A method for monitoring the condition of a hydraulic system of a metal forming plant is presented. The hydraulic system is coupled to or provided with a pump drivable by a drive motor for providing a working fluid and with a heat exchanger. With the presented method, the following steps are initiated or carried out by a condition-monitoring device during the operation of the hydraulic system: Determining a current cooling power of the heat exchanger; determining a current conveying power of the pump; and determining a current maintenance urgency and/or a current ageing condition of the hydraulic system on the basis of the determined current cooling power of the heat exchanger. Furthermore, a condition-monitoring device designed to carry out the presented method is presented.

A system for controlling hydraulic fluid flow within a work vehicle includes a pilot conduit configured to receive a pilot flow of hydraulic fluid from a fluid supply conduit such that the operation of a compensator valve is controlled based on a pressure of the pilot flow within the pilot conduit. Furthermore, a pilot conduit valve is configured to adjust the pressure of the pilot flow within the pilot conduit. In addition, the system includes a load sense conduit configured to receive a bleed flow of the hydraulic from the fluid supply conduit such that the operation of the pump is controlled based on a pressure of the bleed flow within the load sense conduit. Moreover, a load sense valve is configured to adjust the pressure of the bleed flow within the load sense conduit.

Some of the present systems include a hydraulic power storage system having an accumulator configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically actuated device to actuate the hydraulically actuated device and a drain in fluid communication with the accumulator and including a valve that is actuatable to drain hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic power storage system such that an internal pressure of the accumulator is reduced and a flow restrictor configured to reduce a flow rate of hydraulic fluid through the valve, a hydraulic pump configured to pressurize the accumulator, a pressure sensor configured to capture data indicative of the internal pressure of the accumulator, and a processor configured to actuate the hydraulic pump to increase the internal pressure of the accumulator if the internal pressure of the accumulator, as indicated in data captured by the pressure sensor, falls below a threshold pressure.

In an exemplary method of monitoring performance of a fluid driven actuator for a valve, pressurized fluid is supplied through an actuator supply line to an inlet port of the actuator during a first time period to operate the actuator from a normal position to an actuated position. Pressure changes corresponding to a fluid flow condition in the actuator supply line are measured during the first time period, with the measured pressure changes defining a valve cycle pressure profile including a first inflection point corresponding to movement of the actuator from the normal position to the actuated position. The valve cycle pressure profile is analyzed to identify a non-compliant condition in at least one of the valve and the actuator. An output communicating the identified non-compliant condition is then generated.

A method for monitoring the condition of a hydraulic system of a metal forming plant is presented. The hydraulic system is coupled to or provided with a pump drivable by a drive motor for providing a working fluid and with a heat exchanger. With the presented method, the following steps are initiated or carried out by a condition-monitoring device during the operation of the hydraulic system: Determining a current cooling power of the heat exchanger; determining a current conveying power of the pump; and determining a current maintenance urgency and/or a current ageing condition of the hydraulic system on the basis of the determined current cooling power of the heat exchanger. Furthermore, a condition-monitoring device designed to carry out the presented method is presented.

This disclosure includes systems and methods for actuating hydraulically-actuated devices.

A fluid system includes a variable-speed and/or a variable-torque pump to pump a fluid, at least one proportional control valve assembly, an actuator that is operated by the fluid to control a load, and a controller that establishes a speed and/or torque of the pump and a position of the at least one proportional control valve assembly. The pump includes at least one fluid driver that provides fluid to the actuator, which can be, e.g., a fluid-actuated cylinder, a fluid-driven motor or another type of fluid-driven actuator that controls a load. Each fluid driver includes a prime mover and a fluid displacement assembly. The fluid displacement assembly can be driven by the prime mover such that fluid is transferred from the inlet port to the outlet port of the pump.

A linear actuator system includes a linear actuator and at least one integrated pump assembly connected to the linear actuator to provide fluid to operate the linear actuator. The integrated pump assembly includes a pump with at least one fluid driver comprising a prime mover and a fluid displacement assembly to be driven by the prime mover such that fluid is transferred from a first port of the pump to a second port of the pump. The pump assembly also includes two valve assembles to isolate the pump from the system. The linear actuator system also includes a controller that establishes at least one of a speed and a torque of the at least one prime mover to exclusively adjust at least one of a flow and a pressure in the linear actuator system to an operational set point.

In an exemplary method of monitoring performance of a fluid driven actuator for a valve, pressurized fluid is supplied through an actuator supply line to an inlet port of the actuator during a first time period to operate the actuator. Changes corresponding to a fluid flow condition in the actuator supply line are measured during the first time period, and the measured changes are analyzed to identify a non-compliant condition in at least one of the valve and the actuator. An output communicating the identified non-compliant condition is then generated.

A hydraulic system for an agricultural baler includes: a hydraulic motor; a hydraulically driven component fluidly coupled to the hydraulic motor such that fluid flow between the hydraulic motor and the hydraulically driven component causes the hydraulically driven component to move between a first position and a second position; a flow sensor associated with the hydraulically driven component; and a controller operatively coupled to the flow sensor and the hydraulic motor. The controller is configured to: enter a learning mode to learn a driven movement of the hydraulically driven component from the first position to the second position; determine fluid flow between the hydraulic motor and the hydraulically driven component during the driven movement while in the learning mode; associate the determined fluid flow with the driven movement; and output control signals to the hydraulic motor to reproduce the associated fluid flow and reproduce the driven movement.