Maximizing Machine Efficiency with Hybrid Valve Technology

Hybrid valve technologies can help off-highway original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) realize their equipment’s potential by mixing modularity, precision and adaptability.

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The increasing complexity of off-highway machinery and the evolving landscape demand hydraulic systems that deliver optimal performance, energy efficiency and precision. Hybrid valve technology represents a revolutionary advancement for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) looking to optimize their equipment’s potential. By blending the modularity of cartridge valves with the precision and adaptability of sectional valves, hybrid valves provide unmatched precision, energy savings and operational versatility.

Design Synergy: Function vs. Application

Across multiple industries, each machine has unique hydraulic requirements, and hybrid valves offer greater versatility to meet those demands compared to traditional valves.

Cartridge valves offer significant flexibility in hydraulic system design due to their modular nature. Their modular design allows users to customize systems by adding or replacing individual valves without needing to modify the entire valve assembly. This makes cartridge valves especially valuable in mobile equipment like excavators and plow trucks, where uptime is critical. Their compact design and easy serviceability also make them ideal for lower-flow applications, such as downforce control in seed planters to ensure consistent planting depth and improve crop yields, as well as in 3-way solutions for compact machines requiring precise control and space-efficient designs.

Sectional valves are comprised of several interconnected sections or “modules,” each controlling a specific hydraulic function. Their biggest advantage is users can pack all this functionality into a compact package. Sections can be bolted together in a modular fashion, allowing customization and expansion. Sectional valves are designed to handle higher flow rates and higher pressures, making them well-suited for demanding applications where advanced functionality is required, such as controlling high flow steering circuits in mobile equipment like wheel loaders, where precision is crucial for safe operation.

Cartridge valves and sectional valves are primarily hydraulic based, lacking the direct integration of electronic control. While they can provide high flow and reliable control, it can be challenging for them to adapt to changing system conditions in real time without external sensors or control units.

Hybrid Valve Solutions Bringing the Best of Both Worlds

Hybrid valve solutions combine the best core functions of cartridge valves with sectional valves and integrate multiple hydraulic functions and electronic controls into a single valve assembly. Fewer components and simplified integration reduce the complexity of the hydraulic systems, leading to easier installation and troubleshooting and less potential for system failure. Hybrid valve solutions also optimize space utilization in compact equipment, enabling high functionality without increasing the system’s footprint.

While cartridge valves and sectional valves are effective for specific applications, hybrid valve solutions provide the best of both worlds, offering improved functionality, efficiency and adaptability for complex hydraulic systems in mobile equipment. In industries like construction or agriculture, where machine designs can vary greatly based on the specific task, hybrid valves can be designed to optimize performance, such as dynamically controlling fan speed based on engine temperature and reducing fuel consumption.

By combining the capabilities of hydraulic valves and advanced electronic control into one solution, hybrid valves maximize the benefits of cartridge and sectional valve designs to improve energy efficiency and performance in mobile and industrial applications.

Hybrid Valve Design Innovations

Hybrid valve technology addresses the unique requirements of various applications by combining distinct advantages of different valve designs. These systems feature an integrated electro-hydraulic architecture that enables seamless interaction between the mechanical and electronic components, offering OEMs the opportunity to optimize machine performance while reducing complexity. (See Figure 1).

Hybrid valve technology combines distinct advantages of different valve designs for off-highway OEMs.Hybrid valve technology combines distinct advantages of different valve designs for off-highway OEMs.Hydraforce

Hybrid valve technology has seen significant design innovations, particularly in response to the growing demand for more efficient, compact and flexible hydraulic control systems. Modern hybrid valves are being manufactured using lightweight and durable materials to reduce energy consumption and increase functionality, all while minimizing the overall system footprint.

Hybrid valves incorporate electronic proportional control, allowing for more precise adjustments of flow and pressure based on sensor inputs. These valves use feedback loops to adjust fluid flow continuously, improving the system's ability to react to dynamic operating conditions. Their modular design allows OEMs to customize and scale systems based on application needs.

The symmetrical slice valve design can be an important component in hybrid valve solutions, particularly in systems that require hydraulic and electronic control by enhancing the performance of these valves, especially in high-flow, high-efficiency applications. Actuators and solenoids are positioned on both sides of the valve slice, improving system stability and reducing pressure fluctuations in high-demand applications like hydraulic cranes.

Sensors can also be embedded in hybrid valves to enable real-time data collection on flow, pressure and temperature to allow predictive maintenance and reduce unplanned downtime.

Load-sensing technology has evolved a lot. When combined with post-compensation mechanisms, it provides even more dynamic control of hydraulic systems. Hybrid valves now feature advanced load-sensing capabilities, where the valve adjusts its operation based on real-time load feedback. This means the valve can sense changes in pressure and adjust the flow accordingly, reducing energy consumption and ensuring the system operates optimally under varying loads.

Post-compensated systems dynamically adjust flow and pressure after the initial command is made, accounting for changes in load or external factors. This allows for greater precision in maintaining consistent hydraulic force, improving machine performance even in highly variable conditions. For example, in telehandlers, hybrid valves manage hydraulic flow between lifting and steering functions, optimizing machine performance. 

The latest design advancements in hybrid valves have transformed hydraulic control systems, offering enhanced functionality, reduced maintenance and the ability to meet the increasingly complex demands of modern hydraulic systems.

Hydraulic Valve Applications

Hybrid valves are making an impact in many ways such as improving cycle times in excavators and loaders. They also are enabling precision planting and harvesting solutions with reduced soil compaction and enhancing control in forklifts and cranes for safer operation.

For example, hybrid valves illustrate their versatility in vehicles with multiple and diverse functions like plow trucks with integrated salt spreaders. Different trucks require different functions and valve configurations, in addition to the standard functions. Hybrid solutions allow for precise material application while ensuring efficient hydraulic flow to auxiliary systems. They can monitor and control the speed of the salt-spreading mechanism, adjusting the amount of salt dispensed based on the motor load. This is achieved through operator interfaces, joysticks, controllers, and the hydraulic system controller.

For example, the truck’s two-way spreader functions can be managed with proportional control cartridges in the valve inlet while its four-way plow and dump bed functions can be managed with on/off slice valves. Modular PO-check valves, counterbalance valves and cross-port relief can also be integrated with plow sectional valves, depending on the specific plow truck configuration

Improving Off-Highway Machinery Precision and Sustainability

Hybrid valve technology marks a significant advancement in hydraulic systems for off-highway machinery, offering a range of new capabilities for industries requiring precision, adaptability and energy efficiency.

By combining cartridge and sectional valve benefits, OEMs can overcome traditional challenges and achieve new levels of productivity and sustainability in their operations. As advancements in materials, control systems and connectivity continue to evolve and drive market innovation, hybrid valves are poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of hydraulic innovation.

Scott Parker is a senior application engineer and Ross Johannes is the application tech services team leader at HydraForce. 

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