Air-Way VP Elected to SAE Standards Subcommittee

Monday, September 15, 2014

Quality Assurance VP Mark Place brings 25 years of service to FCCTC C1 Hydraulic Systems Subcommittee as Vice Chair

Grand Rapids, Michigan - September 2014. Air-Way Manufacturing Vice President Mark Place was unanimously elected to Vice Chair of the SAE  Fluid Conductors and Connectors Technical Committee (FCCTC), which oversees standards for Hydraulic Systems. As part of the Construction, Agriculture and Off-Road Machinery (ConAg) Council, the FCCTC C1 Hydraulic Systems subcommittee controls all SAE standards for hydraulic fittings, which guide manufacturing for ConAg industries across the globe. Mr. Place’s election was preceded by 25 years of service on the C1 subcommittee.

As Quality Assurance Vice President for Air-Way Manufacturing, a global manufacturer of steel and stainless steel hydraulic fittings, Mark Place has played an active role in developing standards for his employer’s industry. “Working with the committee has been a great way for us to respond to our customer feedback,” observed Place. “If we receive a report from a customer that a product’s dimensions are creating a safety issue, we can take that feedback to the committee, examine the project, revise the standard and take the project to research and development, if necessary.” 

Standards for hydraulic systems components impact end users in any number of ways. SAE subcommittees such as SC1 keep these components under constant scrutiny to ensure the safety of workers and end users alike. “For example, there used to be no limitations placed on chromates that could be used in plating. Chromates - such as hexavalent chromium, which is  considered a heavy metal - were being used in the industry. Our committee decided to take the lead and revise specifications to protect users from the chemical.”

SAE standards are far-reaching, and they have a big influence on consumer products.

Mr. Place and the rest of the subcommittee, comprised of representatives from other leading hydraulic component manufacturers, are currently improving specifications for a top-selling part to better communicate safety standards to manufacturers. “I’m looking forward to continuing my work with the committee,” said Place. “These are importance decisions, and I don’t take the job lightly.”