10 Things to Consider When Buying hydraulic valves

Hydraproducts – Our complete product range explained – Part 1

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Hydraproducts was founded back in with the aim of taking on the hydraulic power marketplace with quality British made products and excellent aftersales service to back this up. In…Read More

Power Pack Applications Explained – Part 2

Welcome to the second part of our latest blog which will be looking at popular customer applications that take advantage of our wide range of hydraulic power packs. This time…Read More

Power Pack Applications Explained – Part 1

Welcome to the first part of our latest blog which will be taking a look at the types of applications that benefit from the various types of hydraulic power packs we, here…Read More

Hydraulic power input sources in action – Team New Zealand

The America’s Cup is the world’s largest sailing event, involving yacht clubs from around the world.  The event has been running since , and has seen the introduction of cutting…Read More

Hydraulic System Maintenance: How Small Air Bubbles Can Cause Serious Damage nce: How Small Air Bubbles Can Cause Serious Damage

To the hydraulic system maintenance engineer, it can be both normal and alarming that hydraulic oil contains air. Nonetheless, it’s part of hydraulic fluid’s natural composition to contain between 6%…Read More

Under pressure – or not so much?

Designers working on hydraulic systems often opt straight for high working pressures, often due to the availability of components that are tried and tested as working well together. There may…Read More

How to Create Ideal Conditions for Flushing Hydraulic Systems

As we have covered before, contamination of hydraulic fluid can cause a lot of different issues to the system. Therefore, removing this contamination can prevent damage and failure of the…Read More

How Much Does a Hydraulic System Cost?

Low-cost manufacturing of hydraulic systems has become far more common since China entered the marketplace. In fact, the nation has taken the top spot when it comes to their factories…Read More

Making the Best of Your Hydraulic Maintenance Budget

It’s no secret to hydraulic system engineers that implementing proactive maintenance takes both time and money. It’s for this reason that it’s important to get a grip on whether the…Read More

How to Eliminate Hydraulic Leaks, Even if You Have No Experience

Many hydraulic systems leak. In fact, some businesses can and do waste vast amounts of money by not being serious about tracking down and rectifying fluid leakages on their machines.…Read More

Why it’s So Critical to Analyse Hydraulic Failures Properly

As everybody who works closely with hydraulic equipment and has to deal with failed components knows, some manufacturers have been known to try anything to deny warranty claims. Of course,…Read More

How to Overspend on Your Hydraulic Shopping

If you’re in charge of the hydraulic machines for your company, one way of really annoying the company’s budget holder is to run your machines too hot. It’s going to…Read More

Deep Water Presents a Challenge for Hydraulic Systems

Global demand is not easing up when it comes to farming vital resources that are found in subsea environments. In fact, industries have now begun to expand their efforts and…Read More

Hydraulic System Maintenance – Minimise Sludge

Time and money are the mainstays of any commercial operation. Those involved in industrial operations that depend on the strong performance of hydraulic systems know that varnish formation is something…Read More

3 Reasons Why Hydraulic System Overheating is Bad

Hydraulic systems don’t work well with too much heat. Components can degrade and oil can be affected. Together these can prevent the hydraulic system from operating at optimal capacity. Here…Read More

Prevent Unnecessary Hydraulic Troubleshooting Mistakes

Hydraulic Troubleshooting It’s not an easy job to troubleshoot a hydraulic system. It something that always involves time, and in some cases even some creativity. Incorrectly diagnosing any issues can…Read More

Hydraulic System Hose Changes Need to Be Checked For Contamination

Hydraulic System Hose Changes Need to Be Checked For Contamination Next time you cut a hose for your hydraulic system, there’s something that you need to know. Each time you…Read More

Hydraulic System Hose Changes Need to Be Checked For Contamination

Hydraulic System Hose Changes Need to Be Checked For Contamination Next time you cut a hose for your hydraulic system, there’s something that you need to know. Each time you…Read More

