Learning about Hydraulics and Power Fluid Systems!
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“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.”
-Henry Ford
As we prepare for a new year, we are reminded of the opportunities that lie ahead when we take a new approach. Our team at MAKE was thrilled to introduce kids to a new way of learning about manufacturing in 2024. We are excited for next year and developing content to support our pillars of Read, Build, and Experience. Together we can make manufacturing better in the future!
READ
Hydraulic Power is all around! The page in Blake Explores Manufacturing highlights the manufacturing process for tractors. Many tractors, and other large pieces of equipment, use Fluid Power & Hydraulics to operate. Cool!
BUILD
This month we teamed up with FORCE America, leaders in Fluid Power and Hydraulic Systems. They showed our Future Makers how to make their own Hydraulic Claw from kits by Newton’s Lab. Each kit contains all the pieces and instructions to make one claw. Here are a few tips when building the hydraulic claw with your child.
Hot Glue: Utilize hot glue to help stabilize and secure the bases of the claw - creating a strong foundation.
Claw Challenge: See what objects your child can pick up and move with their claw. Discuss the differences in picking up objects and why some are easier than others (size, weight, gripper etc.)
Below is where we saw all Future Makers grow within this challenge:
Reading Work Instructions: Following work instructions when building is important. Building your hydraulic claw helps demonstrate the outcome of skipping a step and the impact it has on the overall functionality and success of the claw.
Building & Assembly Skills: Every kit is equipped with all the parts needed for the claw. Encourage your child to first organize the parts (syringes, tubes, cardboard pieces/levers etc.) and then start the assembly process. Throughout the assembly process your child is encouraged to use - problem solving, critical thinking, and troubleshooting.
Understanding Hydraulics: This is a simple and easy way to introduce the concept of using liquid to transfer force. Force = Pressure X Area.
Visit our Parents + Educators page for more information on guiding your Future Maker through the activity.
EXPERIENCE
The MAKE Publishing team, and many kids from Minnesota, were honored to spend a part of our Christmas Break at FORCE America’s new headquarters in Savage MN learning about Fluid Power and Hydraulic Systems. Thank you to FORCE America for leading this educational manufacturing experience! Our Future Makers will not soon forget it.
Did your child like learning about manufacturing? Please see all we have going on at MAKE Publishing and share this blog with a friend!
Read | Build | Experience
Joe & Amanda