The Hope Group Now Offers Peace of Mind for Yacht Owners

Rick Hathaway, Fluid Power Specialist
The Hope Group

Thanks to an effective technology offered by Yacht Protector®, yacht owners can be at ease when they step away from their boat. It is a wireless monitoring and tracking system that enables boat owners to see their boat’s condition from any mobile device or computer.

For a modest investment you can benefit from this simple technology especially if you worry about battery levels, bilge levels, intruders, and/or unauthorized boat movement. It’s easy to install and provides weather and tide information in addition to the data provided by the sensors. (FYI: Insurance discounts available for boat owners).

To learn a bit more about this product and the Phone app, please view the brochure. If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to email me (RHathaway@TheHopeGroup.com) or call me at 508-351-2733.

Are You Keeping the Application in Mind When Selecting Your Hydraulic Hose?

Benji Grubel, Connector Specialist
The Hope Group


Whether you need a hose solution for agriculture, mining, construction, or transportation, the first thing to do is to fully analyze the application and equipment involved before specifying a hose. According to a recent blog posted by the Parker Fluid Handling Team, some factors to keep in mind based on the application are:

·         Bend Radius

·         Abrasion

·         Environmental Conditions

·         Temperature

·         Chemical Compatibility

·         Surrounding Environment

·         Regulatory Standards

“Every manufacturer offers hoses based on specific applications such as for suction and return, phosphate ester, low temperature, transportation, marine, refrigerant, and oil and gas. However, when it comes to hydraulic hose in general, certain aspects of a hose could be preferred due to the application requirements.” – Kyri McDonough, Parker Hose Products Division
(Read Parker blog post for more detail)

The Fluid Connector Specialists at The Hope Group can help you acquire the precise hose you need taking in account how it is going to be used and any other outside factors. We will be able to suggest hose products that will work specifically for your application. We also offer custom hose assemblies. Take advantage of our expertise and we will help you select your hose. Feel free to contact me for more information at 508-351-1861 or by email.  (bgrubel@thehopegroup.com)

Hydraulic Power Unit’s Use VFD Technology to Run More Efficiently

Dave Maloney
Project Engineer


As you know, Hydraulic Power Units exhibit optimized performance through variable frequency drive technology. The Hope Group was recently challenged by a major defense contractor to build a robust power unit that required large flows at high pressure to actuate a number of linear and rotary devices. A requirement of 400 GPM @ 3000 psi to satisfy all movements in the correct time was derived and the system had to ramp from 0 to 400 GPM in 160 milliseconds.

Realizing the sophistication of its customer, the THG team developed a written analysis that addressed the total cost of ownership for two possible options. One option being to satisfy the instant flow requirement with a bank of over twenty, 10-gallon accumulators and gas bottles. The second option was to incorporate four 150 horsepower VFD drive electric motors that would drive four Parker PV 270 pumps. The second option resulted in more efficiency, response, and energy savings.(To read about the project in detail, view the case study)

VFD Technology improves hydraulic power unit performance and saves energy (which also means saving money). Some other popular HPU applications that would benefit from this technology are metal forming presses, stamping presses, die casting machines, rubber forming presses, accumulator charging and wood presses. Being one of Parker's Hydraulic Technology Centers, The Hope Group has the capability to engineer the most efficient hydraulic power unit using VFD Technology. (Check out the Parker blog posted by the Parker Electromechanical Team that demonstrates another case study and its’ challenges).

The Hope Group and Parker Hannifin assist customers in running their HPU's more efficiently, reducing energy and improving productivity by offering VFD technology products and expertise. If you need assistance or have an inquiry, please contact me at 508-351-1859 or by email (DMaloney@SorensenSystems.com). We can help you select proper components, design a system (or work from your design), fabricate a skid-mounted unit, witness test, and field install.

The Hope Group Launches a “One Click” eConfigurator Powered by Parker

Jeff Haynosch, Fluid Power Specialist
The Hope Group


Our website, TheHopeGroup.com, has added a simple way to configure Parker components for your applications. On our new web page, we offer a selection of popular Parker products that with “one-click” of your mouse will bring you to a configurator powered by Parker Hannifin for the component that you chose. Also residing on this page is a quick reference guide on how to use the configurator and links to popular CAD files.

