This paper describes an investigation into the effects of fluid bulk modulus and traction coefficient properties on piston pump flow losses and radial pison motor torque losses through experimentation, modelling and simulation. Synthetic ester, high bulk modulus, multi-grade, and single grade mineral oils were evaluated. The high bulk modulus fluid exhibited 20% lower pump case and compensator flow losses than a conventional mineral oil of the same viscosity grade. Low traction coefficient fluids reduced the lowspeed torque losses of the radial piston motor by 50%. Physical models for pump case flow and motor torque losses were derived from the experimental data. Field data was collected from a hydraulically propelled agricultural machine. This data was used to model fluid performance in the machine. The simulation results predict that at an operating temperature of 80⁰C, optimizing the bulk modulus and traction coefficients of the fluid could reduce flow losses by 18% and torque losses by 5%. These findings demonstrate the potential of combining comprehensive fluid analysis with modeling and simulation to optimize fluids for the efficient transmission of power.

Axial piston pumps and motors are widely used in heavy-duty applications and play a fundamental role in hydrostatic and power split drives. The mechanical power losses in hydraulic piston pumps come from the friction between parts in relative motion. The improvement, albeit marginal, in overall efficiency of these components may significantly impact the global efficiency of the machine. The friction between slipper and swash plate is a functional key in an axial piston pump, especially when the pump (at low rotational speed or at partial displacement) works in the critical areas where the efficiency is low. The application of special surface treatments have been exploited in pioneering works in the past, trying different surface finishing or adding ceramic or heterogeneous metallic layers. The potential of structured coatings at nanoscale, with superhydrophobic and oleophobic characteristics, has never been exploited. Due to the difficulty to reproduce the real working conditions of axial piston pump slippers, it has been made a hydraulic test bench properly designed in order to compare the performance of nano-coated slippers with respect to standard ones. The nano-coated and standard slippers have been subjected to the following working conditions: a test at variable pressure and constant rotational speed, a test at constant pressure and variable rotational speed. The comparison between standard and nanocoated slippers, for both working conditions, shows clearly that more than 20% of friction reduction can be achieved using the proposed nano-coating methodology.

Retrofits of hydraulic and mechanical deep drawing presses often stop with the exchange of the electrical and the hydraulic parts. But that is only half the job. The use of high definition control electronics, faster CPUs and more dynamic hydraulic actuators, offers the opportunity of redesigning the already existing control concepts of the press. In this paper we present how the performance of the press, i.e. the control quality, can be increased for hydraulic ram and cushion axes. The improvement in control quality is achieved through the use of intelligent closed-loop and open-loopcontrol algorithms. Therefore, creasing and crack formation can be reduced, since enhancements in control quality have direct influence on the quality of the forming process. Results will be shown for hydraulic drawing cushion control, i.e. pressure control, as well as for hydraulic ram control, i.e. position, velocity and parallelism control. We present findings for hydraulic cushion control of a mechanical press type Arisa S-4-1600-470-230-LDE (link-drive press with 10 hydraulic cushions) and for ram- / cushion-control of hydraulic press type Müller-Weingarten ZE2100 (multi-curve press with 8-point cushion).

Speed and displacement variable pumps offer a degree of freedom for process control. As a certain operation point can be supplied by different combinations of drive speed and pump displacement intelligent control strategies can address major issues like energy efficiency, process dynamics and noise level in industrial applications. This paper will provide an overview of recent research and development activities to evaluate the named potentials.

One of Bosch Rexroth’s newest developments is the ABPAC power unit, which is both modular and configurable. The modular design of the ABPAC is enhanced by a selfcontained Condition Monitoring System (CMS), which can also be used to retrofit existing designs. This dissertation shows how Industry 4.0-Technology provides special advantages for the diverse user profiles. Today, Hydraulic Power Units have either scheduled intervals for preventive maintenance or are repaired in case of component failures. Preventive maintenance concepts, until now, did not fully utilize the entire life expectancy of the components, causing higher maintenance costs and prolonged downtimes. Risk of unscheduled downtime forces the customer to stock an array of spare parts leading to higher inventory costs or in the event a spare is not readily available, the customer may encounter long delivery times and extended downtime. Bearing this in mind, we’ve conceived the idea of a self-contained intelligent Condition Monitoring System including a predictive maintenance concept, which is explained in the following.

In 2016 it is 70 years since the first patent for a two-stage servovalve was filed, and 60 years since the double nozzle-flapper two-stage valve patent was granted. This paper reviews the many alternative servovalve designs that were investigated at that time, focusing on two-stage valves. The development of single-stage valves – otherwise known as direct drive or proportional valves – for industrial rather than aerospace application is also briefly reviewed. Ongoing research into alternative valve technology is then discussed, particularly focussing on piezoelectric actuation and the opportunities afforded by additive manufacturing.

