We are pleased to present the conference proceedings for the 12th edition of the International Fluid Power Conference (IFK). The IFK is one of the world’s most significant scientific conferences on fluid power control technology and systems. It offers a common platform for the presentation and discussion of trends and innovations to manufacturers, users and scientists. The Chair of Fluid-Mechatronic Systems at the TU Dresden is organizing and hosting the IFK for the sixth time. Supporting hosts are the Fluid Power Association of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), Dresdner Verein zur Förderung der Fluidtechnik e. V. (DVF) and GWT-TUD GmbH. The organization and the conference location alternates every two years between the Chair of Fluid-Mechatronic Systems in Dresden and the Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems in Aachen. The symposium on the first day is dedicated to presentations focused on methodology and fundamental research. The two following conference days offer a wide variety of application and technology orientated papers about the latest state of the art in fluid power. It is this combination that makes the IFK a unique and excellent forum for the exchange of academic research and industrial application experience. A simultaneously ongoing exhibition offers the possibility to get product information and to have individual talks with manufacturers. The theme of the 12th IFK is “Fluid Power – Future Technology”, covering topics that enable the development of 5G-ready, cost-efficient and demand-driven structures, as well as individual decentralized drives. Another topic is the real-time data exchange that allows the application of numerous predictive maintenance strategies, which will significantly increase the availability of fluid power systems and their elements and ensure their improved lifetime performance. We create an atmosphere for casual exchange by offering a vast frame and cultural program. This includes a get-together, a conference banquet, laboratory festivities and some physical activities such as jogging in Dresden’s old town.:Group A: Materials Group B: System design & integration Group C: Novel system solutions Group D: Additive manufacturing Group E: Components Group F: Intelligent control Group G: Fluids Group H | K: Pumps Group I | L: Mobile applications Group J: Fundamentals

With a flat slide valve concept, when compared to conventional piston spool valves, reduced leakage and increased service life could be achieved. In order to achieve a reduction of leakage flows and guarantee the adjustability of the valves at the same time, a correct design of the pressure compensation is essential. The magnitude of force depends on both the operating point of the valve and the position of the slider. Due to the design of the flat slide valve, it is possible to use ceramic semi-finished products for the main stage, which consist of control plates and a slide plate. The geometries are simple enough to be inexpensively manufactured with sufficient accuracy, using a ceramic pre-product using laser cutting technology. This article introduces the concept of the flat slide valve for a proportional 4/3-way valve. The design of the valve, including the design of the metallic main stage is presented. This includes the design of the flow channels, which have to be suitable for ceramic materials. Furthermore the design of the actuator and hydraulic circuit for testing is presented. With the shown design, the function of a 4/3-way valve, known from piston spool valves, can be implemented with a linear behavior between slide plate deflection and opening flow cross section.