Overall, this page is a tool to help you get to the information you need, configure products for your industrial applications, and provide you CAD drawings that you can download. If you need additional help, feel free to contact me at 508-351-2792 or email (JHaynosch@TheHopeGroup.com).


Configure Your Component Now!

The Hope Group Offers Full Day Technology Seminar

Bill Rodney
VP of Automation


If you would like to learn about the basics of Pneumatics Technology and Thread Identification, The Hope Group is offering one of its famous technology seminars in June! The topics are specifically designed for maintenance technicians, designers, and engineers.

Concepts include:

• Operation of pneumatic components (actuators, valves, air prep)
• Application of pneumatic technology
• Circuits
• Troubleshooting
• Force, pressure and area relationship
• Thread identification (hands-on training identifying commonly used threads)

If you have attended one of our seminars in the past, you know that the space fills up quickly. So, visit our registration page for all of the details. You have the choice of two sessions, June 6 or June 13.  (Materials & Lunch provided). 

Hope to see you there!

Free Hydraulic and Pneumatic Motion Technology Workshops

Benji Grubel, Connector Specialist
The Hope Group



I thought I would mention that as a result of acquiring Connecticut Fluid Power last year, we have increased our presence in Connecticut significantly. As part of the continuing growth in this area the company has announced that it will open a brand-new Parker Store in North Haven, Connecticut on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. The event of the opening will be marked by an Open House, a series of Technical Seminars that you can sign up for, and a Technical Trade Show featuring a wide range of Parker and other major product brands.

This store is the eighth store that The Hope Group has opened over the past several years. We now have three stores in Maine, two stores in Massachusetts, and one each in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Each of the stores features over 3,000 parts on hand for hydraulic hose, pneumatic fittings, and other industrial components. The most important feature for many customers is the “while-you-wait” replacement of ruptured hose assemblies. It’s a feature that will be welcome, I’m sure, in the North Haven area.

You can learn more about the Technology Seminars and the Open House by visiting the website.

The Hope Group Offers Powerful, Wireless Diagnostic Tool

Benji Grubel, Connector Specialist
The Hope Group


If you are still using mechanical gauges and wired monitoring devices, you are not utilizing all the modern resources for diagnostic and condition monitoring. According to Parker’s recent blog on the subject, the last generation pressure tracking systems are prone to issues that include providing inaccurate measurements, damages to the device’s wiring by the machinery, and hand-written records that lead to human error. Parker’s SensoControl® product line is a powerful diagnostic solution for pneumatic and hydraulic applications. And now, one of their most popular devices, ServiceJunior™CONNECT is wireless.

ServiceJunior ™ CONNECT has many features that include:

·         Digital pressure monitoring

o   Capture minimum/maximum pressure changes at a rate of 10 ms

o    Digital readout more accurate than mechanical

o    Exportable records and proof-of-work statements

o   Set alarms, create/view trend graphs, create asset records

·         Wireless operation

o   Powered by SCOUT Mobile Software

o   Fast accurate readings

o   No more wiring or hoses getting caught in machinery

o   Line of sight is not needed to obtain measurement

o   Allows users to be away from machinery while in use and under full load, reducing safety risks

·         Scalable and expandable

o   Increase or decrease the total number of gauges used

o   No need to reconfigure wired infrastructure

o   Works with SensoNODE™ Blue sensors via SCOUT Mobile

“Diagnosing a problem before it occurs is the primary objective. For this, having a steady flow of data that can be analyzed is crucial to help maintenance technicians make informed predictions of when something needs attention.” - Tad Orstad, Applications Engineer

The SensoControl ServiceJunior CONNECT digital sensor offers better performance and diagnostics than mechanical gauges ever could. If you would like more information, feel free to contact me at 508-351-1861 or by email. (BGrubel@thehopegroup.com).