From Tie-Rod to Telescopic: 40 Years of Cylinder Innovation

Host Eric Lanke welcomes Paul Johnson, president and founder of Aggressive Hydraulics, to discuss hydraulic cylinders and industry innovation. Johnson shares his background from farm equipment in Minnesota to a University of Wisconsin–Stout degree and roles in hydraulic cylinder testing, design engineering, standards work through NFPA, and continued education and certification.

After losing his job amid post-9/11 economic conditions, he helped launch Aggressive Hydraulics in 2002, positioning it as a boutique manufacturer focused on tough, custom hydraulic cylinder applications rather than commodity work. The conversation covers cylinder variety and construction styles (industrial tie-rod, welded/mobile, mill duty), integrated valve cylinders using cartridge valves and embedded cavities, telescopic cylinders and staging behavior, single-acting vs double-acting operation, repairability and remanufacturing, and smart cylinders with sensors for automation and control.

Johnson emphasizes cylinder selection considerations such as operating environment, duty cycle, pressure spikes, and mounting, plus manufacturing needs like design fit, welding distortion control, tolerance management, and process repeatability. He highlights future advances in seals and wipers, linear feedback devices, and compact valve integration, and notes ongoing interest in EHAs, including solar tracking applications.

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Connect with our host, Eric Lanke, at [email protected].

Connect with our guest, Paul Johnson, at [email protected].

Learn more about Aggressive Hydraulics here.

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