The era of traditional analog hydraulics is giving way to today's pluggable digital fluid technology. In Europe in particular, machine builders are increasingly digitizing their designs and expect that hydraulics will seamlessly integrate into these networked systems. This indicates that the hydraulic and electromechanical actuators are equivalent in terms of the level of automation. Seamless integration of smart Rexroth hydraulic valves into various automation architectures using open standards such as multiple Ethernet interfaces is one of the key advantages in this regard.

What new technological alternatives exist to meet these demands?

The hydraulic valves are actually controlled remotely by intelligent single-axis controllers in a closed control loop. In addition, the valve's internal electronics provide solid motion control. The actual target comparison is made instantly, and the regulation is accurate to a few micrometres. The accuracy of measurement systems alone determines the control quality of the system.

In sawing lines, paper mills and machine tools, these motion control devices without control cabinets are used more and more. Intelligent pump controls and variable speed pump drives are other options. They provide entirely new opportunities for more energy efficient shift controls to replace the throttle controls that have been used primarily until now. In this way, the functions previously implemented by the fuse are transferred to the program.

Incorporating sensor technologies into hydraulic valves is another matter.

The cost of sensors for the consumer goods or automotive industries has dropped dramatically due to mass production. The use of sensors in hydraulics is now expanding. The next step, in our view, is to integrate this type of sensor technology into existing fuse boxes. Sensors can record data about fluid quality, temperature, vibration, and switch cycles to monitor status. Users can then detect wear using deep learning algorithms before it leads to a malfunction.

What other manufacturing possibilities does the valve offer?

The degree of freedom with respect to the geometry of the connection is already limited by the standard requirements. The hydraulics industry has been discussing the topic of digital hydraulics in great depth for some time now. The idea was, and still is, to control the streams in a "tiered" or "timed" manner using single- or multi-bit strategies. In some applications, this can be an advantage over ever-changing technology.

What other hydraulic valve innovations are relevant to your company?

It is no longer a matter of whether or not hydraulic valve technology will benefit from delivery. The only question is when. The current discussions about Industry 4.0 clearly show how important it is to define all required features and functionality. Only if the mechanisms and sensing technology are standardized between the different manufacturers will active communication and contact be possible. Even in the future, not all hydraulic and mechanical pressure valves will have digital electronics on board or be connected to another valve or control system.

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A printed QR code with manufacturer configuration information, job descriptions, or replacement stamp information is a first step toward communication. In the field of new materials and production technologies, Rexroth has many innovations on the way. 3D printing cores for casting or direct printing casings greatly reduce energy consumption during valve operation. Although the possibility of splitting the base die had to be considered in the basic design, today this is no longer necessary thanks to the basic printing. This means we can use other duct designs that allow less pressure loss and improve energy consumption. For a valve with a flow rate of 10,000 l/min, reducing the flow resistance by 10 to 20 percent greatly reduces operating costs.