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While it has been possible to control various equipment functions by either flow
or pressure, doing so has meant added complexity and cost through additional
external plumbing. By incorporating both flow control and pressure control into
the same valve, design is simplified, flexibility is increased and reliability is
enhanced since there are fewer components and reduced plumbing.
The Rexroth M4 series of valves (Figure 1) exemplifies this new generation. The
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The M4 is available in three sizes, M4-12, -15 and -22, to accommodate different
flow requirements. Since pressure and flow requirements will differ not only
across different types of equipment, but within a single piece of equipment, being
able to stack different valves sizes together adds flexibility to the design. M4-12
and M4-15 valves are easily combined, as are M4-15 and M4-22 valves. Figure 2
summarizes the three versions, all of which are available as open-center control
for fixed-displacement pumps and closed-center control for variabledisplacement pumps.
Bosch Rexroth Corporation
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The M4 valves use a sandwich-plate modular design allowing the size 12 and 15
(up to 10 valve elements) to be ganged into a single sealed unit. The M4-22
valves can have up to eight sections. Valves can be flexibly combined to meet the
specific needs of the application. Each valve has the option to be operated
manually, hydraulically or electrically in either an on/off or proportional manner.
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Mechanical override actuation by hand lever of each valve section can be added
to electrical or hydraulic actuation in two ways:
Engaged lever: the lever moves with every movement of the control
spool. Operators use this feature as a visual feedback for safety.
Disengaged lever: the lever remains in the neutral position when the
valves are operated electrically or hydraulically. The advantage is that
the resulting reduced friction also lowers hysteresis for faster reaction
times. Low hysteresis also makes it possible to achieve high accuracy
without the use of position feedback on the spoolagain simplifying
design and reducing complexity.
protect the system the M4 offers another option that allows for system and
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Electronic control coupled with the valves simplifies and adds flexibility
Intelligent electrohydraulic controls are clearly the future of hydraulic systems.
They bring finer control, allow faster development, and can significantly simplify
the structure of hydraulic systems by eliminating complex wiring with a
streamlined bus architecture. The processing power of inexpensive
microprocessors not only provides high levels of intelligence for better control
but also to enable better safety, easier operation, and sophisticated diagnostics.
And, combined with electronic hardware, development software is more
powerful and easier to use which speeds up design and implementation.
The use of electronics can be applied to load-sensing valves in two main ways:
external controller or on-board electronics.
digital signals at both input and output ports. Solenoid outputs use pulse-width
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Sophisticated development and diagnostic software typically provides Windowsbased graphical interface and uses high-level block-oriented programming based
on IEC 61131-3 programming standards. Because the software offers modules
for most standard functions and applications, development can proceed swiftly.
Typical modules operate at one of three levels:
Distributing intelligence
Electronic control can be built into the valve to achieve several advantages by
bringing control closer to the action:
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Technical Overview
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On-board electronics in the valve does not replace the central controller. But it
does provide an option for a smaller version that can still be customized to the
application. It supplements it by knowing how to execute commands from the
CANbus and provides feedback for use in the system. The ganged valve units are
connected externally and act as a single unit in the CANbus daisy chain, further
simplifying the wiring.
Application example
Figure 4 shows a typical application of M4 valvesin this case, a truck-mounted
loading crane. A single Rexroth variable displacement pump supplies the sixsection valve used to control the various functions of the crane:
Main arm
Articulated arm
Telescopic cylinder
Open gripper
Close/lower gripper
Slewing gear
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For safety reasons, the static controls used to stabilize the truck rely on a different
set of valves. A key requirement of the crane is that the functions must be able to
occur simultaneously and with precise control. The valves must be able to handle
changing load and flow requirements.
Conclusion
The growing popularity and acceptance of modular load-sensing valves brings
new levels of both sophistication and simplicity to hydraulic controls. The
sophistication comes from the finer control and energy efficiency of the devices.
Bosch Rexroth Corporation, Corporate Communications
5150 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192, www.boschrexroth-us.com
Technical Overview
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The simplicity is achieved by simpler overall design with less piping, fewer
components and less control wiring. With the addition of on-board electronics
and a bus-based control architecture, engineering, commissioning, and
troubleshooting/maintenance are significantly simplified. Whats more, the
ability to add advanced capabilities that promote easier and safer operation
ensures that modular load-sensing valves have a bright future.
IMAGES:
Flow (gpm)
M4-12
M4-15
M4-22
35
53
105
5000
6100
Actuation
Electrical
Hydraulic
Manual
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