Imagine sitting in the window seat of your Boeing or Airbus flight, looking out at the moving parts on the wing (known as the aileron to the initiated) – beneath that is where Moog hardware lives. A little further fetched, but now imagine sitting in the window seat of a spacecraft, looking out at the rocket motors – once again, Moog hardware is there.

Moog – pronounced /moʊɡ/ (where “moʊ” sounds like “mow”) – is a motion control company driven by its tagline, “shaping the way our world moves.” Moog provides hardware and software solutions that address difficult electric, hydraulic, and electro-hydrostatic problems in motion control for a range of industries, from aerospace to data centers.

Ray Walsh, program director within the electric motion solutions business unit of Moog’s industrial division, is approaching 25 years with the company.

Having worked across a variety of divisions, from military and aerospace to industrial markets, Walsh is well-equipped to share insights with DCD on Moog’s legacy in motion control and its expansion into the data center industry. Walsh describes Moog’s presence across multiple industries:

“We are experts in high-reliability applications. If I look back to our beginnings, Bill Moog founded the company in his basement in Western New York, where he invented a revolutionary product – the servo control valve, which enables precise control of hydraulic fluid flow in an application. That technology found its way into aerospace, and within ten years, it was controlling the rocket motors on the Saturn V rocket for the Apollo missions.”

Flowing into the data center space

Having grown astronomically in its early days, Moog firmly established itself in the motion control market, discovering that its expertise in fundamental fluid control extended across a broader range of industries than initially anticipated – including data centers. Walsh demonstrates:

“At our core, whether it's a hydraulic fluid, water, or coolant, fluid control is in the DNA of our company. We work across a wide spectrum of industrial applications, from controlling presses that manufacture car body parts in automotive production to the latest actuation systems being deployed in all-electric construction vehicles."

Relevant to this conversation, we have ultrasonic capabilities within our medical division, and we've begun cross-pollinating that technology with some of the sensors we use in the data center space.”

In data centers, ultrasonics provide a means of detecting abnormalities or changes in fluid characteristics within liquid cooling systems.

Specifically, Moog’s technology can detect and be used to intervene with cavitation – air bubbles in the fluid that could potentially harm critical equipment.

The experts behind the expertise

Moog does not hide behind its customers. In fact, Walsh emphasizes that customer collaboration is really at the core of its expansion into the data center world.

He explains that while the company prides itself on offering a diverse range of solutions, it isn’t a massive industry giant with an off-the-shelf product for every need:

“We are the company you turn to when you have a problem that you don’t know how to solve. We work with you to develop a solution, based on the various skills we have across the organization.

"In our case, what led us into data centers was a thought-leading customer looking to transition from air to fluid cooling. Together, we developed our first fluid-moving pump for this market.”

Moog’s in-house team of experts in electronics design, mechanical design, fluidics control, and sensor technology, to name a few, collaborate closely with customers to develop fit-for-purpose, scalable solutions that meet their specific requirements.

This level of customization is where Walsh sees Moog’s added value in the industry. While other highly capable companies offer extensive product ranges, their solutions are standardized and often haven’t been designed with this specific purpose in mind.

Moreover, as a global organization, Moog has a footprint on nearly every continent. This allows its customer service teams and engineers to provide localized support wherever a problem may occur. Walsh states:

“It can be as simple as having a local language resource available. Beyond that, our collaborative mindset ensures that even if a remote problem arises, it quickly makes its way back to the central hubs of data center operations, allowing us to respond effectively.”

Motion control logistics

Outfitting a data center is an enormous undertaking. Within that, making the transition from air to liquid cooling presents additional challenges. Many organizations recognize the benefits but may lack the tools to evaluate key factors when choosing motion control products and systems.

While every customer must consider quality, delivery capabilities, and cost as fundamental requirements, Walsh aims to provide clarity around this still-emerging market – one where needs are still being defined. His advice:

“Many products are adapted for use, but few are designed with this core principle from the start. Customers should look at products that are purpose-built to meet critical standards – tailored in size, performance, and compliance – rather than relying on me-too alternatives.”

“With industry standards still evolving, agility and adaptability are key as new requirements emerge. Given the early stage of this market, our collaborative approach positions us as a strong partner for both development and supply.”

One crucial consideration is material compatibility – specific standards dictate which types of materials can come into contact with fluid flow. Moog ensures compliance with the approved list of materials implemented by data center users, critical in ensuring that they don’t degrade over time.

