Solutions in Motion™

At W.C. Branham, we love working in River Falls, WI, because we get to have it all. We get the small town feeling and affordability, with easy access to all the Twin Cities’ urban amenities. Drive five minutes in one direction, and you're out in the country. Drive 45 minutes in the other, and you can take in a Twins game. It's the best of both worlds, and it's our world!

When we hear the familiar phrases “small but mighty” and “oldie but goodie” referring to fluid power, what comes to mind? Compact air cylinders, of course! Although they've been around since the 1950s, compact air cylinders have certainly stood the test of time. They have proven so versatile, they’re still the right solution for a wide range of industrial applications.

If you ever wonder about the future of engineering, just visit a high school robotics competition. Thousands of teams from around the world plan, build and compete with the remote-controlled robots that they have strategically designed to excel in that season's team challenges. The designs are complex, the competitions are intense, and we had the pleasure this season to help and watch the team from Plano, Texas in action.

As the visions of one famous billionaire and thousands of innovative engineering students move us closer to a future of high-speed underground transportation, WC Branham is excited to be along for the ride. Every year, Elon Musk's SpaceX invites teams of students to design and create a pod for his Hyperloop Pod Competition, and this year WC Branham sponsored 3 teams that have been invited to compete in California.

Cylinders that convert energy into linear motion can be powered by hydraulic fluid or compressed air. Hydraulic cylinders are usually the go-to option for seriously heavy-duty lifting and moving because hydraulics are very powerful and can provide tremendous holding strength. But for most industrial applications, the more agile air cylinder is often a better choice.

When you're looking to move a load in a straight line in an industrial application, a linear actuator is probably your answer. Linear actuators, also called cylinders, that movement possible. Without them, automated equipment could not exist. But the type of actuator depends on the situation. Each type of actuator has its own pros and cons, but understanding how each kind of linear actuator works will help you decide.

Caliper disc brakes come in many sizes and types, depending on your needs. W.C. Branham is proud to offer a wide range of industrial and vehicular caliper disc brakes – more than 300 possible model configurations. From active pneumatic and active hydraulic to lever mechanical actuated and spring applied brakes, you can customize the perfect product for your application. The key to success is proper caliper disc brake sizing.

There is a wide variety of pneumatic products on the market that nicely suits almost any industrial purpose. But, in some cases, a hydraulic cable linear actuator may be the better choice.

All linear actuators convert energy into straight-line motion, forward and/or back. Hydraulic actuators use fluid as a power source rather than compressed air, and they use either a rod or a cable to move the load. Each type has advantages and limitations, so the key to successful performance is matching the cylinder with the task at hand. Let’s look at the differences between these two types of hydraulic actuators.

When we talk about fluid power, we often think of hydraulics because hydraulic actuators use a fluid such as oil. But let’s not forget that air is also a fluid, even though it’s not a liquid, because it flows. And air is a powerful option for driving industrial actuators — often the preferred option compared to hydraulic actuators.

For four years in a row, Elon Musk's SpaceX has invited high school and college students to design and create a pod for the Hyperloop Pod Competition. The pods designed by student engineers are expected to help the development of a new, faster, cheaper form of transportation, The Hyperloop. 

Last year, we provided caliper brakes to the University of Michigan's team, Michigan Hyperloop.