The HydraForce product-enhanced software will allow complete modeling of an integrated hydraulic circuit inside Automation Studio. HydraForce Distributors and OEM customers will be able to easily design system circuits using HydraForce components and provide quick circuit simulation to verify various system functions including performance calculations, heat-load requirements and other engineering considerations such as horsepower, pressure drop and volumetric efficiency. HydraForce incorporated over 900 valves, components, and options into Automation Studio^TM , an innovative system design, simulation and project documentation solution for the design and support of automation and fluid power systems.

HydraForce and Famic have developed detailed, functional simulations for Automation Studio software that will simulate HydraForce products performance in a hydraulic circuit, as well as their compatibility with other system components (see figure 1). Automation Studio provides system animation with interactive operator components such as joysticks, steering wheels, and switches, in order to input proportional function commands to a simulation (see figure2). HydraForce and Famic have worked together in the past on i-Design, a hydraulic system design software that allows users to create custom integrated manifold circuits, specify valve assembly layout, as well as determine the price of the assembly.

Automation Studio V5.7 has now incorporated a fully compatibly Hydraforce library so that a user can start a project in i-Design and then export into Automation Studio for simulation. Tony Casale, VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at HydraForce had this to say about the project, "The integration of HydraForce components into Automation Studio offers a huge advantage to system designers. The time it takes to develop and prototype a machine lowers significantly as the number of iterations of a hydraulic circuit, and testing time decrease. Incorporating our products into the Automation Studio platform and making it compatible with i- Design was the next logical progression for making system design easier on our customers."

Tony Casale also added this, "i-Design has become the primary vehicle for our customers to submit projects through our sales and engineering department. Because of our previous work with Famic on iDesign, our customers can now seamlessly integrate circuits from i-Design and Automation studio^TM for functional testing prior to quoting and shipping a product. The industry has been trending toward cartridge valves for quite some time now, the inclusion of our products into Automation Studio^TM should help to broaden the awareness of cartridge valves in hydraulic applications."

Charbel Nasr, President of Famic Technologies Inc., has said, "When companies are faced with challenging economic conditions, management teams have to be very creative in order to do more with less. Automation Studio^TM is making them stand out! The tool improves productivity and efficiency at every step of the product lifecycle. It allows projects to be delivered on time and within their budget limitations. It clearly makes the difference. Our partnership with HydraForce makes it even easier for Automation Studio^TM users to efficiently design systems using HydraForce components. Most of all, it confirms once again the innovation that Automation Studio^TM brings as a distinctive solution for engineering, training, and servicing of complete systems."

Fig. 1 - Real-time functional test of a hydraulic circuit using HydraForce component

Fig. 2 - Real time functional test of HydraForce valve in Automation Studio^TM simulation Software

About HydraForce:

HydraForce offers one of the most comprehensive lines of high quality hydraulic cartridge valves for the mobile and industrial equipment markets. They design high performance valves to meet virtually any need encountered in machine design for flow rates of 0.4 to 375 lpm (0.1 to 100 gpm) and pressures up to 420 bar (6000 psi). HydraForce is aggressively pursuing the hydraulic cartridge valve, electrohydraulic control, custom integrated circuit manifold, and electronic vehicle control markets. Since their founding in 1985, they have grown to become the worlds leading supplier of cartridge valve products. HydraForce's success is due to their commitment to innovation and quality. Products consistently achieve the optimum combination of quality, efficiency and economy. HydraForce has international distribution through one of the world's most technical distribution networks. i-Design is available globally through HydraForce and its authorized distributors.

About Automation Studio^TM

Automation Studio is a leading software solution that helps manufacturers to reduce their machine timetomarket and to optimize the entire workflow of a project or product lifecycle. It allows seamless integration of system design engineering, simulation, prototyping, testing and troubleshooting, diagnostics and maintenance, service, training, and documentation. Automation Studio^TM is offered in 9 languages and sold in more than 75 countries worldwide. It is available globally through Famic Technologies and its authorized distributors.

About Famic Technologies Inc.

Famic Technologies Inc., a Montreal based company, manufactures, markets, and supports CAD and simulation software solutions for fluid power, automation and controls applications. Founded in 1986, Famic Technologies provides innovative software solutions to help engineers, maintenance and service personnel, and trainers in the design, training, and maintenance of their systems.