Walsh notes that when customers overlook these standards and requirements, they often encounter unintended consequences – turning to Moog for expert intervention. Many of these issues, he emphasizes, could be avoided with the right guidance from the start.

Intelligence > Smarts

The term “smart” is often overused in the context of control equipment – so what does it actually mean?

The way Walsh sees it, smart control encompasses providing core data sets (such as flow rate, and speed) back to the data center and applying a targeted set of parameters that are actionable for the user.

As “intelligent” systems, Moog’s technology enables engineers to remotely intervene or alert customers when action is needed.

As importantly, these intelligent controls can help recover energy from the cooling system, reducing waste expelled into the atmosphere.

What makes this system truly intelligent isn’t just the technology itself, but its ability to increase the value of data center byproducts such as residual heat from cooling systems – something Walsh believes will become a regulatory requirement in the future.

The key lies in advanced sensors that monitor a greater range of parameters, particularly for detecting cavitation, delivering a refined and targeted data set for data center operators. Walsh underscores the importance of this precision:

“Cavitation is a pump killer – if it starts, it must be addressed immediately to prevent system failure. Flow management is just as critical; by the time issues are detected downstream, problems have often already begun.

"A forward-looking system enables early intervention, focusing on the key parameters data center users truly need, rather than overwhelming IoT data.”

For companies shifting toward a centralized operational model, this level of intelligence becomes a major asset, feeding real-time data back to the central system – the mothership – to identify potential failures in advance and maintain system-wide oversight for maximum uptime and availability.

“Sacrificing a server to save a pump is a bad trade-off; making informed, system-wide decisions is what truly matters,” says Walsh.

Beyond software intelligence, Moog’s pumps are also engineered for mechanical intelligence. As Walsh casually points out, these pumps are engineered to be virtually maintenance-free:

“Our patented technology has no rotating seals and no bearings. It’s actually the fluid itself acting as the bearing in the device. So if it’s run properly, it essentially has no wear points.”

The circularity of motion control

One key factor not already mentioned that every company should consider when selecting motion control products and systems is their contribution to overall data center sustainability.

The term “sustainability” carries weight, inviting us to reflect on the circularity of our choices. In the context of motion control systems in data centers, numerous factors come into play – but fortunately, Walsh provides insight:

“Firstly, there are no wear parts. Once it’s installed, it’s done – no downtime, no maintenance required.”

“Secondly, it’s an optimized solution. With a smaller, more compact design, it inherently uses fewer materials in its manufacture. In terms of footprint, we’re typically 30 percent or more smaller than competitors.”

“Additionally, our high level of integration results in significantly lower energy consumption. The energy that goes into moving a given volume of fluid is much lower. This means two things: you can achieve a higher flow rate with the same energy input, or maintain the same flow rate, while using less energy.”

By minimizing energy consumption, data centers ensure that power is directed toward productive work rather than support functions – reducing environmental impact through efficient design, lower energy use, and minimal maintenance.

Less is more

You’ve heard it before – “doing more with less” is all the rage. Whether it’s energy, footprint, or materials, efficiency is key.

As server power density rises rapidly, cooling systems must evolve to keep pace. Walsh highlights the growing necessity of achieving more with less in data centers:

“I see the breakthroughs in the ability to deliver cooling at much higher levels within much more compact footprints in the coming years. With that will come a greater need for optimized power, especially in data centers, where multiple power conversions can cause inefficiencies and energy loss. The goal is to develop more efficient designs, with industry standards emerging over time.

Another key advancement will be improved fluid monitoring – much like how modern cars track oil quality – providing real-time feedback to improve maintenance and performance. These smart systems will become essential as the industry grows.”

Closing the circle

How does Walsh envision Moog’s role in transforming the data center industry in the years ahead?

Well, drawing from Moog’s evolution in the aerospace sector, Walsh references the term “stick-to-tail.” In an aircraft, Moog supplies everything from the pilot’s joystick to the moving parts on the tail – covering the entire system in between.

“It will be the same with pumps and data center cooling. As we deepen our experience in the industry and collaborate with partners, we will be the ones to develop the fully optimized solution – because we supply all the essential fit-for-purpose components needed to create complete cooling solutions.”

For more information on data center cooling solutions, please visit Moog here.