History of Hydraulics Inc
Hydraulics, Inc. is a privately held business located in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1955, the company was founded as a secondary machine shop. In 1965, the company was sold to Mr. D.F. (Frank) Howeth. Subsequently, Mr. Howeth developed the first inline swivel as a replacement to the ball lock couplings being used by the local utility companies on their service trucks.
The swivels were so well received that he began marketing them to OEM’s and soon established a distributor network. As time progressed, the 9S 90° Swivel, 18S 180° Swivel, 9SS dual plane, and 4-bolt flange swivels were added to the product offering making Hydraulics, Inc. the only swivel manufacturer to offer such an extensive range of swivel joints.
Hydraulics, Inc. was purchased in 2020 by current ownership, bringing with them a collective 25 years of experience working within the company.
We continue to expand our customer base and look forward to opportunities to solve a customer’s problem. The last 65 years have been a large success, and our vision to continuously improve and adapt will undoubtedly promise our success well into the future. Our mission is to ensure that we continuously supply the market with the highest quality components, at the most competitive price.
Expanding Our Product Offerings
In 1968, the 5TV coupling was introduced to the market and was quickly accepted by rugged hydrostatic drive applications in the mining and oil industries. This product line has led to an increased offering of the 6TV Flanged Coupling introduced in 2001.
The second quarter of 2010 brought yet another addition to the product line with the HS Series Inline Swivel. This design was developed to provide a heavy duty, high operating pressure inline swivel. Improved bearing design and dual ball races allow the HS series to achieve extremely long life and operate in severe applications.
In 2015, the TVF Flat Face Coupling was introduced. Development of this coupling was driven by the need for a no spill coupling that could be used in the more environmentally sensitive areas but still perform as well or better than the 5TV and 6TV poppet style couplings. It is initially being offered in 1 ¼, 1 ½ and 2 sizes. Superior flow characteristics and rugged design assure market acceptance.
In 2016, Hydraulics, Inc. introduced a redesign of the 9S Series 90° Swivel. The improvements include an investment cast barrel design, eliminating the braze joint, as well as the design being rated to higher operating pressures.
Additionally, in 2016, Hydraulics stopped using Hexavalent Zinc Plating in lieu of Trivalent Zinc Plating that is RoHS compliant. Hydraulics, Inc. products have found their way into virtually every manufacturing segment around the world.