Milwaukee, WI – May 7, 2020 — Cleveland State took Overall Champion in the 2020 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, which took place virtually April 15-18, 2020 and was the largest Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge to date with nearly 150 students, university faculty members, and industry supporters taking part. This was the second year in a row that Cleveland State took the Overall Champion title.
The Vehicle Challenge is a competition that combines two technology platforms that are not normally associated with one another—human-powered vehicles and fluid power. In a typical year, teams design and build their own fluid power vehicles and then compete against each other in three races with the help of NFPA industry sponsors, judges, and mentors. While the races could not happen this year due to quarantines and school closings, students were able to give a presentation on the vehicle construction, quality of vehicle design, and lessons learned.
This year’s champions are:
• Overall Champion: Cleveland State University
• 2nd Place: University of Cincinnati
• 3rd Place: Purdue University
This year’s event also highlighted the use of pneumatics in addition to the traditional hydraulic systems in teams’ designs with the new prize for Best Use of Pneumatics, Sponsored by Bimba, which was taken home by Western Michigan University.
Many thanks to the judges, mentors, and sponsors who participated this year.
• Bimba Manufacturing Company
• Bosch Rexroth Corporation
• Danfoss
• Deltrol Fluid Products
• Eaton Corporation
• FORCE America
• Gates Corporation
• HAWE Hydraulik
• IMI Precision Engineering
• International Fluid Power Society
• Iowa Fluid Power
• JM Grimstad, Inc.
• LubeTech
• Parker Hannifin
• Source Fluid Power
• SunSource
• Trelleborg Sealing Solutions
• Walvoil Fluid Power
For further information on the Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, contact Stephanie Scaccianoce, Workforce Program Manager, at sscaccianoce@nfpa.com.
About NFPA The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) is a trade association focused on strengthening the hydraulics and pneumatics industry. With 335 fluid power manufacturers, distributors and suppliers in its membership, NFPA works to advance fluid power education, technology and the industry as a whole.
