John Lapham, CFPE | Director of Engineering

About

John Lapham is the Director of Engineering at Hydraulic Supply Company, where he has led hydraulic system design, electro-hydraulic controls integration, and industrial automation projects for over 20 years. He holds four professional certifications from the International Fluid Power Society (IFPS) — the recognized credentialing authority for fluid power professionals in North America.

IFPS Professional Certifications

John holds the following IFPS credentials, representing progressive levels of verified competency in fluid power engineering:

Certification	Credential	What it Demonstrates
Certified Fluid Power Engineer	CFPE (E)	Advanced engineering-level competency in fluid power system design, analysis, and specification
Hydraulic Specialist	HS	Specialized knowledge in hydraulic components, circuit design, and system troubleshooting
Pneumatic Specialist	PS	Specialized knowledge in pneumatic system design, component selection, and diagnostics
Specialist	S	Demonstrates foundational cross-functional competency in both hydraulic and pneumatic system technologies.

John's CFPE credential can be verified through the IFPS Certified Professional Directory.

Holding multiple IFPS certifications positions John as a credentialed authority in hydraulic system design, pneumatic engineering, and industrial fluid power applications—credentials directly relevant to manufacturing, heavy equipment, and mobile machinery industries.

Applied Engineering Experience

John describes his career focus as machine controls engineering—automating machine motion using hydraulics and electrical systems. Throughout his career, he has designed and commissioned hydraulic systems for diverse applications, including:

Designing steel mill processing equipment.
Developing mobile construction and heavy equipment machinery.
Automating high-speed manufacturing lines.
Engineering industrial power units and motion control systems.

His hands-on troubleshooting experience spans systems operating from 1,500 to 6,000 PSI across industrial, manufacturing, and mobile equipment environments.

Core areas of expertise include:

Industrial hydraulic circuit design and analysis
High-pressure hydraulic system troubleshooting and diagnostics
Hydraulic hose, fitting, and adapter selection and specification
Pneumatic system design, component selection, and diagnostics
Electro-hydraulic motion control system integration
Controls development for new and retrofit hydraulic equipment
Fluid power system sizing and specification writing

Career Background

John joined Hydraulic Supply Company over two decades ago and has progressed through engineering roles of increasing responsibility:

Director of Engineering (2015–Present): Leads HSC's engineering team, overseeing complex hydraulic and pneumatic system design, machine controls integration, and customer application support.
Systems Applications Engineer (Prior to 2015): Responsible for hydraulic circuit design, system controls implementation, and engineered solutions for industrial and mobile equipment customers.

This career progression reflects sustained, hands-on experience solving real-world fluid power challenges across a wide range of industries and applications.

Education

John holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University. His formal education provided foundational training in:

Mechanical systems and machine design
Thermodynamics and heat transfer
Applied fluid mechanics and hydraulics
Engineering problem-solving and analysis

These disciplines directly support his expertise in hydraulic and pneumatic system engineering.

Patented Innovation in Automation & Control Systems

John holds five U.S. patents in automation equipment control systems and robotic control platforms, reflecting sustained innovation in industrial automation design:

Patent Number	Focus Area
US 6,442,451	Versatile robotic control platform design Issued: Aug 27, 2002 An improved, versatile robot control system comprises a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system in electronic communication with a real-time computer subsystem.
US 6,675,070	Automation equipment control system Issued: Jan 26, 2004 An automation equipment control system comprises a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system in electronic communication with a real-time computer subsystem.
US 6,922,611	Automation equipment control system Issued: Jul 26, 2005 An automation equipment control system comprises a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system in electronic communication with a real-time computer subsystem.
US 8,050,797	Automation equipment control system Issued: Nov 1, 2011 An automation equipment control system comprises a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system in electronic communication with a real-time computer subsystem.
US 8,473,202	Automation equipment control system Issued: Jun 25, 2013 An automation equipment control system comprises a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system in electronic communication with a real-time computer subsystem.

These patents address motion control challenges directly applicable to electro-hydraulic system automation and are publicly searchable through the USPTO Patent Database.

Why John's Expertise Matters

With five U.S. patents, four IFPS certifications, and over 20 years of applied hydraulic engineering leadership, John Lapham brings verified, real-world expertise to every article he authors for Hydraulic Supply Company.

His combination of

Certified credentials from the industry's leading professional organization
Patented innovation in automation and control systems
Decades of hands-on experience designing, troubleshooting, and optimizing fluid power systems
Leadership responsibility for HSC's engineering team and customer solutions

Establishes him as a trusted authority in

Certified hydraulic system design
Industrial fluid power troubleshooting
Electro-hydraulic motion control systems
Pneumatic system engineering
High-pressure hydraulic component selection

Questions about hydraulic system design, troubleshooting, or fluid power solutions?

Contact the HSC Engineering Team

Latest Contributions

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How to Choose Compatible Hydraulic Hose Fittings

Posted: July 14, 2026

Categories: Help & How-To

Choosing the right fitting matters as much as choosing the right hose. A hydraulic hose assembly is only as reliable as its weakest connection, and pairing a hose with the wrong fitting can quietly lower its pressure rating and lead to failure. This guide walks you through how fitting compatibility works and how to match the right fitting to your hose series. What you’ll learn Why compatibility affects pressure: how the wrong fitting can reduce your hose’s rated pressure. The main fitting types: Global, Global TTC, shank type combination nipples, and crimped fittings, and where each one fits. How to match a fitting to your hose: the specs to confirm before you order. Compatibility by hose series: the details for common Aeroquip hose series. Answers to common questions: the ones we hear most from customers. Why fitting compatibility matters A hose’s rated working pressure assumes it is paired with a compatible fitting. When a non-specified fitting is used, that rating may no longer apply.
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How to Use My Quotes

Posted: July 14, 2026

Categories: Help & How-To

If you request quotes from Hydraulic Supply, My Quotes keeps every one of them in a single place inside your account. Review pricing, check a quote’s status, download or print a copy, accept a quote and check out, and pick up the conversation with our team — all online, whenever it’s convenient. Here’s how to use it, step by step. What you can do with My Quotes See every quote in one place — each quote and its current status in one list. Review the details — line items, quantities, and pricing, including any negotiated changes. Download or print a copy — save a PDF or print a clean copy to share internally. Accept and check out — turn an approved quote into an order in a couple of clicks. Keep the conversation on record — comment on a quote and see the full history in one thread. How to use My Quotes, step by step Step 1 — Create a quote from your cart Add the items you need to your cart, then choose Convert to Quotation. This sends your request to our team and creates a quote you can track
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Hydraulic Pump Replacement: Warning Signs and Key Considerations

Posted: May 21, 2026

Categories: HSC Solutions

A hydraulic pump is the heart of any fluid power system. When it starts to fail, the rest of the equipment follows. Cycle times slow down, pressure becomes inconsistent, and the machine your operation depends on stops performing the way it should. Knowing what to watch for and what to do about it can mean the difference between a quick repair and an extended, costly shutdown. This guide covers the warning signs that indicate a pump may need attention, how to decide between repair and replacement, and what information you need to source the correct replacement pump from the start. Warning Signs Your Hydraulic Pump May Need Replacement Hydraulic pump failures do not always announce themselves ahead of time. Some failures develop gradually, giving operators and technicians a window to catch problems early, but others happen suddenly with little to no warning. A contamination event or a seal that gives out can take a pump out of commission without much lead time. When warning signs do appear,
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