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).

The Hope Group Offers Various Markets with Water Purification Products

Benji Grubel
Fluid Connector Specialist


When dealing with the removal of contamination from liquids and gases, The Hope Group provides filtration products for markets including Mobile and Marine, Food and Beverage, Life Sciences, and Industrial & Process. I would like to share with you some examples of how we help those market types.

Seafari Compact converts sea water
to fresh water on your yacht

Desalination for Marine, Military, Work Boats, Fishing Vessels, Pleasure Crafts - Using reverse osmosis water makers, the wide variety of Parker desalination systems can produce potable water from brackish wells or sea water. We provide filtration, pumps, pre-filters, and separators to serve the mobile/marine industry.

Drinking Water, Beer/Wine, Soft Drinks, Liquid Dairy Products, Juices, Syrups - We provide various filters that can remove dirt, silt, debris, fine particles, bacteria, and other contaminants as well as filters that remove undesirable tastes and smells. These liquids go through a variety of purification and supplementation processes before you drink them.

Laboratory Practices, Medical Procedures, Pharmaceuticals - The variety of filters we offer can produce high purity water that is needed to prevent the spread of diseases, help patients that are immunocompromised, and improve the performance of health products.

Industrial Cleaning, Heating, Cooling, Conveying - Most industries need a suitable supply of water for cleaning, heating, cooling, conveying, and as an element in paints and other liquid products. We provide filters to keep your production flowing and also that remove particles from high-purity water to protect certain equipment.

In addition to filtration products, we also offer fittings, valves, and seals that are used in water purification systems as well as design and engineering services. Visit our Marine Page to view our wide range of products. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me by calling 508-351-1861 or email me at bgrubel@thehopegroup.com.

Also, The Hope Group will be displaying products for yacht owners at the Commercial Marine Expo in Providence RI on March 15, 2017 and the Maine Boatbuilders Show in Portland ME on March 24, 2017. Read more about our upcoming Boat Shows on our website!

The Hope Group Provides Customer Support from Design to MRO Services

Steve Torigian, Service Manager
Hope Service


Here at The Hope Group, we are more than a parts supplier shipping off products to customers in New England. As a Parker Hydraulic Technology Center distributor, we offer a high degree of hydraulic service capability. We also offer expertise in value added services such as total system design, fabrication, installation, trouble-shooting, and MRO Services.

I came across an article posted by Parker Hannifin that explains in depth the benefits of choosing a supplier that is also deemed a Parker Hydraulic Technology Center distributor for total hydraulic solutions. The nature of the HTC distributors leads to greater reliability, reduced downtime, better efficiency, cost effectiveness, and better engineering in general.

“For the customer, post-design benefits are as important, if not more so, than an integrated solution. Increased productivity through enhanced machine performance saves cost and maximizes competitiveness in the market place. Similarly, well-designed integrated automation solutions are likely to be more reliable than separate elements linked together. Other aspects that can be optimized are energy efficiency (a known payback of an integrated solution), precision and security.” - Eric Zany, Parker Hannifin, Channel Manager (Read the full Parker article)

Other great benefits of doing business with a Parker HTC distributor, like The Hope Group, are that we provide local services including emergency repair, condition monitoring, hose replacement, cylinder repair, and hydraulic training. We are also experts in other technologies including, but not limited to, automation, electro-mechanical parts, filtration, electronic controls and machine intelligence.

If you have any inquiries give me a call at 508-351-1831 or send me an email (storigian@hopeair.com). Also, you can check out our field service page for more information.

New Clear Bowls are a Solution for Parker Racor Spin-on Filters

Dani Morse, Fuel Filtration Specialist
The Hope Group


An important topic I’ve come across in the Marine industry is the compatibility of spin-on filters with clear bowls when the formulation of gasoline changes. In a recent Parker Racor article, I read that the most recent change is the 10% ethanol that has been added to the gasoline.  

“Racor has performed extensive testing using the new E10 fuel and found the current bowls retained clarity and stability, after prolonged exposure. However, it was found that ethanol concentration exceeding 10% caused adverse material changes; including loss of clarity, crazing, and shrinkage, eventually causing the bowl to separate from the filter.” – Parker, Engine Mobile Filtration Team

Other factors can also impact the clear bowls such as age, temperature, ultraviolet light and fuel additives. Check out the Parker Racor article to learn what you should be inspecting and when you should replace your parts. They conveniently give you a visual of what to look for when inspecting and list the part numbers next to the replacement bowl numbers.

If you would like help with selecting the correct replacement or would like more information, please contact me at (508-351-1888) or by emailing me (dmorse@thehopegroup.com) Or, visit the Filtration page on our website.

When Operator Safety and "Safe" Failure is a Necessity …Rod Locking Cylinders is a Solution

Ray McCann, Sales Engineer
The Hope Group


I came across a Parker Hannifin Blog entry that was focusing on rod locking cylinders as a safety solution for machinery operators. It occurred to me that this information would be helpful to some of the companies that I come in contact with to reduce risk to the products they are manufacturing/assembling, as well as to the operators themselves.

Depending on what type of system you are running, a stop in your process is usually caused by an interruption to the power driving the system. If this happens to your machine and a "safe" fail is a priority, rod locking cylinders is one solution.

In their article, Parker explains how the P1D Series of ISO cylinders are designed to hold the loads safely in place if the compressed air supply fails. They provide cylinders for both dynamic and static applications.

"When an air failure occurs, causing a loss of signal pressure, the force from a set of internal springs pushes the mechanism to lock the piston using jaw clamps. It is important to note that these can only be used in dry piston rod applications as any grease, lubricants or coolants will reduce the effectiveness of locking." Franck Roussillon, Parker Pneumatics Division

To understand more about how rod locking cylinders can help make your process safer, read the Parker Pneumatics blog entry. You will be informed about the benefits it has specifically pertaining to dynamic applications or static designs.

If you would like to have a conversation about this topic, please contact me directly by phone, 508-351-1876, or email me at RMcCann@TheHopeGroup.com.