Hands-on Training

Power of Colors
(Coloring Rules)

Advance Hydraulic
Color rule for hydraulic pressures

● Contrast / complement
● Warm / Cool ( excitement / calm )
● Light / Dark ( coming forward / pulling back )
● Saturation ( % of black ) etc.

We are not artist but we can adopt several color techniques for the training of the
complicated hydraulic circuit diagram and its operation. Colors have a huge power.
We have been repeating try & error these years and made this color rule for
hydraulic pressures in Osaka Training Center.
We know other subsidiaries have a different way
but this is a guidance and our recommendation.

Advanced Hydraulic Page 2 / 18

Color rule for hydraulic pressures

● Contrast / complement
● Warm / Cool ( excitement / calm )
● Light / Dark ( coming forward / pulling back )
● Saturation ( % of black ) etc.

We are not artist but we can adopt several color techniques for the training of the
complicated hydraulic circuit diagram and its operation. Colors have a huge power.
We have been repeating try & error these years and made this color rule for
hydraulic pressures in Osaka Training Center.
We know other subsidiaries have a different way
but this is a guidance and our recommendation.

Advanced Hydraulic Page 3 / 18

Change red to green ( Complementary colors )

Pump pressure LS pressure

spool

Red is a warm color that gives us excitement and high pressure image. We use red
for pump outlet pressure. In the CLSS LS pressure should be clearly separated
from the pump pressure and we use green that is the complement of red.

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Cool colors for low pressures

blue

Light blue

white

Cool colors are used for low pressures and hue,

dark and light contrast expresses high and low
image among low pressures. White is for vacuum
when necessary such as the suction valve
operation.

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High & low image

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Pump pressures ( warm colors )

Example : Travel Junction PC200-7

When Travel is operated, Front and Rear pump
line are divided ( separated ) by the Merge-
Divider valve. Red and pink are for Front and
Rear pump lines respectively.

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LS pressure ( LS : Load Sensing )

Before Komatsu adopting CLSS, we have been able to consider pump and LS pressures are
same. But in the CLSS we have to recognize LS pressure very different from the pump one.
The complementary color of red is assigned as a special color for LS one which boosts
hydraulic cylinder or motor. △ PLS, LS differential pressure ( Pump – LS pressure ) is the
most important concept for the CLSS pump control, or LS valve function.
When we study simultaneous compound operation, we need different colors for different LS
pressures. We use yellow for lower one and orange for higher one than the green one.
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Control pressure

Yellow green is the in-between color of warm and

cool and is chosen for the important Control
pressure such as output of Self-pressure
Reducing valve, or Control pump, source
pressures for PPC, EPC and On-Off solenoid
valves.

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Low pressures

Even the pressures are low, we need to explain the

difference when necessary. HST lower side or back
pressured line is blue, return to tank without back
pressure or suction is light blue.
When suction line is boosted, it is yellow like Charge
pump line as same as a gear pump outlet line.
White may be necessary to explain a suction valve
operation with vacuum pressure. WA250 HST Flushing circuit

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Servo drive and Safety valve pressures

Boom &
Arm drift
prevention
PC200-7

PC2000-8 VC valve operation

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How to paint section drawing with oil pressures

Arm re-generation circuit on PC200-7

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Colors in RGB ( to use MS Paint )

MS Paint provides the basic colors and we use them except a special one, yellow green.

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CMYK for print materials

CMYK is also standardized for printing material such as Shop Manual and
others. ( KGS created under Osaka TC’s supervision ) This is the reason why
you feel some difference when print comparing when you see on your PC.
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Training know-how

Coloring by trainees
Coloring by trainees by themselves helps their understanding easily and drastically.

Blank form, handout

Step by step, neutral → low pressure→ high pressure.

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 Training know-how

Color text and material creation

● Complete understanding the
structure & function
 selected pages from Shop
Manual + newly created ones
colored illustration library
Training material creation
 updating and correction
easy & quickly
● We do not use too much technique like
animation or video that takes too
much time and cost for creation.
Contents is more important than
techniques and technical correctness
is mandatory.

Example:31,37-22 colored material handout

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Training know-how

Cut-away models

DB12 control valve of PC30MR, same type is used for D31,37,39

& 51-22 small bulldozers.

Colors of the wires are coincident to the coloring rule

for hydraulic pressures and to show oil flows together
with the color circuit diagram .

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 Colors have a power.

Thanks for your attention !

Osaka Training Center

Service Department
PS Division

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