Hydraulic System Design: Avoid It Being a Flop

Hydraulic System Design: Avoid It Being a Flop with Careful Consideration of Components It’s no secret that every engineer wants their hydraulic system to run well forever. During a recent…Read More

How Your Hydraulic Components Wither Away and Die

It’s not long before hydraulic components start to wear down. In fact, just as soon as you’ve removed them from the wrapper and installed them. Once your system starts to…Read More

Hydraulic System: More about Cavitation and Aeration

Hydraulic Cavitation and Aeration Although aeration and cavitation are very similar, they are caused by completely different situations. Cavitation occurs when air cavities are formed and are then collapsed in liquid.…Read More

What You Need to Know About Hydraulic System Safety

What should you know about hydraulic system safety? What do you need to know to keep yourself and other people safe in the workplace? Keeping a load safe is dependent…Read More

Hydraulics? What’s Your Pleasure?

Which machine would you point to as the best example of the use of hydraulics? Judging on raw power, you might point to a shredder. They can suck things in,…Read More

3 Serious Issues Resulting From Hot-Running Hydraulic Systems

If you’ve been following our hydraulic systems blog for some time, you’ll already know that heat can be one of the most dangerous enemies for the hydraulic system. We’ve broken…Read More

The Evolution of Hydraulic Power

Hydraulics has been around for a very long time. But are you aware of how far it has actually come? You wouldn’t be alone if you responded with no. It…Read More

Control Valves in Hydraulic Systems

Introduction to Control Valves in Hydraulic Systems In the world of industrial, mobile and aerospace equipment, hydraulic power systems are very popular. They enjoy a high power-to-weight ratio in addition…Read More

Types of Hydraulic Pumps

Different Types of Hydraulic Pumps If you’ve been following our blog or even if you just happen to know quite a bit about hydraulics, you’ll already be aware that hydraulics…Read More

How do Hydraulic Cylinders Work

Hydraulic Cylinders: How Do They Work? If you’re curious about how hydraulic cylinders work, then you could find this post to be interesting. Let’s take a look at these powerful…Read More

Hydraulic Systems

What You Might Not Know About Hydraulic Systems Although hydraulic systems must be lauded for the amazing technological innovation that it is, there are also some other points that you…Read More

Selecting Hydraulic Cylinders

What to Look Out for When Selecting A Hydraulic Cylinder When it comes to hydraulic muscles, the hydraulic cylinder is something that immediately comes to mind. Hydraulic systems produce around…Read More

Hydraulic Maintenance Schedules

What do Magnets Have to Do with Hydraulic Maintenance Schedules? One of the most exciting products that I’ve seen for a while is the FilterMag. In fact, people often ask…Read More

Hydraulic Fluid – Preserving Quality

Tips for Preserving The Quality of Hydraulic Fluid Preserving the quality of hydraulic fluid is something that will make a huge difference to the life span, lack of downtime and…Read More

Filtration of hydraulic fluid

What Every Engineer Should Know About Hydraulics Filtration Hydraulic filtration is a vital component of keeping a system running smoothly. For example, did you know that up to 75% of…Read More

Troubleshooting Hydraulic Relief Valves

Troubleshooting Hydraulic Relief Valves Meet the relief valve. Contrary to how things might appear, it’s actually the unrecognised superhero of most hydraulic systems. Its heroic contribution is of great importance…Read More

Troubleshooting Hydraulic Sequence Valves

Troubleshooting Sequence Valves Sequence valves have an important role to play in hydraulic systems. They control flue flow to both the primary and the secondary circuits. They also control the…Read More

Hydraulic System Troubleshooting

Hydraulic System Troubleshooting: Cavitation in Hydraulic Valves Cavitation was first discovered in when Lord Rayleigh (a British physicist) decided to investigate why fast-rotating ship propellers were eroding at such…Read More

