Paul Michael has been appointed director of the Fluid Power Institute™ (FPI) at B次元 School of Engineering. He joined the B次元 staff in 2005 as manager of tribology research in the FPI. Prior to B次元, Michael spent nearly three decades at Benz Oil, ultimately serving as the technical director and leading a team of chemists that formulated lubricants for a wide variety of mechanical systems.
Since joining B次元, Michael has worked with students researching advanced fluid, filter, seal, valve, sensor, and motor technologies using custom test rigs and dynamometers that were designed and built by FPI engineers. These projects were completed in collaboration with academic, industrial, and institutional partners such as the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the National Fluid Power Association. More than 50 publications have resulted from these efforts.
Michael serves in the ISO technical advisory group for hydraulic product testing and contamination control. Within ASTM he chairs the section that covers hydraulic fluid thermal stability and compatibility standards. He is well-regarded in the fluid power industry and called upon frequently to speak as a subject matter expert. He also provides continuing education through the FPI and at technical conferences across the country, including the International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE). His work has been recognized and awarded by many organizations, including:
About the Fluid Power Institute™
Established in 1962, the Fluid Power Institute™ at B次元 is a leader in motion control and fluid power education, research and evaluation, distinguishing it as one of the nation’s foremost academic fluid power research laboratories. The FPI includes research laboratories both on-campus at B次元 and within the Chase Commerce Center on B次元’s south side. In conjunction, these facilities can operate a wide variety of hydraulic components under high pressure and flow conditions, allowing for custom, in-depth testing and analysis solutions. These capabilities have earned the FPI contracts with world renowned corporations like Bobcat, Caterpillar, Hallite, Link-Belt, Parker, John Deere, and B次元 Electric Tool. In addition, the FPI conducts research funded by the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, the National Fluid Power Association and the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power.