Development within the hydraulics industry has been static for decades, supplying customers with products and systems that are outdated, ineffective, and wasteful. There is almost no better example of this than traditional two-stage servo valves.
A common flaw in the design of these valves is parasitic loss. Two-stage valves use a pilot valve to control the movement of the main stage valve, which requires constant flow or power to the pilot stage. This results in a constant loss of energy as even when the valve is inactive it will still require the pump needs to be running.
Parasitic Loss Leads To Wasted Energy And Costs
This parasitic loss equates to a flow rate of around 2 litres per minute over this pilot stage, which for a 3,000 PSI or 210 bar pressure, is a constant loss of approximately 400 watts of energy. This is equivalent to the amount of energy the world’s best cyclist uses when cycling at full power for an hour.
Until now, customers have had to choose between two main types of valves; a two-stage valve and a servo proportional valve. Two-stage valves are small and high-performing but very inefficient due to parasitic losses. Servo proportional valves do not have parasitic loss (making them cheaper to run and more energy efficient) but have tended to be bigger and slower.
Domin Servo Proportional Valves Are The Future
At Domin, we have revolutionised the way energy is used in hydraulics by approaching the design and manufacture of hydraulic valves in a completely new way. Using ground-breaking technology like brushless DC motors, additive manufacturing, well designed effective gearing, and modern on-board electronics, we have developed a range of servo proportional valves that are highly efficient due to the lack of parasitic loss, but also light and compact, like traditional two-stage valves. These changes significantly reduce energy consumption, potentially saving you up to $400 per valve per year.
If you are sourcing valves for a new project or looking to replace existing valves, consider the switch to Domin valves for your hydraulic systems. Get in touch with our sales team to discuss how we can help you find the right solution for your operation, whether you are using two-stage or servo proportional valves.
Want to learn more? Check out our article on Metal Additive Manufacturing.
