Hydraulics specialist Bosch Rexroth has implemented efficiency-optimised components, innovative modules and networked system solutions, featuring its BlueHydraulics computer program.

The program aims to assist machine manufacturers and end-users to achieve reductions in carbon and other exhaust emissions, without compromising on performance levels.

The BlueHydraulics program enables system designers to make a difference in the energy efficiency curve – even during the project planning phase – especially with respect to factory auto- mation and plant equipment.

Mobile Applications

Mobile hydraulics can benefit from the digital networking of all compatible components and functional properties. These solutions enable the downsizing of diesel motors or a reduction in engine rev/min to lower diesel consumption, complying with tier-four requirements, while maintaining the same performance levels as before.

Diesel hydraulic control (DHC) combines motor management with controls for implementation and travel drive hydraulics. Through the combined demand control, DHC can reduce diesel consumption by up to 20%, without lowering the power available to the machine prior to optimisation.
Other solutions such as the hydrostatic regenerative brake (HRB) system exploit the braking process to allow the hydraulic storage unit to recover deceleration energy and make it available for the next acceleration. In practice, HRB reduces fuel consumption by up to 25%.

Hydraulic fly-wheel technology can, besides enabling energy recovery, be implemented for power smoothing or booster functions or can clear the way for downsizing of the diesel engine.
Innovative functional properties can qualify well-known components for BlueHydraulics. Green valves, the load-holding and lowering valves, use the force of gravity rather than the diesel engine’s supply of energy, which reduces the power requirements and frees up a higher volume flow for functions working in parallel.

Stationary Applications

BlueHydraulics is also suitable for increasing energy efficiency in factory automation and plant equipment. Variable-speed pump drives can cut energy consumption by between 30% and 70%, which results in lower operating costs and a return on investment within a year, states Bosch Rexroth.
The company’s patented cooling and lubrication KST booster, integrates pressure supply for the high-pressure cooling oil circuit to the hydraulic power unit. A linear pump replaces the conventional screw spindle pump, which allows the KST booster to reduce the energy requirements of the high-pressure cooling oil circuit by about 90%, compared with conventional solutions.

“Combining variable-speed pump drives and the KST booster can enable cumulative savings, and for machine tools, energy costs comprise around 15% of the total life-cycle costs,” says Bosch Rexroth hydraulics chairperson Helmug Wagener.
He adds that, through analogue, fieldbus or industrial Ethernet, BlueHydraulics solutions can be integrated perfectly into any automated environment.

Commissioning is also simplified owing to the preparametered software. The finely scaled line-up of speed-variable pump (SVP) drives cover a wide range of applications including machine tools, injection-moulding machines, presses and all types of cyclically working equipment.

Further, SVP drives significantly lower midrange noise levels, alleviating the need for special sound-damping enclosures. The demand control also reduces the amount of heat transfer to the hydrau- lic oil, reducing the energy required for cooling.
At the component level, BlueHydraulics results in increased energy efficiency. The new internal gear pump PGH-3X, for example, has been optimised to support SVP drives and can now muster up to more than 3 000 rev/min across the entire speed range.

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