No matter what, your control pump will only provide as much flow and power as you need. How do you
decide which pump is suitable for your specific applications? Below we’ve shared a few pump control
options, and all the details you need to choose which one is right for you.
Mechanical-hydraulic pump control:
All mechanical, hydraulic pumps utilize a mechanical input signal that is hydraulically amplified. The flow
is controlled through load sensing. The pump’s swivel angle is adjusted separately from the load at the
actuator through the load sensing valve. Therefore, your velocity at the actuator will always be constant.
The flow at the pump output is accompanied by a power loss, which is then completely converted into
heat, pushing a bump in the cooling demand. However, a serious advantage of this is the easy setup,
which doesn’t require a pilot oil pump as adjustment energy is reduced from high pressure.
Electro-hydraulic pump control:
For most, an electro‐hydraulic system with one fast high‐response valve at the pump is the most elegant
control solution. With these systems, the regulated variable corresponds completely to the analog
hydraulic variable’s flow and pressure. A swivel angle sensor is built on the actuating piston, and a
separate pressure transducer records the actual flow and pressure values. The system will compare the
figures to the specified command values. Then the control performs all flow, pressure, and torque
limitation tasks and forwards values to the valve.
There are now more options for Motion and NC control of hydraulic actuators than ever. Intelligent
pump controllers are tremendously boosting system performance. These types of control systems
communicate via field buses or Ethernet protocols. Using open standards, it is now possible to
completely integrate these systems into Industry 4.0 architectures—making intelligent, networkable
hydraulics the new normal.
Choosing Your Pump Control Type:
Selecting your pump control type depends on the physical variable to be controlled and whether the
mechanical hydraulic or the electrohydraulic variant is the best choice for your application. Both flow
and pressure can be manipulated with both types. However, for limiting torque, the mechanical,
hydraulic method may need an additional power controller altering the flow with constant pressure.
A master‐slave pump control type is only feasible with an electrohydraulic control but allows for
combined pump systems with special properties. Before you select your pump control type, consider the
required dynamics and precision carefully.
Contact GCC today to learn more about choosing the best‐advanced pump control for your
system. As technical experts and superior manufacturers, our team is ready to help you with your pump