Hydraulic Pressure-reducing Valves – What You Need to Know

What You Need to Know About Pressure-reducing Valves In a Hydraulic System, you are most likely aware that the main system pressure is maintained by the system relief valve or…Read More

Hydraulic System Pump Tests

Hydraulic System Test for Gear and Vane Pumps The most common approach for troubleshooting a hydraulic system is to check the pump. The pump is core to the operation of…Read More

Hydraulic System Fluid Leakage

How to Reduce Hydraulic System Fluid Leakage Today we look at another area that will come up occasionally for any hydraulics system operator – leakage. As we always recommend, with…Read More

Hydraulic Systems-Handling Excessive Vibration

Hydraulic Systems Operating Problems: How to Handle Excessive Vibration Recently we’ve been looking at ways to troubleshoot hydraulic systems and today we’re going to explore the area of excessive vibration.…Read More

Why Do Strainers in Hydraulic Systems Fail

Strainers in a hydraulic system can fail and have catastrophic effects on a machine. But why do they fail? A strainer located in the suction port of a pipe is…Read More

Hydraulic Seals, Gaskets and O-rings

Hydraulic Seals Sealants, Seals, Gaskets and O-rings are compulsories item for hydraulic components and systems. Without these, high pressure systems are impossible. So selecting the right material is an art…Read More

Hydraulic Design – HyDraw600 – Quality & Efficiency

HyDraw V600, our latest investment in Hydraulic Power Excellence Investment in business and design software has been a pivotal part of Hydraproducts growth over the last 10 years. Upgrading our…Read More

Troubleshoot Hydraulics – Basic Knowledge

Why You Need Basic Technical Knowledge to Troubleshoot Hydraulics Troubleshooting is usually an essential of using any technical product, however, employing disorganised troubleshooting techniques can result in costing both in…Read More

How to Keep Hydraulic Oil Clean

How to Keep Your Hydraulic Oil Clean One of our clients recently went through a period of experiencing substantial particle contamination in their hydraulic fluid. The design of their machine…Read More

Hydraulics – Viscosity in Power Units

Hydraulic Fluids: The Importance of Viscosity in Hydraulic Power Units Although the last winter was wetter than it was cold, hydraulic machines are still likely to have been at risk…Read More

Hydraulic Oil Coolers

Hydraulic Circuit Oil Coolers The basic idea of an oil cooler in an hydraulic circuit to dissipate the energy losses that occur in the system is simple. The selection of…Read More

Beware Hydraulic Systems Running to Hot

3 Major Issues of Running Hydraulics Too Hot In addition to contamination, heat is one of the worst troublemakers for hydraulic systems. However, improvements in filter technology is rapidly pushing…Read More

About Hydraulic Fluids

What You Need to Know About Hydraulic Fluids When it comes to getting the best from hydraulic tools, their performance and longevity rely heavily on the quality of hydraulic fluid.…Read More

Clean Hydraulic fluid is vital to performance

Why clean Hydraulic fluid is vital to the performance of your Hydraulic power pack In today’s post, let’s cover why you need clean hydraulic fluid in your hydraulic system. Minute…Read More

We all know distributors are a valuable resource for end-users of fluid power products, often providing local, on-site, customer support. Closer to end-users than manufacturers, their customers should be able to rely on that local support.

To help provide that support, knowledge about the products they sell helps to meet the support needs of their customers/end-users. Fluid power distributors can take what they learn about customers’ specific pumps, motors, and valves, and put that knowledge to use for their clients. If you are a distributor and your end-users can benefit from knowing more about the products you offer, this article is for you.

As pumps and motors are responsible for supplying power and energy within a hydraulic system, valves are the mechanical devices used to control that power by regulating the flow of fluid.

They can be used to redirect pressurized fluid, control the level of flow to a certain area, or completely close a line.

