employs 22 people and our group includes four veterans.

Kyle Whittaker, Hydra-Tech’s President, served in the Army for three years and spent time in both Korea and Vietnam.  Andy Falco our VP of Manufacturing spent 4 years in the Marines.  Darryl Cunfer the Manager of Product Development and Training spent 4 years in the Army.  Tim Frye, one of Hydra-Tech Pumps’ machinists, spent 3 years in the Navy and 2 years in the reserves as a Corpsman.

On Wednesday November 6^th the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate for the Philadelphia Flyers hosted Military Appreciation Night.  Because of our ties to veterans, Hydra-Tech Pumps sponsored 50 tickets for veterans to attend the game.  In all, there were over 3,160 tickets donated for veterans to be able to attend the game.

Because we participated in the sponsorship, we were provided 4 tickets to use for the game.  We chose to send our own veterans down and three of our four veterans were able to attend.  Rounding out the group was Darryl’s grandson, who got to enjoy his first Phantoms game.  The Phantoms provided a win for all in attendance, they beat the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins by a score of 4-2.

We would like to thank all active military personnel who are currently serving and all veterans for their service to our country.  We are proud of your sacrifices.