The disclosure discloses an electro-hydraulic servo actuator capable of implementing long-stroke and high-frequency loading and a control method. The actuator includes: a long hydraulic cylinder with a piston, a short hydraulic cylinder with a piston, a fixed-end rod, low frequency and high frequency electro-hydraulic servo valves, a left rod chamber, a right rod chamber, a force applying end head, and a force applying end rod. With this structure, the displacement of the piston of the short hydraulic cylinder is a combination of small-displacement and high-frequency movement and large-displacement and low-frequency movement, so as to realize the generation of large-displacement and high-frequency movement. Therefore, a target large-displacement and high-frequency excitation is applied to the specimen under load test. The actuator can output high-frequency and large-displacement target excitation of 0.1 Hz to 200 Hz and 0 mm to 1500 mm, and has a simple mechanical structure, advanced control process, and good practicability.

An integrated multiple valve manifold that is reduced in size and weight by integrally incorporating a plurality of valve mechanisms in one manifold. The one manifold, which is formed of an extruded material through which a fluid supply hole and fluid discharge holes extend, includes a plurality of valve holes each of which communicates with the fluid supply hole and the fluid discharge holes by directly intersecting both of the fluid supply hole and the fluid discharge holes, output ports that are formed so as to individually communicate with the valve holes, spools that are slidably inserted into the valve holes, and electromagnetic pilot valves that are individually attached to one ends or both ends of the valve holes.

A valve island has at least one valve module and an adapter module, wherein the adapter module includes a first data line and a first voltage supply line, which each extend continuously from an interface on a first front side forming an outer side of the adapter module to an interface on a second side of the adapter module pointing into the valve island. In the adapter module a circuit unit is provided, which within the adapter module is connected to the first data line and/or the first voltage supply line and from which within the adapter module an internal data line and/or an internal voltage supply line proceeds or proceed, which each extends or extend to an interface on the second side of the adapter module.

A hydraulic valve body, comprising two main lines for bringing pressurized hydraulic fluid into the body's channel system and further out of the channel system. The body further comprises at least two outlet fittings for conducting hydraulic fluid from the body's channel system to actuators and two respective inlet fittings for conducting hydraulic fluid from the actuators back into the channel system.

A valve controller for electrically actuating at least one valve drive, with a control circuit, which is designed to influence an electric energy flow between an electric source and the valve drive and which includes a bus interface for communication with a superordinate control arrangement (2) as well as a sensor means, which is designed to determine physical variable of the energy flow changeable by electrically actuating the valve drive as well as for providing a sensor signal dependent upon the determined physical variable to the control circuit wherein the control circuit is designed to determine a status value for the valve drive based on the sensor signal and at least one characteristic value of a physical variable from the group: energy flow duration, energy flow voltage, energy flow current, fluid pressure and is designed to provide the status value to the bus interface.

A material-mapped actuator useful as, or as part of, a soft robot along with automated methods of design and manufacture. The actuator exhibits mechanical properties that spatially vary along a coordinate system of the actuator. The actuator body has an initial shape with a corresponding initial map of mechanical attributes consisting of locally-varying stiffness at each point in a volume of the actuator body. The actuator is configured to change to a different shape or distribution of mechanical properties upon being activated by an actuation medium. The map of mechanical attributes influences and determines the new shape or distribution. The material-mapped actuator can incorporate a spatially-varying distribution of mechanical properties that dictates multiple desired shapes as the actuation medium is applied, including an actuation sequence in which the actuator transitions from a first shape to a desired intermediate shape(s), and from the intermediate shape to a desired final shape.

A material-mapped actuator useful as, or as part of, a soft robot along with automated methods of design and manufacture. The actuator exhibits mechanical properties that spatially vary along a coordinate system of the actuator. The actuator body has an initial shape with a corresponding initial map of mechanical attributes consisting of locally-varying stiffness at each point in a volume of the actuator body. The actuator is configured to change to a different shape or distribution of mechanical properties upon being activated by an actuation medium. The map of mechanical attributes influences and determines the new shape or distribution. The material-mapped actuator can incorporate a spatially-varying distribution of mechanical properties that dictates multiple desired shapes as the actuation medium is applied, including an actuation sequence in which the actuator transitions from a first shape to a desired intermediate shape(s), and from the intermediate shape to a desired final shape.

A flow responsiveness enhancer apparatus may include a stack of manifolds with at least one manifold dedicated to each of the rams of the blowout preventer. The flow responsiveness enhancer includes a shared pressure line coupled to each of the manifolds, and a shared tank line coupled to each of the manifolds. Each manifold can include a 4-way directional valve that is piloted by the pressure levels in a pair of input ports. Each 4-way directional valve can couple the shared pressure line and the shared tank line to a pair of output ports.

A valve assembly has a valve housing with a hole therein. A valve spool is slidably received directly into the hole of the valve housing with no sleeves or seals interposed therebetween. Preferably, the valve housing and valve spool may be made from hardened stainless steel, preferably hardened 440C stainless steel. Preferably a combination modular housing has an integrally formed manifold section and valve section made by additive manufacturing.

A hydraulic valve assembly for a work vehicle includes a fan and brake function module. A first pump supplies hydraulic pressure to a fan circuit and to first and second service brake circuits of the vehicle. A second pump supplies hydraulic pressure to a steering and work function module that in turn supplies hydraulic pressure to a steering circuit and a work function circuit of the vehicle. The hydraulic valve assembly may also include a work control module and an auxiliary module. The modules of the hydraulic valve assembly are separably connected together via interface surfaces.