Although there are dozens of varieties that all serve different purposes, in this article, we will focus on these three major types of hydraulic valves:

• Pressure Control Valves
• Flow Control Valves
• Directional Control Valves

Each type has its own functions within a fluid power system and applications in which they provide the ideal result. Each hydraulics brand provides various configuration choices based on valve type. Acquainting yourself with these differences can be useful when offering clients support on valve-related issues.

If you are looking to provide guidance when your customer has a question or a problem, or if they’re asking you to consult on purchase decisions more confidently, we recommend starting with basic knowledge of how pressure control valves, flow control valves, and directional flow valves operate.

Pressure Control Valves

Hydraulic pressure control valves are used to regulate the fluid pressure that is passing through hydraulic systems and prevent rises in pressure that may result in system problems. They are also used to maintain a set pressure in a part of a hydraulic circuit.

Different types of pressure control valves include:

• Pressure relief valves
• Pressure Reducing valves
• Sequence valves
• Counterbalance valves

Hydraulic relief valves limit system pressure to protect components. The valves also limit the hydraulic system’s maximum output force and control the amount of heat generated by balancing the hydraulic force with an adjustable spring force.

Pressure reducing valves are used to balance hydraulic circuit pressure with pressure in the main circuit. When the outlet pressure reaches a preset level, the valve opens, a piston moves to release pressure, and it keeps the outlet pressure constant.

Sequence valves are used to control the sequential operation of actuators. If the inlet pressure exceeds a preset level, they add pressure to the outlet side. A check valve allows for this directional control.

Counterbalance valves are used to maintain hydraulic pressure or load backpressure on a cylinder by releasing flow levels to keep pressure constant. Like sequence valves, they use a check valve to provide a counterbalance of flow, lifting the cylinder up to freely pass.

Flow Control Valves

Hydraulic flow control valves do what they say: They control flow rates in hydraulic circuits, with an end goal of controlling speed elsewhere in a fluid power system.

In hydraulic systems, these valves are used to regulate flow rates to actuators, such as motors and cylinders, and with it the speed of those components.

Flow rate also determines rate of energy transfer at any given pressure. A common physics concept is used to determine this transfer:

Actuator force x distance traveled = work done on load

This equation shows that the actuator force, multiplied by the distance through which it moves (stroke), equals the work done on the load. The energy transferred must also equal the work done, and speed determines the energy transferred.

In other words, regulating speed is the primary function of flow control valves because:

Energy transfer must equal work done, and is determined by multiplying force times stroke
Speed determines the amount of energy transferred
Flow rates determine the speed of an actuator

There are a variety of flow control valve designs, each intended for specific applications. The most common types include ball, diaphragm, needle, and butterfly.

Directional Control Valves

Directional control valves have three main functions: to stop fluid flow, to allow fluid flow, or to change direction of fluid flow between hydraulic cylinders and motors.

They typically consist of a sliding spool inside a cylinder, which restricts or permits fluid flow to control the fluid path. They can also consist as a poppet to control flow, which works in the same way.

Directional control valves can stop the flow suddenly and are sometimes referred to as either “switching” or “bang-bang” valves for the sound they make when operating.

There are two other types of directional valves that can control fluid flow in more complicated hydraulics systems:

1. Proportional valves -Allow infinite positioning of spools and flow volumes for more complex circuits
2. Servo valves - Operate with high accuracy, repeatability, low hysteresis, and high frequency response for sophisticated loop systems (and are often more expensive than proportional valves)

More Product Knowledge to Steer Satisfied Customers

In summary, hydraulic valves provide the control needed to keep hydraulic systems working. They act as the steering wheel to guide the moving parts of a functional hydraulics system.

And whether they are used to control flow by redirecting pressurized fluid (pressure control valves), controlling the level of flow and speed (flow control valves), or completely stopping the directional flow (directional control valves), knowing about different types of valves and their intended function can be a great tool to help you support your customer’s individual needs.

Knowing the basics of different components and how they work is the key to offering this guidance, and to provide a valuable resource to your customers / end users.