What if I told you I could design a hydraulic system that functions the same or better than your current system, but with less cost, less space requirement, fewer leak points, better appearance and less assembly and installation time? First of all, would you even believe me? Secondly, why aren’t you doing it already?
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Well, everything I said is true. How we achieve a hydraulic system with less cost, less space requirement, fewer leak points, better appearance and less assembly and installation time, is to put it all into a big chunk of aluminum.
In the industry, we call a big chunk of aluminum with hydraulic valves in it a “manifold.” HydraForce will sometimes call it a “combination valve.” Whatever you call it, the idea is simple. We take all of the hoses and plumbing that would normally connect separate valve components in a complete system, and we turn those into drillings in that big chunk of aluminum.
Let’s talk about why it cost less. If you take ten different hydraulic valves to create a system, you may need thirty hoses and at least as many fittings to connect them all. On top of hose and fittings cost savings, the valves that go in a manifold cost less than separate and independent valves. Each of those individual valves requires its own “block” or “body” anyway. Why have ten of those when you can have one?
I think it’s easy to see how removing dozens of hoses and fittings and consolidating ten valves into one can save you space. This may not be as much as an issue with industrial applications (depending on the machine), but with a mobile machine, every inch of space is valuable real estate.
So now that we have fewer hoses, fewer connections and fewer components, we can see how we have reduced the number of points in which you can spring a hydraulic leak. Fewer leaks mean less money dripping away, and a reduced impact of the environment. There are very few hydraulic fluids that are environmentally safe, and the ones that are, are expensive enough to hold on to like a winning lottery ticket.
Another benefit of a manifold design is the attractive appearance. It’s compact and shiny, and can be anodized any colour you wish. They leave you wondering what’s inside, and are great for keeping competitors from seeing how your system is plumbed together. Have a look at the photo on the right; does your hydraulic system look that good?
Finally, you can’t beat the assembly and installation time of a manifold. Instead of spending hours plumbing separate components together, finding space to mount everything and crimping hoses until the wee hours of the night, you just mount the manifold and hook up your pressure, tank and work lines. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
Manifolds have infinite applications. There are 200 gallon per minute hydraulic presses which use slip in cartridge valves in a manifold, and there are simple one valve custom blocks. One of my customers had just one pressure reducing valve in a custom manifold with a gauge port, and six work ports. This valve didn’t save them any money on the valve itself, but saved them a ton of time during installation and saved hose/fitting costs because it replaced a mess of tees, junctions and connections.
Another advantage of a cartridge valve and manifold system is that the entire hydraulic circuit can be created and quoted using iDesign software, which is free to anyone who wants it. A system can be created, including positioning of the valves on the block in their 3D model interface. Distributors have access to the pricing function of the software, and we can quote a manifold you designed in seconds. The only real downside is the engineering and manufacturing time. You generally have to plan 6-8 weeks ahead to get a system in your hands.
If anyone wants the free software, you can download it here, or shoot me an email and I’ll gladly bring a copy out and show you how to use it.
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Josh Cosford is a certified hydraulic specialist working in sales for The Fluid Power House (Cambridge) Inc. in Ontario Canada: http://fluidpowerhouse.com/
Contact us to discuss your requirements of 3 way proportional valve. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Contact him at joshc@fluidpowerhouse.com or call (519)-624-7109
He has also contributed articles as a guest writer to Hydraulics and Pneumatics.
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Most of you reading this know the common benefits of hydraulic cartridge valves (click here for an excellent refresher). However, there are several key benefits routinely overlooked or misunderstood throughout the industry. HydraForce has dedicated significant efforts to innovation in cartridge valve technology — including the consolidation of multiple valve functions into a single cartridge, higher pressure and flow ratings, and improved machine control solutions.
Now, let’s talk about the benefits that go along with these improvements:
1. Performance
Traditionally, directional control functions were not considered a strong suit of cartridge valves. When searching online for a supplier of Directional Control Valves, a Google search will scarcely yield a "Cartridge Valve" return in the results. This has mostly to do with the limited flow capabilities of early cartridge valves. However, a lot has changed over the years, and today’s market could not be more ripe with Directional / Stack valve alternatives.
The bridge circuit below (named for its hydraulic similarities to the electronic "Wheatstone Bridge") has several key attributes which make it ideal for directional control. For starters, by having individual cartridge valves at the inlet of your A and B ports you get the distinct advantage of both meter-in and meter-out capabilities. Another advantage of this circuit is the ability to scale the appropriate cartridge valves for optimal flow. Other benefits include low-leakage poppet-type valving, lighter housing weight and the ability to achieve float or motor functions.
View/Download Directional Bridge Circuit graphic as:
PDF file (127 KB) | DXF file (201 KB)
HydraForce i-Design HF3D file (zipped 29 KB)
While we can’t deny there are inherent advantages of traditional directional stack valves, there are good reasons to consider this cartridge-valve alternative when designing your machine.
2. Customization:
An issue very near-and-dear to many OEMs' hearts is customization. The beauty of cartridge valves is that the packaging is completely, 100% customizable. It’s so customizable in fact, that we’ve developed iDesign to aid you in the specification process.
Customization allows you to design lighter, more compact valve packages that can be mounted where they will be less susceptible to external damage. Also, keep in mind that elimination of external piping and plumbing can save you money on material and assembly time. The valve package arrives fully assembled and tested. Simply mount the package on the machine, connect it, bleed it, and the system is ready to run. Think about that the next time you are staring at a catalog of mass-produced mono-blocks, you could be telling us exactly what you want, instead of taking what is offered (and potentially paying for features you won’t use).
3. Serviceability:
At least once a month a customer will ship us an entire manifold block because a relief valve wasn’t functioning properly or a solenoid valve wouldn’t actuate. Unfortunately, doing this completely negates one of the major benefits of an integrated circuit. Cartridge valves are designed to be removed and replaced quickly without disturbing any external plumbing. Consider this the next time you un-plumb and ship an entire manifold rather than the problem valve. For the cost of the shipping charges on the "failed" block alone, you could just as easily order the appropriate MRO parts.
Another common scenario has a customer requesting a bank of sandwich valves for a block with multiple low-flow directional functions. Some customers say that they like the serviceability and modularity of a sandwich configuration. Well folks, I'm here to tell you, it doesn't get more serviceable or modular than a cartridge valve manifold. Simply turn off the pump, make sure that any stored energy in accumulators has been released, unscrew the problem valve, replace it with an operational valve and you’re back in business! (For tips on troubleshooting, look at this.) And just for the record, in the circuit above, you wouldn’t want to remove a counterbalance valve with the load being held up in the air ;-)
In conclusion, these benefits are merely the tip of the iceberg. The performance benefits, flexibility, and customization potential of today’s cartridge valve technology are too numerous to list here. But, we hope we have given you enough reason to give cartridge valves a second look.
About the Author:
David Price oversees training and marketing communication efforts at HydraForce Inc. Contact David
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