Paul Michael has been appointed director of the Fluid Power Institute™ (FPI) at Milwaukee School of Engineering. He joined the MSOE staff in 2005 as manager of tribology research in the FPI. Prior to MSOE, Michael spent nearly three decades at Benz Oil, ultimately serving as the technical director and leading a team of chemists that formulated lubricants for a wide variety of mechanical systems. 

Since joining MSOE, Michael has worked with students researching advanced fluid, filter, seal, valve, sensor, and motor technologies using custom test rigs and dynamometers that were designed and built by FPI engineers. These projects were completed in collaboration with academic, industrial, and institutional partners such as the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the National Fluid Power Association.  More than 50 publications have resulted from these efforts.  

Michael serves in the ISO technical advisory group for hydraulic product testing and contamination control.  Within ASTM he chairs the section that covers hydraulic fluid thermal stability and compatibility standards. He is well-regarded in the fluid power industry and called upon frequently to speak as a subject matter expert. He also provides continuing education through the FPI and at technical conferences across the country, including the International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE). His work has been recognized and awarded by many organizations, including:

• Edmond Bisson Best Paper Award, Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE)
• Fluid Power Motion Control Conference Best Paper Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME)
• Otto J. Maha Pioneer in Fluid Power Award, Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Karl O. Werwath Engineering Research Award, Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Award of Appreciation, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
• Outstanding Contributor to Standards Development, National Fluid Power Association (NFPA)

About the Fluid Power Institute™
Established in 1962, the Fluid Power Institute™ at MSOE is a leader in motion control and fluid power education, research and evaluation, distinguishing it as one of the nation’s foremost academic fluid power research laboratories. The FPI includes research laboratories both on-campus at MSOE and within the Chase Commerce Center on Milwaukee’s south side. In conjunction, these facilities can operate a wide variety of hydraulic components under high pressure and flow conditions, allowing for custom, in-depth testing and analysis solutions. These capabilities have earned the FPI contracts with world renowned corporations like Bobcat, Caterpillar, Hallite, Link-Belt, Parker, John Deere, and Milwaukee Electric Tool. In addition, the FPI conducts research funded by the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, the National Fluid Power Association and the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power.