The paper shows standard circuits with load reactive and non load reactive counterbalance valves. A Matlab simulation based on a linear model for the circuit with load reactive counterbalance valves shows what parameters have a significant influence on the stability of the system. The most important parameters of the counterbalance valve that influence the stability are pilot gain and relief gain. The factors describe how pilot pressure and load pressure affect the flow across the counterbalance valve. A new counterbalance valve (patent pending) has the pilot gain and relief gain required for stability only in operating ranges that require the parameters for stability. When the load is not moving or the counterbalance valve is not required for positive (non overrunning) loads, the new valve has a higher pilot ratio, which means that the valve opens further at lower inlet pressures. The new counterbalance valves saves about 30% power compared with a standard counterbalance valve that has the same parameters for stability when it is lowering an overrunning load. The standard counterbalance can be replaced with the new load adaptive valve in the same cavity. The paper shows test results and the design of the valve.

Directional control valves are widely used in hydraulic systems to control the flow direction and the flow rate. In order to design an actuator for such a valve a preliminary analysis of forces acting on the spool is necessary. The dominant axial force is the so called steady flow force, which is analysed within this study. For this purpose a 2/2-way spool valve with a sharp control edge was manufactured and investigated. CFD simulations were carried out to visualize the fluid flow inside the valve. The measured and simulated axial forces and pressure drops across the test valve are compared and show good qualitative correlation. However, the simulated values of axial forces are in average by 32 % lower compared with the measured ones. Therefore, the components of the axial force were scrutinized revealing a dominancy of the pressure force acting on ring areas in the spool chamber. Although CFD simulations are preferably used to save resources, the results of this study emphasise the importance of the experiments.

Nowadays the needs to fulfill severe emission standards and to reduce the mobile machine operative costs have driven the off-highway industrial research towards new solutions able to increase the overall vehicle efficiency. Within this scenario, smart power split transmissions demonstrated to be a very attractive technology able to achieve the fuel consumption reduction targets, increasing the machine working cycle productivity. Compared to the standard technologies (such as Torque Converters - TC), the power split hydromechanical varible transmissin (HVT), designed and developed by Dana Rexroth Transmission Systems S.r.l. (DRTS), is able to fully decouple the engine to wheel behavior during the machine working cycle, with an higher efficiency than a pure hydrostatic transmission. Due to this fundamental characteristic, the HVT allows the engine to work next to the maximum efficiency point, consequently it is possible to downsize the engine to further increase the fuel saving. The analysis of the field test performed by an off-highway vehicle (Kalmar Cargotec DRG Gloria 450 reachstacker) equipped with a DRTS HVT has been shown along this paper; particular attention has been given to the cycle load spectra, the fuel consumption and the working cycle productivity through a comparison with standard TC technologies.

Digitalization is finding it’s way into production and machine-building. Autonomous, sefoptimizing and highly interconnected units will determine the functionality of machines and production facilities. Communication and automation layout will fundamentally change, data will be more and more the base for new business modells. Innovation is determining pneumatics and handling technology. The innovation topics performance improvement, modular and mechatronic design of systems, sustainability and efficiency are keeping pneumatics and vacuum technology on the pathway of success. But is the technology field also prepared for the tremendous challenges caused by the digitalization? This paper is focusing on the significance of digitalization for fluid technology, especially for pneumatics and vacuum technology. The new concepts of digitalization and autonomization are based on the Internet of Things with open Communication of cyber-physical systems. These cyber-physical systems are able to react autonoumously. Cyber-physical systems can collect, interpret and analys data and transfer it into valuable information. Based on these data, cyberphysical systems will provide services to all participants of the smart factory. There will be a digital image inside the factory cloud, which is the base of new business models. Systems of pneumatics, vacuum technology and hydraulics will play a core role in this world. They are placed directly at the interface to the real technical process, they have direct contact with the workpieces, they are collecting multitude of sensor data and are evaulating it, they have functionality like Condition Monitoring and Energy Efficiency optimization on board and are able to communicate with the world of automation. This paper will show, that the innovation trends of the last years are supporting the way towards digitalization and Industrial Internet of Things. There are already a lot of different approaches to establish vacuum and pneumatic systems as adequate elements of the digitalized world. It will also be shown, that fluid technology still is facing tremendous challenges It will be not sufficient to equip the systems with more functionality and better communication. It will be essential, that from the interpretation and correlation of data will be derived valuable services with real customer benefit. This should happen under control of the vendors of smart field devices in fluid technology. Then it will be possible to turn this new kind of value generation also into new business models.